As part of the annual program, weekly gatherings in the fall are arranged to enable the fellows to meet and interact with each other as well as with members of the Museum staff and academic community at large. Behind-the-scenes tours of the Museum, coffees hosted by the curatorial or conservation staff, as well as gallery talks through special exhibitions can also be expected. Every spring, the program offers a series of fellows' colloquia, providing an opportunity for fellows to present short papers on their work in progress to university colleagues and Museum staff.

Proposed projects should relate to the Museum's collection. Possible fields of research for art history candidates include Western art; Asian art; the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; antiquities; arms and armor; costumes; drawings; illuminated manuscripts; paintings; photographs; sculpture; and textiles. Some fellowships for travel abroad are also available for students whose projects involve firsthand examination of paintings in major European collections.

A postdoctoral curatorial fellowship funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is being offered for curatorial training and scholarly research at the Metropolitan Museum. This two-year fellowship (renewable to a third) is available to eligible individuals who demonstrate scholarly excellence as well as a strong commitment to the museum profession.

Conservation and scientific research fellows may work with paintings, textiles, musical instruments, costumes, paper, or objects (including sculpture, metalwork, glass, ceramics, furniture, and archaeological objects). Applicants for the conservation and scientific research fellowships should have reached an advanced level of experience or training.

A two-year research scholarship in photograph conservation is offered in alternate years. Applicants for this position are expected to have a graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience and should be completely committed to the conservation of photographs as their area of specialization.

Learn more about the art history fellowship program, the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship, the conservation fellowship program, or the research scholarship in photograph conservation at the Met. You may also view a list of 2008–2009 recipients of fellowship awards. Lists of 2005–2006, 2006–2007, and 2007–2008 recipients are also available.