The NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship Program places recent humanities PhDs with NPS sites and programs across the agency. In collaboration with NPS staff and partners, the incoming cohort of fifteen (15) Fellows will contribute to planning and preparation for America at 250, an initiative inspired by the semi-quincentennial of the Declaration of Independence. This event provides an opportunity for the NPS to tell a more inclusive story of the American past and present. The NPS is committed to exploring the full complexity of our history, even if that history is uncomfortable, contested, or erased. The humanities research supported by this Fellowship will expand these efforts, encouraging creative approaches to documentation, interpretation, and outreach.

This opportunity is generously supported by a generous grant from The Mellon Foundation through the National Park Foundation (NPF). The project is administered via a three-way agreement among NPS, National Park Foundation (NPF), and American Conservation Experience (ACE).

Fellowship Title: National Park Service Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow: Reframing the Nation's Origin Story with a Focus on African American Studies

Employer: American Conservation Experience (ACE)

Department: EPIC Program, National Park Service (NPS) Division

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Status: Temporary, Full-time, Exempt

Term: Position is fully funded through August 31, 2025

Start Date: September 2023

Host Description: The Fellowship is hosted by Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park represents the founding ideals of the nation and preserves national and international symbols of freedom and democracy, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both debated and signed inside Independence Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park will be at the center of national attention in 2026 for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is also part of the African American Civil Rights Network and Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Park partners include prestigious institutions like the American Philosophical Society, and public history organizations, including the National Constitution Center.

Host to more than four million visitors each year - many of them international travelers - the park administers more than a dozen historic properties in a major metropolitan area. The Fellow will join a park staff of nearly 200 employees in a city known for its world-class historical institutions and diverse neighborhoods.

ACE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities for young adults and emerging professionals of all backgrounds to explore and improve public lands while gaining practical professional experience. The EPIC NPS Division works alongside the National Park Service across the United States, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, to support the NPS in its mission to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations" while providing career promoting individual placement opportunities.

Position Description: Independence National Historical Park is seeking one postdoctoral fellow to contribute to research, interpretation, outreach, and educational and digital programming initiatives focused on reframing the nation's origin story as one that is diverse, unfinished, and inclusive, acknowledging and honoring the contributions of all Americans. The research will focus on the impact - and the legacies - of people of African descent on nation-building during the revolutionary and early national periods. Central to this project is community building. With the support of NPS and external mentors, the Fellow will deepen existing relationships and establish new connections with organizations representing people of African descent.

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 the first year the Fellow will conduct new research relevant to park sites that seeks to reframe national identity so that all Americans see themselves in the nation's founding conversation and spaces. This project will require the Fellow to collaborate with community groups to identify and research content that resonates with stakeholders. Additionally, the Fellow will explore how labor, free and enslaved, grew the early economy; examine community and institution building by people of African descent in Philadelphia; and delve into the legacies of the paradox of liberty and enslavement in the nation's history. The Fellow's research has the potential to drive a paradigm shift in how the park presents the nation's origin story. In year two, the Fellow will consult with their mentorship team, as well as other subject matter experts as needed, to propose a project for their second year.

2) Sharing Research Results: The Fellow will collaborate with the host park to share the results of their applied research with NPS staff and partners, the Mellon Fellow cohort, and ultimately with visitors and community stakeholders. This dissemination will take various forms, including in-person sessions, digital publications, and social, educational, and interpretive media. The Fellow will present research through webinars, training sessions for local and national NPS staff, and scholarly articles. To facilitate commemorative efforts, the Fellow may share results in collaboration with national parks in other America 250 signature cities, including Boston, New York, and Charleston.

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 the community to guide the park in creating an inclusive experience for park visitors. Examples of potential interpretive and educational products include: drafting a short pre-tour video experience for Independence Hall; crafting a comprehensive narrative audio tour for Independence Hall; authoring content for the park website; contributing to new exhibits at three main interpretive sites; creating lesson plans and other educational resources; revamping park waysides; collaborating with local community organizations on artistic representations of their stories; and developing in-person programming to be used by park interpretive staff.

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 also have an external mentor whose work addresses the history of African American contributions to the founding and development of the United States. The Fellow will draft at least two public facing articles with the potential for scholarly review and publication.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Conduct original research into the history of free and enslaved African Americans during the revolutionary and Federal eras and its impact on the nation's origin story.
• Build community connections to incorporate authentic community voices in park programming and media.
• Share research findings with NPS staff, partners, and the general public through virtual and in-person programming
• Create a database containing research, text, images, and bibliography for NPS staff connecting research to park sites and stories.
• Lead public-facing conversations about the legacy of enslavement and its role in American memory.
• Craft educational products matching local, state, and national standards.
• Connect with Mellon Fellows, NPS sites, and cultural institutions in other signature cities to explore lesser-known stories through common threads and themes in preparation for 250th commemorations.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

• Must be a PhD in any field of the humanities or humanistic social sciences. Scholars who received or will receive their PhD between May 1, 2018, and August 15, 2023, are eligible to apply. For more information on eligibility, visit https://www.nationalparks.org/nps-mellon-humanities-postdoctoral-fellowship
• Subject matter expertise in African American history; public history; cultural anthropology.
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Skill in project planning, organization, and time management; ability and desire to perform multiple concurrent and variable tasks
• Strong organizational skills to keep track of workload, tasks, and interactions
• Selective factors include the merit of scholarship, commitment to the public humanities, and capacity to complete research successfully.

Other Requirements:

• Must be a US citizen or Permanent Resident, as required to comply with U.S. government contracts.
• Must be proficient in English.
• Must pass a federal criminal background check; Fellowship is also contingent upon a successful security background check with the NPS.
• Must be willing to abide by ACE Policy and Federal Drug Free workplace policies and laws. ACE reserves the right to drug test at any time
• Must verify that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the time they start their fellowship or request a medical or religious exemption.
• Must be willing to abide by a requirement to acknowledge The Mellon Foundation, the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and American Conservation Experience, in any publications generated by this project.
• Must be willing to abide by federal policy that research results, publications, films, videos, artistic or similar endeavors resulting from the fellowship, other than the specifically career-focused work, will become the property of the United States, and as such, will be in the public domain and not subject to copyright laws.
• Consent to being photographed and to the release of such photographic images.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talks and hears with or without assistive personnel and/or devices. Manual dexterity required for use of computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment with or without reasonable accommodations. May be occasionally required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch (all physical demands are required with or without reasonable accommodations). The National Park Service host will provide reasonable accommodations, if needed, to meet task assignments.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. The National Park Service host will provide reasonable accommodations, if needed, to meet task assignments.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good, and temperature is controlled. This is describing both provided office spaces and home office spaces.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic. This is describing both provided office spaces and home office spaces.
• Travel: This position requires domestic travel as needed for program duties.

Salary & Benefits:

Compensation: Starting annualized salary $65,000 with annualized COLA to $67,600 for Year 2 (40 hours/week for 52-weeks). Paid bi-weekly, a two-week pay period. Travel funding is provided, and Fellows will not be responsible for the costs of allowable/approved program travel. Each Fellow will receive an annual research fund of $3,000.

Medical/Health Benefits: ACE offers competitive medical and ancillary plans (health, mental health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and other supplemental benefits). Fellows are also eligible to participate in ACE's 403b retirement plan, which includes a 1% employer contribution for participating, contributing staff.

Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time: As a Fellow, you will be eligible to accrue up to 80 hours of paid vacation time annually during your first two years of continuous employment. Additionally, ACE observes 13 paid annual holidays and provides 10 days (or 80 hours) of paid sick time annually.

Additional Benefits: Outdoor Perks - As an ACE Fellow, you will be eligible to receive pro deals which include deep discounts on outdoor gear providing 30 - 50% off retail prices on 100s of established outdoor gear brands.

To Apply: Please submit: 1) a cover letter stating interest and vision for the Fellowship (letters may include a summary of the dissertation, a statement of personal research interests and plans, discussion of past engagement with public humanities, discussion of willingness to participate fully in NPS research and education programs); 2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae; 3) a writing sample accessible to the general public; 4) confirmation of Ph.D. award by August 15, 2023; and 5) names and contact information for 3 professional references.

Deadline to apply: The deadline to apply for this position is January 30, 2023, or until 75 applications meeting eligibility requirements have been received.

Questions about the application process should be sent to mellonhumanities@usaconservation.org

American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. ACE encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. ACE is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities under the ADA and provides the opportunity for employees to request reasonable accommodations during the hiring process.