FAIC/Kress Foundation Conservation Fellowship

FAIC is pleased to administer the Kress Conservation Fellowship program on behalf of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The Kress Conservation Fellowship program provides competitive grants to cultural institutions and conservation facilities to sponsor supervised post-graduate fellowship opportunities to help develop the skills of emerging conservators.

At the crossroads of science and art, the field of conservation demands a complex knowledge of chemistry, materials, and sensitivity to artistic intent. Advanced skills in physical dexterity, patience, and concentration are also required. Initial training provides basic qualifications that must be supplemented with practice in a specialized area. Emerging conservation professionals develop skills, hands-on experience, and confidence within a supervised environment.

Five $44,000 Fellowships are expected to be awarded each year for one-year post-graduate internships in advanced conservation at a cultural heritage institution or conservation facility.
The full $44,000 must be allocated as a fellowship stipend. FAIC recommends that the awarded institutions contribute at least $6,000 to the fellowship stipend, for a total of $50,000.
Payroll taxes may be withheld from the $44,000, but any other benefits, travel or education reimbursement, or administrative costs must be met by the institution or other funding source.
Grant funds may not be used for indirect costs.
Preference may go to institutions who commit to contributing additional funds to the fellowship.
Most Fellowships begin in late summer or early fall and run for a term of twelve months.
An interim or final report is due from the host institution in mid-September of the year following the award.

Cultural heritage institutions or conservation facilities can apply to host a fellowship. Fellows must complete a masters-level degree in conservation prior to beginning the Fellowship. Fellows must be either a resident or citizen of the U.S. or Canada, or a recent graduate from a conservation graduate program in the U.S. or Canada. The Fellowship candidate may be identified in advance of application by the host institution or recruited subsequently.

Priority is given to first-year requests, but outstanding projects that clearly outline benefits to the Fellow for a second year of Fellowship can be funded.

The program seeks to support a set of fellowships that offer:

A variety of specialty areas (paintings, paper, objects, etc.).
Opportunities for graduates from a variety of graduate programs in the U.S. and Canada.
Opportunities to work in a variety of institutions, from large municipal museums to university museums and other conservation facilities, as well as sites outside the U.S.
Preference may be given to institutions that have not recently hosted Kress Fellows.

Applications will be rated according to the potential for the Fellow to develop professional skills, knowledge, and abilities in conservation, based on an ability to provide:

A varied and challenging set of tasks.
Sufficient and qualified supervision and mentoring.
Access to appropriate expertise and analytical services.
Appropriate workspace and equipment.
Opportunities for professional presentations and public outreach activities.

If a specific candidate is proposed, review will also be made regarding the potential for the Fellow to make a contribution to the conservation community, and the appropriateness of the proposed Fellowship experience for that individual.

If a specific candidate is not proposed at the time of application, review will include the appropriateness of the search procedure to fill the Fellowship position. Final approval of awards will be contingent on approval of the selected Fellow (including eligibility requirements) and their potential to make a contribution to the conservation community.

Applications are submitted through our online application portal. When you enter the portal, you will be prompted to login to the system using a login ID and password. If you already have an account (this should be the case if you are an AIC member or have participated in an AIC or FAIC program), use the same login information you use to access that account. If you do not have an account in the system, you can quickly set one up before you begin your application.

The online form will take you through the three sections of the application:

Institutional information (contact and fellowship supervisor details)
Fellow information (candidate or recruitment information)
Fellowship information (project details)

You can save and return to your application later to complete it. When you are satisfied with your responses, “save and finalize” to submit your application. Once the application has been submitted, you cannot return to edit the form.

Contact FAIC Education Manager, Sarah Saetren, at funding@culturalheritage.org or (202) 661-8071.

Applications are evaluated by at least three conservation professionals, selected to reflect the specialty areas proposed. Reviewers are drawn from past Fellows, past Fellowship supervisors, and others with mentoring experience. Reviewers will follow the Reviewer Guidelines and an established evaluation rubric based on the criteria for review to evaluate all applications. The process is managed by the FAIC Education Manager and supervised by an AIC or FAIC Board member. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation has final approval of all recommended awards.

All applicants will receive a notification letter within six to eight weeks after the application deadline via email to notify them of the status of their application following the review.

Awardees will receive their letter via DocuSign and must sign and return their letter in order for the funding to be sent. Awards of $600 or more require a W9 form from awardees who are US residents, as these funds are subject to taxes (awardees will receive a 1099 tax form at the beginning of the calendar year for taxable funding received the previous year). Awardees within the US will receive a check in the mail shortly after the documents are submitted to FAIC. Awardees outside the US must complete a wire transfer form and the funding will be sent via wire transfer shortly after the documents are submitted to FAIC.

Awarded institutions are required to submit a report of activities to FAIC no later than September 12 of the year following the award. If possible, this should be a final report for all activities conducted under the Fellowship. If the Fellowship is not complete, an interim report should be submitted by September 12, with a final report following no later than 60 days after completion of the Fellowship.

Reports should be approximately 3 to 5 pages in length. No particular format is required, but the report should include the following information near the top of the first page:

Name of the institution
Name and title of the Fellowship supervisor(s)
Name of the Fellow
Dates of the Fellowship
A statement that all Fellowship funds received have been expended<
Contact information for any questions regarding the report

The body of the report should include information regarding:

Fellow's activities
Significant accomplishments
Outreach or dissemination activities
Impact or significant outcomes for the Institution and the Fellow
Any lessons learned or recommendations for future Fellowships
Where the Fellow went following the Fellowship (if known)
A brief financial statement showing expenses associated with the Fellowship (stipend, taxes, benefits, travel, etc.)

The report should include a statement from the Fellow about the experience, which may cover some of the above points. Two images representing the Fellowship should be included in the report. Please do not include survey, condition, or treatment reports.

Final reports should be sent to funding@culturalheritage.org and are required to be eligible for future funding. Reports may be published in part or in full by FAIC or the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, including posting on our website. Please do not send copies of reports directly to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

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