Most internships at the Smithsonian Institution Archives are unfunded and last 6-8 weeks.

Internship projects may include:

Research and Historic Preservation. The Smithsonian is comprised of 19 museums and 9 research centers. The buildings that house its staff and holdings are often topics for researchers interested in architectural history, and the history of the Smithsonian itself. This project involves using primary sources in the Archives to identify architects and contractors, building materials, legislative milestones, funding sources, and major events in each building's history. Data is then entered into a database for future use.

The Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as the "Castle," was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr., and completed in 1855.

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Digital Imaging. Many SIA collections contain photographs of individuals, buildings, objects and activities. These projects involve scanning and documenting images in a photo database, and lend themselves to writing biographical or research papers.

Digital Curation and Preservation. A rapidly increasing body of our collections are 'born digital' and require the special care and preservation to ensure that these records remain accessible for decades and centuries to come. These projects involve managing digital records over their lifecycle, general and specialized preservation interventions, and digital collection risk management. Some exposure to trustworthy digital repository certification standards is included in all Digital Curation and Preservation projects.

	Bernard Fantus, Hungarian American physician who established the first hospital blood bank in the United States in 1937 at Cook County Hospital, Chicago. [Accession 90-105, Neg. # SIA2008-0526]
Wanda K. Farr, American botanist known for her discovery of the mechanism by which cellulose is formed in the walls of plant cells. [Accession 90-105, Neg. # SIA2008-0538]

Collections Care and Preservation. Certain collections require periodic maintenance to ensure long-term preservation. These projects involve replacing acidic boxes and folders with acid-free enclosures; removing damaging attachments such as paper clips and rubber bands; placing photographs in mylar; creating more accurate finding aids/inventory lists; and other measures to protect collections.

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Audiovisual Research. For 70 years or more, the Smithsonian has been producing radio shows, films, videos, and television programs.  Broadcasters as well as historians have shown much interest in these productions.  This project generally involves performing research in the Archives’ paper collections and recording pertinent information about individual productions in a database.