Fellow

Join a community of scholars from various disciplines, backgrounds, perspectives, and training. Their individual interests and research, requiring close study of objects, collectively activates and uplifts 5,000 years of human creativity represented in The Met collection.

• The History of Art and Visual Culture Fellowship supports independent research projects that make use of the extensive Met collection and Museum resources. Intended for the close study of objects, artworks, and visual traditions, this fellowship encourages original scholarship that advances critical perspectives within the applicant's field. During their fellowship term, fellows spend the majority of their time pursuing their proposed projects and developing their work in collaboration with departmental supervisors, fellow cohort members, and staff across the Museum. Fields of study may include, but are not limited to, the history of art and architecture, critical theory, media studies, anthropology, and archaeology.

Depending on the needs of their host curatorial department, as well as the relevance of their research interests, fellows might be asked to assist with upcoming projects and exhibitions. However, not all departments request this support.

• The Interdisciplinary fellowship supports independent research projects of various disciplines that make use of Met resources to explore connections between cultures and collections, bridging the arts, humanities, and sciences. Fields of study might include anthropology, archaeology, critical theory, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, history, literature, media studies, medicine, musicology, performance, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, or sociology. During their fellowship term, fellows spend the majority of their time pursuing their proposed projects within a supportive network of departmental supervisors, fellow cohort members, and staff. Interdisciplinary fellows are embedded in one Museum department but collaborate with others.

Please note: This fellowship is not intended to result in a public exhibition or program and is not for projects primarily art historical in nature, even if involving multiple subspecialties.

• Conservators and scientists work in close collaboration with curators to study, preserve, and conserve works of art across The Met collection. The Met is home to a world-renowned network of conservation facilities, designed to meet the complex needs of its holdings. The Museum welcomes fellowship applications from junior and senior conservators and scientists to pursue advanced training and independent research projects. Fellows are paired with a supervisor or primary contact within their host department to guide them as they navigate our extensive resources. Fellows have access to The Met collection, staff, libraries, research facilities, labs, and the time and space needed to complete their manuscripts, doctoral dissertations, scholarly articles, conservation training, research experiments, and other pursuits.

Graduate students at the MA level and PhD students who have not yet achieved candidacy are also eligible for Met internships.

For more information and other Fellowship opportunities, please visit our website.

• Application deadline: Thursday, October 15, 2026, 5 pm ET (Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship, Eugene V. Thaw Fellowship for Collections Cataloguing, History of Art and Visual Culture Fellowship, Interdisciplinary Fellowship, Research Scholarship in Photograph Conservation, Slifka Foundation Interdisciplinary Fellowship, Theodore Rousseau Fellowship)
• Application deadline: Thursday, November 12, 2026, 5 pm ET (Conservation, Scientific Research)

• PhD candidates through senior postdoctoral scholars are eligible to apply. MA students and PhD students who have not yet defended their dissertation proposal are not eligible.
• Junior fellowships are awarded to those applicants who are working on their PhD on the application deadline date. Applicants who receive their PhD after the submission deadline are not eligible for the senior fellowship.
• Senior fellowships are awarded to those applicants who hold a PhD on the application deadline date and/or are well-established scholars.
• Individuals who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents are eligible to apply for The Met Fellowship Program, provided that they have or are able to obtain valid work authorization under applicable US visa regulations. If you are an international student, fellow, or worker currently in the US on a visa sponsored by another entity (e.g. a university, another museum, or employer), we strongly encourage you to speak to your university's foreign student office or visa sponsor before applying. If you are currently in the US on an F-1 visa sponsored by a US college or university, you may request CPT or OPT from your school to participate in the Fellowship Program. Please contact your university's foreign student office prior to applying.
• If you are not currently in the US, The Met may be able to sponsor successful applicants as part of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, if they are eligible. Please note that the J-1 Exchange Program has specific regulations about repeat participation in the program; if you currently hold or have held a J-1 visa in the past, we strongly encourage you to visit the BridgeUSA website (j1visa.state.gov) and your current sponsor's visa office to determine your eligibility to apply for another J-1 visa. Please note that The Met does not reimburse or cover costs incurred during the visa application process.