Kenneth Jay Boss Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology Grant

Kenneth Jay Boss Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Smithsonian Institution (SI)
Last Updated: January 18, 2026

Summary

The Kenneth Jay Boss Fellowship in Invertebrate Zoology supports graduate students conducting independent research on mollusks and other invertebrates at the National Museum of Natural History. Recipients receive a stipend of $1,000 per week for housing and subsistence, with potential additional funding for research supplies. Fellowships are awarded biannually, with proposals generally lasting from one week to six months. Applicants must be graduate students, proficient in English, and work closely with an IZ research scientist.

Overview

This fellowship was established through a generous donation from the estate of Kenneth Boss (1935-2014), a longstanding Curator of Malacology and Professor of Biology at Harvard University who made important contributions to the study of mollusks. Kenneth Jay Boss fellowships provide financial support enabling graduate students to conduct independent collections-based research in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Department of Invertebrate Zoology can provide access to imaging facilities equipped with standard, low vacuum, environmental and field emission scanning electron microscopes, a compound fluorescent microscope, and digital microscopes with z-stacking capabilities; a histology lab equipped for paraffin sectioning and whole mount preparation; standard dissecting and compound microscopes. Fellows will also have access to the main NMNH Library and the specialized library collections in the department. How it Works The fellowships are awarded preferentially to students investigating mollusks, although proposals focused on other invertebrate groups (exclusive of insects, arachnids, and myriapods) will also be considered. Fellowship proposals are solicited biannually for projects generally ranging from one week to three months (and up to six months); the awards provide a stipend to cover housing and subsistence while visiting the museum. The number of fellowships to be awarded each review cycle will depend on the quality of proposals and available funding Stipend Stipend award amounts are $1,000/week for housing and subsistence.  Additional funds (up to $2,000) may be requested for any supplies that will be needed to conduct the research at the museum.  A relocation allowance (up to $1,000) can also be included in the budget request. Term Fellowship proposals are solicited biannually for projects generally ranging from one week to three months (and up to six months).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Awardees must be in residence in the Washington, D.C. area and spend a significant amount of time working in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology during their fellowship tenure.Fellowships are available to currently enrolled graduate students engaged in collections-based research (e.g., systematics, phylogeny, biogeography, comparative morphology, species conservation). Students seeking support for conducting molecular studies at the museum should apply to the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program.Both US and non-US citizens are eligible;Applicants must write and converse well in English.Applicants must contact an IZ research scientist to serve as the fellowship advisor well in advance of submitting their application.

Ineligibility

Local investigators (based in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area) are not eligible for these fellowships.