Fellowship for Conservation and Scientific Research at the Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum Fellowship Programme 2025-2026

Applications due by 5 January 2025

The Rijksmuseum welcomes international, independent research proposals which open new perspectives on the museum's collection, its history and activities. The programme enables highly talented candidates to base part of their research at the Rijksmuseum, and offers access to the museum's expertise, collections, library and laboratories. Furthermore, the programme facilitates opportunities for Fellows to engage in workshops and excursions to encourage exchange of knowledge - both amongst themselves and the broader museum audience.

The Migelien Gerritzen Fellowship for conservation and scientific research

This Fellowship enables early career scholars to conduct conservation and scientific research on art works and historical artefacts. Focus should be the Rijksmuseum collection or ideation that has been initiated at the Rijksmuseum. A suitable project might entail technical research into objects in the Rijksmuseum’s collection or analytical techniques, preventive conservation, or treatment methodologies. This fellowship enables candidates to collaborate with conservators, curators and scientists active at the Rijksmuseum. The Fellowship will preferably result in an article for publication, the content and form of which will be decided by the Fellow in consultation with the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmuseum will provide joint working space for the Fellows, in order to stimulate an exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience. Access will be given to all relevant resources in the museum, such as the Research Library Collections, collection documentation, and the conservation laboratories of the Rijksmuseum and the University of Amsterdam. A member of the museum's scientific staff will be acting as advisor to the Fellow.

Eligibility

• The Migelien Gerritzen Fellowship is open to MA graduates, as well as PhD students and post-doctoral candidates. MA Graduate/PhD Fellows are those who have completed their MA degree or whose proposal is embedded in the research plans of their forthcoming PhD dissertation, postdoctoral Fellows must have completed their PhD dissertation and obtained a PhD-degree on the date of application.
• Fellowships are open to candidates of all nationalities and with varied specialisms. They may include conservators and scientists.
• Candidates should have proven research capabilities, academic credentials and excellent command of the English language – both written and spoken. Proficiency in a second language (ideally Dutch or German) is preferred but not required.

Funding

Fellowship stipends are awarded to help support a Fellow’s study and research efforts during the tenure of their appointment. The stipend of €39,000 for MA graduate/PhD Fellows or €45,000 for postdoctoral Fellows (subject to taxes and deductions) is for a period of twelve months commencing September 2025, the start of the academic year.

The Fellowship will allow for limited travel for research in art collections and archives elsewhere in Europe to a maximum value of €5,000 annually. The Rijksmuseum will cover visa fees for the Fellow, but not for dependents.

Application and procedure

Please review the eligibility, funding and application requirements by visiting 

Migelien Gerritzen Fellowship for conservation and scientific research - https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/education/university-education/fellowship/migelien-gerritzen-fellowship

The closing date for all applications is 5 January 2025, at 6:00 p.m. (Amsterdam time/CET). No applications will be accepted after this deadline. All applications must be submitted online and in English. Applications or related materials delivered via email, postal mail, or in person will not be accepted.

Selection will be made by an international committee in February 2024. The committee consists of eminent scholars in the relevant fields of study trom European universities and institutions, and members of the curatoria! and conservation staff of the Rijksmuseum. Applicants will be notified by February 2025. All Fellowships will start in September 2025.

Questions?

For questions concerning the application procedure, contact the Manager of Academie Programmes (fellowships@rijksmuseum.nl).

Current fellows

From studying the forms and functions of delftware tiles in Jaina Tempies of Early-Modern South Asia, investigating the material practices of gift-giving in the early modern Ottoman-Dutch world to research into the 1966 Rijksmuseum Papuan Art Exhibition.

Read more about the research projects of our current eight fellows: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/research/our-research/fellows?utm_source=nieuwsbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fellowships&utm_content=academic_newsletter&msdynttrid=WeiUzceOkPMOakA2RGlLnhngsah6rlUKny8nktTtrxQ