The fellowship is open without national-origin restriction and the Smithsonian explicitly states that it will assist non-U.S. citizens with visa arrangements, making qualified Ugandan applicants eligible. Candidates should be experienced authors or senior scholars at associate, full or emeritus professor level or equivalent in fields such as history of technology, science and technology studies, business history, museum studies, STEAM education or allied disciplines.

The Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship supports senior scholars conducting major work on invention, innovation and technology. Fellows can use Smithsonian collections and research expertise through a flexible residency, several shorter visits or a research-and-writing arrangement.

Benefits
The fellowship provides USD 35,000. Funds can support teaching buyouts, travel for several visits, living expenses for a longer residence of up to seven months and related research expenses. The Lemelson Center provides workspace, access to Smithsonian collections and staff expertise and visa-arrangement assistance for non-U.S. citizens. Fellowship tenures must begin between 2027-06-01 and 2028-05-30.

Requirements
The application requires the Smithsonian SOLAA general-information form, current CV with no page limit, a one-page fellowship timeline or schedule and a research proposal of no more than six double-spaced pages describing the project, methodology, Smithsonian sources, intended outputs and contribution to invention and innovation scholarship. Reference letters are not required.

How to apply
Create or sign in to a Smithsonian SOLAA account, select the National Museum of American History, Fellowship/Other Academic Appointment category and the Arthur Molella Distinguished Fellowship, and select 2027 as the competition year. Upload the CV, schedule and research proposal and submit by 2026-10-15 at 23:59 Eastern Time.