2018 Conference

 

Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

NEMA is pleased to offer several scholarship and fellowship opportunities to make the annual conference more financially accessible. Scholarship awards support travel, lodging, and three-day registration for individual members of NEMA and employees of NEMA institutional members unless otherwise noted.

The deadline for all scholarship programs is September 21, 2018.

Only one application is necessary to apply for all scholarships and fellowships. Note: Individual opportunities have slightly differing requirements in the essay portion of the application.

All applicants will be considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible.

You will be notified of the final award decisions in late September or early October. In the event that your application is unsuccessful, you may still register at the early-bird rate at any time before conference.

Click here to download the scholarship application form.

Click here to download the conference registration form.


 

NEMA Fellowship Award
The NEMA Fellowship Award offers a museum professional or student the opportunity to work with NEMA in building thought leadership for our region’s museum field. One NEMA Fellow will be chosen and awarded a stipend of $750 toward attendance at the conference. The NEMA Fellow will contribute thought leadership by writing a minimum of three articles on museum-related themes for NEMA publications during the following year. The NEMA Fellow is expected to produce these materials based on their exploration of museum issues and/or experience at the NEMA Conference. The Fellow will be introduced to the NEMA Board and PAG Volunteers at a leadership breakfast and honored publicly at the NEMA Annual Meeting on November 9th.

In addition to the scholarship and registration forms the applicant will need to, on not more than one page, tell the selection committee how receiving the NEMA Fellowship (including participation at the NEMA annual conference) would enhance your academic or professional development, and the circumstances that prompted you to submit your application. Also include possible topics of interest to you that would contribute to NEMA’s thought leadership in the field.


NEMA Professional Development Award
A limited number of conference registrations are available to individual members of NEMA and employees of NEMA institutional members who need financial assistance. It is expected that recipients and/or their employer will provide some of the costs of attending the annual conference.

NEMA Diversity Scholarship
Established to make the annual conference financially accessible for students and museum professionals from a historically marginalized group, inclusive of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender identity so that they can attend the conference. Scholarship includes a full three-day registration and $100 stipend. 

NEMA Board Diversity Scholarship
The NEMA board has funded a scholarship to make the annual conference financially accessible for applicants from a historically marginalized group, inclusive of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender identity so that they can attend the conference. Scholarship includes a full three-day registration and three-nights stay in the conference hotel.

Connecticut Humanities Scholarship for an Emerging Professional
Connecticut Humanities will provide a $500 scholarship opportunity for a Connecticut emerging museum professional with 0-5 years of experience in the museum field. Special consideration will be given to individuals from historically underrepresented communities.  

Cynthia Robinson Scholarship
This $500 stipend is awarded to support travel, lodging and registration. Priority for this scholarship will be given to current students or recent graduates (within 5 years) of the Tufts Museum Studies Program. This scholarship has been provided with support from Cynthia Robinson.

Native American Fellowship
Sponsored by the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center will provide a $500 stipend to a Native American museum professional or student (undergraduate or graduate) to support travel, lodging and registration associated with the NEMA annual conference. Priority is given to individuals with demonstrated interest in tribal museums and cultural centers. 

The Laura B. Roberts Scholarship
This $500 stipend is awarded to support travel, lodging and registration. Priority for this scholarship will be given to graduates of the Harvard Museum Studies, Tufts Certificate, Bank Street Museum Leadership, and Cooperstown programs. This scholarship has been provided with support from Laura B. Roberts.

University Products Curatorial Fellowship
The Curators Professional Affinity Group, with support from University Products, provides a three-day conference registration for an individual member of NEMA and/or an employee of NEMA institutional members. Any curator who has worked in the field five years or less, and works for an institution with an annual budget of $250,000 or less, is eligible for the award.

Diversity Fellowship
Sponsored by the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage at Brown University
The John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities (JNBC) and Cultural Heritage at Brown University provides a $500 fellowship to a NEMA member from a historically marginalized group, inclusive of race, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender identity. Members whose attendance at the conference will benefit their museum and whose commitment to museum work will be reinforced by their participation are encouraged to apply. Applicants must register for the entire conference.

 

YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE: (Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please email (conference@nemanet.org) the following information.

  1. Completed conference scholarship application form.
  2. A completed conference registration form (available late August). Please indicate any meals and events that you wish to attend but do not send any payment. In the event that your application is unsuccessful, you may still register at the early-bird rate at any time before conference. (DO NOT REGISTER USING THE ONLINE REGISTRATION SYSTEM.)
  3. On not more than one page, tell the committee how participation at the NEMA annual conference would enhance your academic or professional development, and the circumstances that prompted you to submit your application, and for the JNBC and NEMA Diversity awards discuss how you represent diversity. For the Native American Fellowship please describe your Native American ancestry/heritage. For the NEMA Fellowship include possible topics of interest to you that would contribute to NEMA’s thought leadership in the field.
  4. Copy of curriculum vitae or resume. Applicants for the Laura B. Roberts and Cynthia Robinson Scholarship should highlight relevant college qualifications.

Please combine documents into a single document, if possible. Please include your name in the title on all emailed documents (eg. resume_last_name.pdf). If your version of Adobe does not support saving any part of the completed application forms, you may submit them by fax (781-641-0053) or mail (NEMA, 22 Mill Street, Suite 409, Arlington, MA 02476).