Research Scholarships and Grants

The Field Museum houses some of the world's finest collections in anthropology, botany, geology and zoology. The Field Museum recognizes the need to support basic research on its collections by interested students and scholars throughout the world. To this end, the Museum offers a modest number of grants and fellowships to visiting scientists and students for research and training in our scientific collections and state-of-the-art laboratories. Grants to examine specimens in our collections are open on a competitive basis to all individuals in the national and international scholarly community working on problems related to natural history. Eligibility for undergraduate research (REU) internships, high school internships and science educators vary, please consult the description for each program.

Grant Categories

C&R Visiting Scholarships (short term visit for collection study)
C&R Graduate Student Fellowships (one-year fellowship for a resident graduate student)
C&R REU Summer internships (10-week internships)
C&R High School & Undergraduate Summer internships (duration flexible, collection internship)
DNA Residency Program for high school students (5-6-week internships)
DNA Residency Program for science educators (5-6-week internships)
Field Museum Women in Science internships (2 one-month interships. High school/undergraduate)

Application Deadlines

Visiting Scholarships - Application deadline: Nov 1, 2012
Graduate Fellowships - Application deadline: Feb 1, 2013
REU Internships - Application deadline: Feb 11, 2013
High School & Undergraduate Summer Internships - Application deadline: Apr 2, 2013
DNA Residency Programs - Application deadline: May 3, 2013.
Women In Science - Application deadline: May 10th, 2013.

All Visiting Scholarship and Graduate Fellowship applications must be endorsed by a Field Museum curator. Preference is given to projects related to the collections strength or research interests of a Field Museum curator. For specific areas of interest in the museum's four scientific departments, please click on Curatorial Staff. All applicants for a visiting scholarship or a graduate fellowship must specify The Field Museum curator who will write a letter in support of the applicant’s project. Applicants must contact an appropriate curator at The Field Museum before submitting their application. Please note that Field Museum curators travel frequently, sometimes for extended time periods. Contact the appropriate Field Museum curator well in advance of the application deadline.

Applications for the DNA Discovery Center's Residency programs will require on-line applications (see the programming sites linked to above). Letters of recommendation from a teacher or other reference are required, so pease plan accordingly.

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Chair of the Scholarship Committee or DNAprograms@fieldmuseum.org

The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605