The Betsy James Wyeth Fellowship in Native American Art Grant

The Betsy James Wyeth Fellowship in Native American Art offers a unique opportunity for scholars to engage in a 12-month residency focused on Native American artists and methodologies. With a stipend of $53,000 and additional funding for research trips, this fellowship fosters scholarly exchange and professional development at the Smithsonian. Ideal candidates include predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers committed to Indigenous arts and cultures, ensuring a vibrant academic environment for innovative research.

One fellowship will be awarded annually in support of a 12-month residency for a scholar at the predoctoral level or a 9-month appointment for a postdoctoral or senior-level researcher. Residencies musttake place between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2027. Housing is not provided.
The Betsy James Wyeth Fellowship in Native American Art carries a stipend of $53,000 and an allowance of up to $5,000 for short research trips. Additional funds will be provided to help with the fellow’s health insurance premiums and travel to Washington, DC. The Smithsonian’s Office of International Relations will assist with arranging J-1 exchange visas for any recipients who require them.
The Betsy James Wyeth Fellow will be jointly advised by a SAAM and a National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) staff member. They will be seated alongside other scholars of American art history and visual culture in SAAM’s Research and Scholars Center, located just one floor above the Archives of American Art and the American Art/Portrait Gallery Library. A Smithsonian shuttle provides free transportation to the NMAI Cultural Resources Center, where additional desk space will be made available adjacent to its collections, library holdings, and photo and paper archives. Regular lunchtime seminars, workshops, and symposia organized by both museums will facilitate scholarly exchange and professional development.
Fellowship Categories
Postdoctoral fellowships are available to support independent research projects by scholars who have earned a PhD or equivalent within the last five years.   Senior fellowships are intended for scholars with a distinguished publication record who have held their doctoral degree for more than five years or who possess a commensurate record of professional accomplishment.

Eligibility

The proposed research project should focus on historic or contemporary Native American artists, designers, and makers.Successful applications will center Indigenous methodologies, knowledges, and communities within their research practices and draw on the resources of the two Smithsonian host museums: SAAM and NMAI.

Ineligibility

No employee or contractor of the Smithsonian Institution may hold a Smithsonian fellowship during the time of their employment or contract, nor may an award be offered to any person who has been employed by or under contract to the Institution in the previous year, without prior approval.