Job Listing
🔗NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow: Gender in Michigan’s Copper Country: Redefining the Keweenaw’s Industrial Frontier
American Conservation Experience
Each NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow will complete work in four areas. Fellows will (1) perform project-based research; (2) share research results; (3) produce and substantially contribute to interpretive and educational products; and (4) pursue career-focused work.
1) Project-Based Research: During their first year, the Mellon Fellow placed at Keweenaw NHP will conduct research into the history of gender and sexuality in Michigan’s historic copper mining district as it grew from a frontier mining camp in the 1860s to a cosmopolitan and diverse copper producing district at the turn of the 20th century. To date, histories of the area have not explored concepts of masculinity, femininity, and gender as they relate to industrial history. Local archives and museum collections will be important sources of information; travel to regional repositories is likely. Part of this background research will include visits to the park’s formal partners to learn how they interpret gender and where it is reflected in their collections. This research will result in a written report, which will provide the background and context for completing the second-year activities.
Year two will involve updating and refining the park’s interpretive themes and proposing products for interpreting their findings. The Fellow will work with the park’s mentorship team to develop these products, which may include online content, exhibits, and educational plans. The Fellow will also speak to public history undergraduate and graduate students as part of the park’s Public History Internship program with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Should the research warrant, the second year will also identify potential National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nominations and updates to existing NRHP documentation.
2) Sharing Research Results: The Fellow will be expected to share their research findings with park and partner staff through formal presentation(s), followed by public offerings of the presentation content in a format to be determined with mentors and other park staff members. The Fellow will be encouraged to seek opportunities for publication of their research findings in professional journals and to develop interpretive media content based on their research for park creation and distribution. This might include social media posts, web-based content or print media as well as in-person sharing in the form of tours, lectures, or brief gallery talks. It is anticipated that the results of the second year’s research will be shared more formally through future exhibition content and/or ancillary educational programs.
The Fellow will be expected to develop and sustain connections with program-provided mentors and host staff, associated NPS staff, members of their Fellowship cohort, and other Fellows across the tenure of the program. In addition to being provided mentorship and support themselves, the Fellow will have the opportunity to mentor others and to enrich staff knowledge by organizing events such as virtual speaker series and presentations. Twice a year, the Fellow will participate with their cohort and other Fellows in a virtual conference for NPS staff and partners to provide updates about their research. The Fellow will be responsible for tracking and reporting accomplishments and for supplying copies of interpretive, educational, and research products to their host and to the National Coordinator.
3) Interpretive and Educational Products: The Fellow will work with mentors and a park-based support team to identify interpretive and educational engagements with their research as public history, public archaeology, critical museology, or some combination of those practices. Examples of potential interpretation and educational outcomes of this Fellowship opportunity include advising and co-creating narrative and object-centered storylines for interpretive exhibits; co-developing multi-modal expressions of park themes and topics; engaging with park partners to develop site-specific visitor programming; and developing content for and facilitating public programs for learners of all ages. The Fellow will actively participate in shaping and ensuring park narratives are historically accurate, and intellectually and affectively engaging for a wide range of users, especially underserved and historically disadvantaged persons and cohorts.
4) Career-focused Research and Products: In consultation with their mentors, the Fellow will carry out a career-centered project. About 20 percent of the Fellowship will be dedicated to this scholarly work that advances the Fellow’s career path. The Fellow will be supported by a multidisciplinary team that draws on local, regional, and agency-wide expertise. In addition to NPS staff, the Fellow will have an external mentor whose work examines and explicates the themes and historic importance of the site, its social history, and its multicultural present.
Essential Responsibilities and Tasks:
- Work with mentors to identify and implement research practices that support public history and critical museology.
- Conduct original research into the intersections of gender and industrialization, immigration, and urbanization in a frontier mining district, and place this history in regional and national context.
- Produce a conceptual outline identifying potential material resources that support and illustrate analysis of the historical processes and intersections noted above for internal review and discussion.
- Co-lead a public engagement process with those research and programming processes, to enact public history, public archaeology, and critical museology.
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NCPE Internships: Eligibility & How to Apply
Benefits
All NCPE interns received an hourly stipend, the rate is listed at each position description. Additionally, interns receive paid time off (PTO), paid Federal holidays if working full-time, and access to NCPE's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for career and personal counseling, coaching, and referrals. Project sites may also offer a housing allowance and/or commuting stipend; this information is also listed in the description or offered during the interview.
As an organization operating under Public Land Corps Act (PLC) authority, many NCPE positions qualify the intern for Federal Hiring Preference if (1) they complete a minimum of 640 hours at one or more qualifying conservation project(s); (2) are between the ages of 16 and 30 years (35 if a veteran); and (3) apply for a Federal position at USAJOBS with PLC noted in the announcement within two years of completing the internship. Find out more about this hiring preference during the interview or contact manager@preservenet.org for details.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program or recently graduated (within the past 12 months) and be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Interns are not eligible to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.
The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.
The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.
Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.
How to Apply
You may review NCPE's internship opportunities during the Summer and Winter application rounds without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.
Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your user name or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.
Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. PDF only, labeled Your Last Name_Your First Name_Transcript. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages preferred. May be .doc, .docx or PDF. Label Your Last Name_Your First Name_Resume. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.
Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during this application round. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Once the deadline for submission has passed, NPS supervisors will review the applications and may contact candidates for a phone interview. Candidates who are not selected will be notified. Please allow about 4 weeks after the deadline before inquiring about the status of your application.
Quick Tips on How to Apply
#1 If you feel you need to bolster your resume or expand your knowledge base in a certain area, consider offering research assistance to an authority at your university and/or design a 1-credit reading course with an eminent scholar or practitioner.
#2 "Experience" is more than paid work. It is any activity that gives you the knowledge and ability to do something well. So include in the Universal Application all relevant research projects, academic extracurricular activities, and volunteer interests to show your initiative, leadership, and competency.
#3 Proofread everything. The qualification most sought after for any job or internship is strong communication skills so start off on the right foot with no spelling or grammatical errors in your application.
Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.