Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Summer Undergraduate Internships

The Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Undergraduate Summer Internship provides an opportunity for three undergraduates to conduct research, to explore career possibilities in archives and special collections, and to learn about advanced training in Native American and Indigenous Studies and related fields. This eight-week paid internship program at the the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) at the American Philosophical Society’s Library & Museum in Philadelphia will offer hands-on research experience and will include mentorship and networking opportunities. 

The APS’s Library & Museum has rich and varied collections related to over 650 different Indigenous cultures throughout the Americas. Working with mentors, interns will develop their own archives-based projects or pursue research projects identified by the Indigenous communities with which CNAIR interacts and collaborates.

The 2025 NASI Summer Internship will take place from June 9 to August 1, 2025, with a break for the week of July 4th. During this time students will work at the APS’s Library & Museum and will also have the opportunity to share their work with a variety of audiences. NASI Summer Interns will join a vibrant intellectual community at the APS that includes other scholars working with Native American and Indigenous materials as well as undergraduate summer interns and library fellows from different scholarly fields.

Interns will receive a stipend of $3,000, as well as travel support to and from Philadelphia at the beginning and end of the internship and to return home during the July 4th holiday break. The APS will secure and cover the costs of housing in Philadelphia.

The Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) is funded by a grant from The Mellon Foundation. NASI supports research in the field of Native American and Indigenous Studies and related fields by undergraduates, Native American scholars, Tribal College faculty members, and researchers who work closely with archives and Native communities.

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at the American Philosophical Society Library & Museum focuses on helping Indigenous communities and scholars to discover and utilize the APS collections in innovative ways. For more information, please visit https://www.amphilsoc.org/library/CNAIR

Eligibility

• This fellowship is open applicants from anywhere in the world, including those who are not US citizens or residents, but it does not provide visa sponsorship
• Preference will be given to applicants who have sustained personal engagement or experience with Indigenous communities

Terms

• 8-week residential internship
• $3,000 stipend
• Travel and accommodations covered 

Applicants will submit:

• A resume or curriculum vitae
• Two letters of reference
• A single document containing three short essays addressing each of the following topics (250 words each):
  • 1. A summary of academic background;
  • 2. A statement of interest in the internship;
  • 3. A statement describing their membership in or engagement with an Indigenous community or communities. 

Deadline: March 3, 2025