SRMA Archives Fellowship Pilot Program

Timeline of Important Dates

Application Open: February 1 - May 1, 2024

Notification: May 19

Fellowship Occurs: May 19, 2024 - December 31, 2024 (within 16 weeks, non-continuous acceptable)

Application Dates

February 1 - May 1, 2024

Fellowship Overview 

The Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists is offering a stipend of up to $6,000 for early professionals to participate in our Archives Fellowship Pilot Program. The purpose of this program is to support a more diverse field of applicants who wish to, or are curious about, embarking on a career in the archival field. Acknowledging that the archival field has high barriers to entry, including requiring an ability to complete substantial (and often unpaid) fieldwork and internships, this program is intended to allow early career professionals from underrepresented and marginalized communities to gain experience while also being paid appropriately for their work. In particular, the selection committee encouragesBlack, Indigenous and/or people of color (BIPOC) to apply.

The decision to create this fellowship came as a direct result of feedback the SRMA Diversity, Inclusion, and Racial Justice Task Force received from its 2020-2021 membership survey. 

This is a unique experience for a new professional to develop a project based on their goals and skills and work directly with an organization to determine the project’s scope, goals, and outcomes. Institutions in SRMA member states (CO and WY) will partner with a fellow to identify a project needing the fellow’s expertise and labor. The fellowship project may last up to sixteen non-continuous weeks, but must be completed within one year of selection. Work may be done onsite, remotely, or a combination of both, depending on the fellow’s availability, the project, and the needs of the partner institution. Hours worked should scale appropriately with the length and available stipend (e.g., part-time for 16 weeks), so as to guarantee a livable wage for the fellow. 

While host organizations are responsible for providing supplies, necessary tools, training, and supervision for the project, all funding for the fellowship salary will be provided by SRMA and paid directly to the fellow. Free SRMA membership for one year is also provided to the fellow. 

Individuals and host organizations must apply in tandem. To help facilitate the process of matching individuals with organizations, SRMA offers this spreadsheet2024 SRMA Fellowship Spreadsheet for Interested Hosts/Individualswhere interested individuals and organizations can share information and find partners. Please note that individuals and institutions must take the initiative to contact one another; SRMA will not monitor the spreadsheet nor reach out to organizations and individuals.

Funding for the second year of this pilot program largely comes from the Colorado Historic Records Advisory Board. Thank you, CHRAB!

Eligibility Requirements for Fellow Applicants:

Successful applicants to this program will be engaged individuals who are considering or have begun to pursue a career in the archival field. They will be able to meet the following qualifications:

Applicants may reside anywhere in the United States, but the institution must be in Colorado or Wyoming

No MA/MLIS required, but applicants must be at least a college junior or higher in the fields of Library, Information, or Data Science; Archival Studies; Museum Studies; History; Area or Cultural Studies; Public History, or related field. 

Ability to summarize skills, education, and experience 

Ability to outline their interests in the profession, and the ways in which this project will help with their educational and/or career goals, and the mission of the institution.

Ability to outline how the project benefits the host institution 

Willingness and ability to complete the project within 1 year of selection for the program.

Because the program is intended to help build diversity in the archival field, we encourage applications from members of BIPOC communities and also welcome applications from persons who identify as LGBQT+, persons with disabilities, and those from other historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Eligibility Requirements for Institutional Hosts:

Institutional hosts should be archives, libraries, museums, institutional repositories, parks, landmarks, or related institutions that are able to demonstrate the following:

Institution is located in Colorado or Wyoming.

At least one staff member is a member of SRMA, preferably the supervisor working with the fellow.

A clear description of the organization, project, archival materials, and/or needs.

Ability to supervise, mentor, and support the work of an archives fellow who is somewhat new to the profession and may require additional training or support. This will include an ability to support the candidate with resources and skills necessary for the project.

An outline of resources available to the candidate for the purposes of the project. This includes brief information on the staff member who will be working directly in a supervisory role, and a more detailed outline of costs of resources.

A commitment to supporting and advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) practices in their hiring, staff management, and archival practices. This may be demonstrated through examples of previous projects, an EDI-focused strategic plan, community participation in EDI-focused discussions or efforts, or other evidence of efforts to train an EDI lens on their work.

All manner of organizations, including corporations or other commercial entities, are eligible to apply; however preference will be given to nonprofits and local small businesses.

Application Process

The application process for the SRMA Archives Fellowship program is two-fold, requiring an application from the candidate and also from their intended institutional host. Applications should be filled and submitted after individuals and hosts have agreed upon a project.

Eligible projects will involve performing archival work of a high quality that both contributes to the educational and professional goals of the applicant and benefits the host institution and their collections in measurable fashion. Projects must be scoped to allow for completion within one calendar year, but should be no more than 16 weeks in number. Projects may consist of cataloging and description, processing, digitization, preservation or conservation work, educational programming, exhibition, information management, or other work typically undertaken by archives professionals.

A budget must be submitted as part of the application process, defining the appropriate hourly wage for the fellow based on a documented calculation of their regional cost of living, their experience level, and the complexity of the project. The hourly wage must not be lower than the estimated regional cost of living for the host institution as defined by the MIT Living Wage Calculator (http://livingwage.mit.edu/), nor lower than minimum wage for the state/county/city. This budget will also define the total number of hours to be worked based on the needs of the project. The total stipend based on the proposed wage and hours is not to exceed the total award amount listed in the call for proposals, nor the maximum 16-week noncontiguous timeframe of the fellowship. The MIT Living Wage calculator does not accurately reflect 2024 minimum wage information. Living wage amounts listed in the calculator may not be up-to-date, but may still be helpful in referencing its ratio between minimum wage and livable wage, which could be applied to the new 2024 minimum wage amounts. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Division of Labor Standards website may be referenced for up-to-date information on minimum wages in Colorado, https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss .

Application Dates

The Archives Fellowship application will be opened February 1 -  May 1, 2024. The proposed fellow should complete the application for individuals and mentor host sites should complete the application for host organizations. Further questions may be directed to the SRMA Diversity and Inclusion Committee at: aaron.ramirez@pueblolibrary.org.

The SRMA Diversity and Inclusion Committee will review applications and select the Archives Fellow and host organization based upon their joint application byMay 1. Final selection will be communicated to applicants at the time of the committee’s decision, followed by a public announcement via SRMA communication channels. The residency must be completed within one year.

Reporting

Each fellow must produce a monthly report for each month of employment and submit it to the SRMA Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Monthly reports should include: 

Number of hours worked;

Project progress and goals or outcomes completed;

Unforeseen obstacles encountered that may hinder or delay the completion of the project, and a plan for addressing them (if needed).

Following completion of their fellowship, the fellow will prepare an article for publication in the SRMA newsletter detailing their project and experience. This article may also be shared with other outlets.

The host organization will also be responsible for submitting an end of fellowship report to the Diversity and Inclusion Committee detailing how the fellow met the goals of the fellowship