$30,000, 14-month Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship

The Museum of the City of New York is seeking applications for the
$30,000, 14-month Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship in
Museum Education.
Open to Predoctoral (ABD) Candidates in History, American Studies, Political
Science, Urban Studies, Architectural or Art History, Gender Studies, or related
disciplines.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2017
The Museum of the City of New York seeks applications from historians-in-training who wish to
gain valuable hands-on experience in public history and teaching, to fill three Predoctoral Museum
Education Fellowships funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Fellows will enhance and
expand educational activities now underway at the Museum’s Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education
Center while receiving training in the fields of public history and museum education. The Schwarz
Center targets public schools and welcomes over 46,000 students and teachers each year.

The Fellowship is open to all advanced (ABD) PhD candidates in American History, Urban Studies,
or fields relating to the collections and programs of the Museum. Candidates must be currently
enrolled in a doctoral program in the United States, have completed their course work, and have an
approved proposal for their dissertation. Three Fellows will be selected to be in residence at the
Museum of the City of New York for two days a week for fourteen months, beginning in July 2017
and ending in August 2018, during which time they will be fully integrated into the life of the
Museum. A small stipend for relocation is available.

Following a training program directed by Museum staff, Fellows will work primarily with the
Museum’s flagship fieldtrip programs. Among their responsibilities:
 leading gallery-based student (elementary through high school) workshops and classes on
topics pertaining to New York City history that will augment and support approved
curricula
 researching topics on New York City history and culture linked to Museum exhibitions and
preparing background material for presentation in our student-focused programs
 assisting with out-of-school enrichment programs such as New York City History Day,
Family and Community Engagement Programs, and Teen Thursdays
 preparing lectures and resources for New York City K-12 educators

The Fellows will enhance the historical content of Schwarz Center programming by incorporating
contemporary scholarship and diverse perspectives. In return, Fellows will hone their public
engagement skills, benefiting potential future work as professors or public history professionals.
Fellows will receive three months of focused training in museum pedagogy and will also observe
programs delivered by Museum educators before beginning to teach. Compensation is $30,000 for a
commitment of two days a week at the Museum, for 14 months, July 2017 – August 2018.
About the Museum of the City of New York
The Museum celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character,
especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. Founded in 1923, the
Museum illuminates the past, which has shaped the city we live in, highlights key aspects of the
present, which affect our daily lives, and considers the grand challenges for the city to remain strong
in the future. We serve the people of New York and visitors from around the world through
exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.
Testimonials from Past Fellows

“If I could boil it down to one thing, I think that I would say the fellowship is a game-changer in
terms of engaging different kinds of audiences. As a graduate student instructor, you’re really only
exposed to teaching undergraduates. But in the capacity of this fellowship, I’ve received in-depth
training on teaching completely new audiences for me: children, special needs learners, adults,
parents, and the list is ever-expanding.” – Doctoral candidate in U.S. History, NYU
“This program has…pushed me to move beyond content knowledge, where I am most comfortable,
towards a real focus on students—how they are experiencing the exhibit, enabling them to talk to
each other about what they’re seeing, and empowering them to apply what they’ve learned beyond
this single tour.” – PhD Candidate CUNY Graduate Center, Modern American History
“The fellowship has given me the opportunity to…engage with the public through tours, and has
also given me the chance to use my research skills to curate [an] exhibition. Having the chance to
work with people across the museum has presented me with a lot of new ideas and opportunities to
think of what a person can do with a Ph.D. in History.” – Former PhD Candidate at Fordham
University, Modern History; now Lecturer, Harvard University

Eligibility
The Fellowship is open to all advanced (ABD) PhD candidates in American History (and
related fields) who are enrolled in a doctoral program in the United States, have completed
their course work and have an approved proposal for their dissertation, and will be able to
work at the Museum two days a week with some flexibility. Preference will be given to
scholars whose work connects to the exhibitions and/or programs at the Museum of the City
of New York.
Applicants must:
 Have had proposals for their dissertation accepted in a humanities or social science field
 Have demonstrated research interests (dissertation or otherwise) in one or more of the
following areas and be interested in pursuing them in relation to an education initiative for
elementary, middle, high school students and teachers and/or the general museum public:
o Native American or colonial history
o Immigration and/or ethnic studies
o Social activism
o Urban history, urban planning, or urban policy
o Urban environmental studies and/or sustainability
o Women and politics
o Any aspect or era of New York City history
 Have an established interest in material and/or visual culture and a commitment to
interdisciplinary approaches
 Have a good rapport working with, or interest in, presenting information to a diverse pool of
ages and backgrounds
 Have an interest in working with groups and the ability to explain complex historical
information to diverse populations
 Be flexible and be committed to working collaboratively

Application Requirements
Applications due March 15, 2017.
Applications must be submitted by email to Maeve Montalvo, Andrew W. Mellon Predoctoral
Fellowship Coordinator, at mmontalvo@mcny.org and must include the following as attachments:
 Two page cover letter stating interest in exploring work in museum education
 Statement of current research interests, including but not limited to dissertation topic,
including an explanation of how they relate to the mission, exhibitions, or collections of the
Museum of the City of New York. Please include dissertation title, proposal defense date,
and intended dissertation defense date or year, if known. (no more than 2,500 words)
 Curriculum Vitae
 Two confidential letters of referral. If you have experience teaching, one letter should come
from someone familiar with your teaching practice. References can email letters to
mmontalvo@mcny.org or mail them to Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth
Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, and Attn: Maeve Montalvo.

Should they choose to email the letter, they must include your name in the subject line.
The deadline for receipt of the cover letter, CV, and statement of research interests is March 15,
2017. Reference letters must be received by March 29, 2017.
The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about
its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual
transformation. The Museum serves the people of New York and visitors from around the world
through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.
The Museum of the City of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer