The Science History Institute seeks qualified, talented people to help us preserve and interpret the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences. For all staff and scholars we offer a great quality of life, competitive benefits, and a number of unique perks.
Our Equal Opportunity Policy
The Science History Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Science History Institute is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applicants from underrepresented groups such as women, racioethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities to apply.
Fellowships and Travel Grants
With dozens of scholars in residence each year, the Institute boasts the largest private fellowship program in the history and social study of science in the United States. Researchers travel from all over the world to use our collections and take part in a vibrant scholarly community. For more information please visit our Fellowships section.
Professional Opportunities
We employ full- and part-time employees in a wide range of positions, including curatorial, public outreach, library, fundraising, visitor services, administration, and maintenance. We seek creative, insightful, and talented people who think the Institute’s work and mission is as interesting and important as we do and who are eager to share it with the world.
PLEASE NOTE: The Science History Institute has a COVID vaccine mandate policy for its employees, subject to any reasonable accommodation required by law.
Collections Management and Registration Intern
The Science History Institute is currently recruiting for a 15-week, part-time (20–24 hours per week) Collections Management and Registration Intern. The Collections Management and Registration Intern will assist with the inventory of a subsection of our science-related toy collection. The Intern will also assist with a large loan return, as well exhibit preparation for an upcoming rotating exhibit space.
The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in museum studies, art history, history, or similar curriculum
- Minimum of one year of relevant work experience is a plus
- Demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for collections management and/or registration
- Knowledge of collections management databases; experience with PastPerfect is a plus
- Knowledge of Photoshop
- Strong proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Outlook) and videoconferencing tools (Zoom and Teams)
- Excellent written communication skills, organizational skills, and attention to detail
To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to [email protected].
The salary for this position is $15 per hour.
Curatorial Fellow
The Science History Institute is pleased to accept applications for its 2023–2025 Curatorial Fellowship.
Overview
Hosted by the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry, curatorial fellowships are two-year benefit-eligible positions that integrate fellows as members of Institute staff. Fellows benefit from professional development, portfolio building, networking, and mentorship opportunities in the library and museum fields. Project outcomes build fellows’ resumes while advancing the Institute’s strategic goals.
Curatorial fellowships are intended for individuals with advanced degrees who are seeking professional opportunities outside of academia. Both early career and career-changing researchers are encouraged to apply. Scholars from any relevant field with a demonstrated interest in the history of science, broadly defined, will be considered.
Twenty percent of each fellow’s time is reserved for independent research with the aim of producing a publication appropriate for their professional goals. Publications can range from a traditional academic journal article to the production of a museum exhibition. Fellows also receive a professional development stipend of $1,000 per year, for a total of $2,000 over the course of the two-year appointment. Curatorial fellows who meet the criteria of the Institute’s Relocation Assistance Program receive a $1,500 payment upon moving to the Philadelphia area.
As part of their professional development and networking, curatorial fellows participate in relevant seminars at the Institute (approximately ten percent of the fellows’ time), including the Beckman Center’s Work-in-Progress Workshops and Fellows’ Talks, and the one-week Oral History Training Institute.
Scientific Biographies Curatorial Fellow
The Institute seeks a Curatorial Fellow to contribute to our Scientific Biographies online resource. The Fellow will contribute to the reimagining and expansion of the Institute’s collection of scientific biographies. This online resource shares the stories of individuals who have made historically significant contributions to our knowledge of the world and is the Institute’s single largest source of website traffic. Responsibilities will include auditing the current collection according to contemporary historiography; developing a strategy for growing and diversifying the collection (with special attention paid to identity, geography, and forms of knowledge); and creating workflows for editing existing biographies and generating new biographies. This position may also include opportunities to pursue grant and foundation support for the project or to create additional interpretive content by creating a physical or digital exhibition. Some experience writing for the public, educational audiences, and for the web is desirable.
The application deadline for the Curatorial Fellowship is Sunday, January 15, 2023. Offers will be made in May 2023, with a start date of September 2023. This is a two-year, limited-duration staff position that will end in August 2025.
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
- Advanced degree in a humanities, social science, or science field; master’s degree required, PhD preferred
- Demonstrated interest in communicating complicated topics with non-specialist and public audiences
- Research interests aligned with the history of science
- Strong project management skills
- Experience using primary source collections for research, teaching, or interpretation
- Ability to work both collaboratively within a team and, at times, independently
To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, short writing sample for a non-specialist audience, and contact information for three professional references to [email protected].
The annual salary for this position is $50,000.
Digital Collections Education Intern
The Science History Institute is offering a 10-week, part-time (10–15 hours per week) Digital Collections Education Internship. In addition to working with the digital collections team, the Intern will also work with members of the collections and programming team to grow the use and impact of the Institute’s digital collections, with a particular focus on educational audiences. The Digital Collections Education Intern will research collections-based educational resources offered by peer institutions to assess opportunities for Institute resources; support the development of primary source-based learning modules based on institutional content strengths; research and recommend curricular standards aligned to both STEM and social studies courses; and research digital methods and platforms to maximize the discoverability and utility of the Institute’s educational resources for K-16 educators and learners. Remote candidates are welcome.
The successful candidate will possess
- Strong interest in K-16 education, particularly high school and college audiences
- Familiarity with curricular standards for middle school and high school STEM and social studies courses
- Strong interest in communicating complex historical or scientific topics to the public
- Relevant experience or knowledge of museum and library digital collections or current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate program in the following areas of study: education, history, digital humanities, museum studies, or related fields
- Strong written communication and organizational skills
- Detail-oriented and highly organized
- Comfortable working independently
- High school diploma or GED and a combination of coursework or experience that demonstrates interest in a career path related to K-16 education, museum education, public history, or related fields
To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to [email protected].
The salary for this position is $15 per hour. Application review will begin Monday, November 28, 2022.
Digital Collections Intern
The Science History Institute is currently recruiting for a paid, part-time (20–24 hours per week), limited-duration (15 weeks) Digital Collections Internship in the Othmer Library of Chemical History. The Digital Collections Intern will be responsible for digitizing items within the Institute’s photograph collections and legacy publications collections. The Intern will ingest digital assets into the Institute’s Digital Collections application and apply technical and descriptive metadata. This position requires in-person work at our office.
The Science History Institute is currently recruiting for a paid, part-time (20–24 hours per week), limited-duration (up to 12 weeks) Digital Collections Internship in the Othmer Library of Chemical History. The Digital Collections Intern will be responsible for digitizing items within the Institute’s photograph collections and legacy publications collections. The Intern will ingest digital assets into the Institute’s Digital Collections application and apply technical and descriptive metadata. This position requires in-person work at our office.
The successful candidate will possess
- Currently pursuing or have completed a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a humanities or social science discipline, with a strong demonstrated interest in archives, libraries, or digital humanities
- Some coursework in a master’s degree in one of the following subjects is a plus: library or information science, history, digital humanities, history of science, public history, oral history, or archival management
- Digital file management experience, preferably in an archival, library, or repository environment
- Experience using database and/or collections management systems preferred
- Ability to learn new image capture and processing applications quickly; training will be provided
- Awareness of controlled vocabularies and descriptive standards
- Excellent written communication skills, organizational skills, and attention to detail
To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references by Friday, March 3, 2023, to [email protected]. Application review and interviews will take place in March.
The salary for this position is $15 per hour.
Library Intern
The Science History Institute is offering a 15-week, part-time (20-24 hours per week) Library Internship. Please note that this position is in-person at our offices located in Old City Philadelphia. This internship will provide the ideal candidate with valuable experience in both public and technical services library work. The Library Intern will assist with library outreach activities, including social media and in-person events, and will also perform copy cataloging of modern library collection materials.
The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:
- Currently enrolled in a Master of Library/Information Science program
- Familiarity with Tumblr, desire to creatively present collections through blog posts, and maintain relationships with other organizations
- An interest in creatively promoting special collections to a public audience
- Awareness of library cataloging standards and guidelines, such as the MARC record format, RDA, and Library of Congress authorities
- Excellent attention to detail and aptitude for detail-oriented work
- Ability to manage and prioritize workload and to work both independently and cooperatively in a team environment
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
To be considered for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to [email protected].
The salary for this position is $15 per hour. Application review will begin in early January 2023, with an anticipated internship start date in early February.