Postgraduate position at Yale University: Postgraduate Associate in Museum Collections Assessment and Materials Analysis
Listing Start Date: June 26, 2025Expires: August 7, 2025n
Title of the Position: Postgraduate Associate in Museum Collections Assessment and Materials Analysis
Department and School: Yale Peabody Museum, Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Overview of the Position
The Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) and the Yale Peabody Museum (YPM) are seeking a postgraduate associate for a one-year, full-time position to contribute to a collaborative project to study the risks associated with hazardous materials in the museum’s collections. This project is part of a longer-term initiative to enhance collections care and promote safe access for staff, researchers, and the communities interacting with these collections.
Historically, both organic and inorganic pesticides have been utilized in museum collections, particularly those comprising organic materials such as textiles, wood, plant fibers, skin, and natural history specimens, to safeguard against pests. Furthermore, some objects were made from materials now recognized as posing health risks. Though protocols exist to minimize occupational exposure to these materials, accessible information remains limited, especially regarding potential dangers to non-museum staff or the broader public.
This position offers an opportunity to gain practical training in heritage science, preventive conservation, and environmental health and safety practices within a museum context. The postgraduate associate will gain experience working with collections, instrumentation, and interdisciplinary teams.
Working under the supervision of IPCH and YPM staff, the postgraduate associate will:
- Review historical and current literature on the use of pesticides in museum collections and methods for their detection. Begin identifying which YPM collections may have higher levels of hazardous material exposure by analyzing collection records and treatment histories, and through consultations with museum staff.
- Learn how X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy can help identify elements associated with inorganic pesticides and distinguish them from object components or surface treatments containing the same elements.
- Assist in developing and refining protocols for using handheld XRF instruments to screen objects, storage furniture, and housing materials. Conduct XRF measurements on objects and housing materials. Curate and analyze the resulting data.
- In consultation with Yale’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department, explore complementary surface testing methods (e.g., direct measurement and wipe sampling) and airborne exposure assessment. Gain familiarity with industrial hygiene considerations, including potential exposure routes (dermal, inhalation), transfer pathways (e.g., to gloves or hands), appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and disposal of contaminated housing materials and PPE.
- In consultation with YPM and EHS staff, develop communication tools and safe handling guidelines that identify hazards and outline suitable mitigation measures for different user groups.
Education
The project complements degree programs in chemistry, environmental sciences, cultural heritage and natural history conservation, industrial hygiene and occupational health, and related fields by offering practical, interdisciplinary research experience for recent graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. This will prepare the postgraduate associate for further education in the above fields.
Training
The postgraduate associate will receive hands-on training in safe collection handling practices, XRF spectroscopy for detecting elements associated with hazardous materials, surface sampling, data management, and analysis. Online short courses, including laboratory safety and X-ray safety training, must be completed to comply with environmental health and safety requirements. Through their work with Yale EHS, they will learn about risk assessment and industrial hygiene practices.
Mentoring
The associate will be mentored by staff at IPCH and YPM through regular check-ins, collaborative project work, and opportunities to attend lab meetings and seminars. They will work closely with a natural history conservator, conservation scientists, museum professionals, and Environmental Health and Safety colleagues. They will also join the cohort of emerging conservation professionals at Yale and participate in events organized by the Committee for Educational Opportunities in Conservation.
Appointment information
· Anticipated appointment dates: September 1st, 2025 – August 31st, 2026
· The postgraduate associate position is a full-time, 12-month position.
· Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience, in the range of $45,000-$55,000. Allowable relocation costs up to $2500 will be reimbursed. For a description of benefits, including health insurance, please visit postdocs.yale.edu/current-postgrads/… Support for travel associated with projects is provided.
· The postgraduate associate will be based primarily at Yale’s West Campus, in the Collection Studies Center (building 900), although occasional work at the Yale Peabody Museum is expected. There is a free shuttle service between Yale’s campuses, and parking at West Campus is free.
Required qualifications
· A bachelor’s, master’s, or equivalent degree from a recognized institution of higher learning, with at most two years of relevant prior post-degree research experience.
· Competency using Windows operating systems and spreadsheets. Ability to record, examine, analyze, and compile data.
· Good attention to detail, accuracy, and organizational and time management skills.
· Solid verbal and written communication skills.
Desired/preferred qualifications and skills
· A bachelor’s or master’s degree in physical sciences or engineering (chemistry, environmental science, geology), cultural heritage or natural history conservation, industrial hygiene, occupational health, or related fields.
· Experience or familiarity with operating a handheld XRF instrument, including safe data collection, X-ray safety protocols, and data interpretation. Experience or familiarity with other analytical techniques, such as FTIR, Raman, and SEM-EDS, is preferred but not required.
· Experience working with delicate objects and/or specimens, ideally in a museum, gallery, library, or other cultural context.
Application process
· Review of applications will begin on July 7, 2025, and continue until the position is filled.
· Send an email or document (cover letter) describing your interest in the position, your CV, and the names of and contact information for two references to Anikó Bezur (aniko.bezur@yale.edu), Wallace S. Wilson Director of Scientific Research, Heritage Science Research Laboratory, Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.
· We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds.
About the Yale Peabody Museum and the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage
The Yale Peabody Museum (https://peabody.yale.edu/) was founded in 1866, is one of the world’s oldest and largest university museums of its kind. Home to over 14 million objects and specimens across 10 distinct divisions, it preserves and displays more than four billion years of Earth and human history. Famous for its discoveries of iconic dinosaurs like Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and Stegosaurus, the Museum is the birthplace of paleontology. Its mission, advancing understanding of the world and our place within it, is reflected in the work done by faculty and staff in research, exhibitions, and education. The museum’s collections are housed in four buildings: the Peabody building, the Environmental Sciences Center, the Kline Geology Laboratory, and the Collections Study Center at Yale’s West Campus. At West Campus, the museum occupies the Shared Conservation Laboratory, together with the Yale University Art Gallery, the Yale Center for British Art, the Yale University Library, and the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. The Conservation Department at the museum works collaboratively with all the museum’s divisions and departments, as well as with the other cultural heritage units at Yale, to preserve the collections, understand their environmental needs, and create policies for handling and interacting with the objects and specimens.
The Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) at Yale University (ipch.yale.edu/) is a center for interdisciplinary research, conservation, and education dedicated to preserving cultural heritage. Located on Yale’s West Campus, IPCH collaborates with scholars, students, and the university’s collections, including those at the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale Peabody Museum, Yale Center for British Art, and Yale Library. The Heritage Science Research Lab at IPCH investigates the materials and deterioration of objects in Yale’s museums and libraries, contributing to their care, exhibition, and use in teaching and research. The lab also develops new tools and methods to support cultural heritage research. Analytical facilities include handheld and benchtop XRF, optical and vibrational microscopy (FTIR, Raman), SEM/EDS, GC/MS, UV-visible spectroscopy, and equipment for mechanical testing and accelerated aging.