Application Information
Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort of New Leaders Fellows are now open! Before applying, please review:
Submissions are due June 9, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
ASTC’s New Leaders Fellows are emerging leaders from across the science center and museum field. Representing a wide range of job roles, institutional settings, and personal backgrounds, Fellows share a commitment to advancing in leadership and driving change, both in their own institutions and the broader field.
New Leaders Fellows benefit from unique, field-specific leadership curricula and resources, including:
- Training in leadership development, both virtual and in person.
- Financial support to attend ASTC’s Annual Conference.
- Network connections with peers, program alumni, and senior leaders in the field.
Who Can Apply
Eligible applicants must:
Currently work for an ASTC-member science center or museum located in the United States or Canada.
Individuals from institutions that had a New Leader Fellow in the 2024-2025 cohort will not be eligible for the 2025-2026 cohort. Conversely, individuals from institutions that have rarely or never been represented in ASTC’s leadership fellowship programs are especially encouraged to apply. Additionally, in the interest of ensuring institutional diversity within the cohort, we are especially seeking candidates who work in small or rural institutions. If you work for a museum with fewer than 15 staff, or your museum is outside a major metropolitan area, we strongly encourage you to apply. Check your institution’s membership status here.
Hold a “mid-career” role with supervisory or managerial responsibilities
Eligible applicants may serve in education, exhibits, collections, development, communications, guest services, HR, or any other role relevant to museum operations. Candidates’ supervisory or management responsibilities may include the regular coordination of work and performance management for direct reports (including paid staff or volunteers), project management, as well as budgetary accountability. Candidates without supervisory or managerial experience or candidates in executive or senior leadership-level roles do not qualify for the New Leaders Fellowship. Applicants must have held their current role for at least one year at the time of application.
Bring diverse perspectives to the program, and to the science center and museum field in general.
ASTC’s New Leaders program seeks to build a diverse, empowered, and visionary leadership base for the science center and museum field. In the application materials, candidates will be asked to describe how their lived experiences, cultural background, or personal journey have shaped their approach to leadership and prepared them to engage within their institution, and the field at large, in order to serve all people.
Program Components
The New Leaders Fellowship is a nine-month hybrid program that includes monthly virtual workshops, in-person professional development at ASTC’s Annual Conference, as well as multiple opportunities for structured networking with both peers and senior leaders in the field.
The first virtual workshop will be held on July 22 at 3:00—5:00 p.m. ET. At this and subsequent monthly workshops (dates TBD), Fellows gain knowledge and develop skills that support their growth in becoming inclusive, visionary, and effective leaders in the science center and museum field. Workshops include a mix of presentation, discussion, and interactive exercises designed to build on the diverse experiences, needs, and perspectives that Fellows bring to the program. Key topics include:
Intersections between leadership and personal background, including as leaders who hold marginalized identities
Change management
Finance and budgeting
Providing effective feedback
At the 2025 ASTC Annual Conference, Fellows engage in a full slate of in-person activities focused on leadership development. These include:
A full-day pre-conference workshop exclusively for ASTC New Leaders Fellows (Thursday, September 4). In addition to building community within the cohort, this workshop will also include opportunities to meet ASTC board members and other field leaders and begin to reflect on the arc of their careers.
Full conference participation (Friday, September 5—Monday, September 8). Fellows attend pre-conference intensives, keynotes, concurrent sessions, museum visits, and other conference offerings based on their own learning goals related to leadership development.
Conference colleague pairings. Each Fellow is matched with an established professional in the field who—by merit of their shared interests, similar career path, or both—can provide advice and encouragement related to fellows’ leadership development. Fellows and colleague pairs are provided with structured time for connecting in person at conference; many continue to maintain a relationship throughout the program.
Beyond the virtual workshops and conference activities, Fellows benefit from the program’s cohort-based model, which offers both practical, professional connections as well as a trusted community of peers,. Through Peer Coaching Circles, small groups of Fellows meet monthly to find workable solutions to problems while building their own coaching and listening skills.
After completing the program, Fellows become part of an extended network of alumni and have opportunities to stay engaged—whether by joining networking events, speaking at future sessions, or supporting future cohorts as conference colleagues.
How to Apply
- Prepare your application materials (described in more detail in the Application Preview Document). You will be asked to provide the following:
- Applicant information
- Responses to four essay questions (max 300 words each)
- Current resume
- Signed Statement of Understanding
- Optional demographic information
- Submit all required materials via the online application form by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, June 9, 2025.