2026 AAM Annual Meeting Scholarship
AAM 2026 Scholarship Program
This professional development opportunity provides financial support for museum professionals and US-based students who have not previously attended an AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo and would otherwise be unable to afford the cost to attend.
The application period is now open. Applicants will be notified of all decisions on, or before, March 6, 2026.
About the Program
This year AAM is offering two scholarship opportunities:
General AAM 2026 Scholarships
The General AAM 2026 Scholarships Program is a professional development opportunity that provides financial support for museum professionals and US-based students to attend the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. The program is designed to nurture greater inclusivity – for the benefit of museums, museum professionals, and the diverse audiences they serve – by supporting professional development of individuals from underrepresented groups. The application period closes on February 6, 2026. Applicants will be notified on, or before, March 6, 2026.
Local AAM 2026 Scholarships for Philadelphia-based museum professionals
Museum professionals working at Philadelphia-based institutions will have the opportunity to apply for locals-only scholarships funded through the William Penn Foundation. Information on how to apply and eligibility for this opportunity will be coming soon. Questions? Contact Brianne Roth at broth[at]aam-us.org. Applications are expected to be opened mid-February.
Eligibility
This year, scholarship applications are open only for first-time AAM Annual Meeting attendees. Applications are encouraged from individuals (members or non-members) at various stages of their careers who would not otherwise be able to afford the cost of attendance. The program is designed to nurture inclusive and equitable best practices by providing an opportunity to attend the AAM Annual Meeting for those who have never attended previously.
Preference will be given to applicants who:
- Are emerging museum professionals (within 10 years of starting your museum career)
- Are leaders of small institutions with 10 or fewer staff
In addition, preference may be given to applicants who reside in North America.
If you are selected to receive an AAM Annual Meeting Scholarship, you will receive:
- Complimentary registration to AAM 2026 (up to $995 value)
- One year of AAM Individual Professional membership (up to $100 value)*
- Tickets to select networking events at AAM 2026
- Travel and lodging stipend to help offset the cost of attendance**
*Current AAM Individual Professional Members will receive a one-year complimentary renewal on their current membership
** The stipend is intended to help offset the cost of travel; depending on your location the stipend may not cover your entire cost of attendance.
AAM 2026 Scholarship Recipients will be required to:
- Participate in a pre-conference calls
- Attend each day of the Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Philadelphia, PA, May 20-23, 2025
- Participate in educational and networking activities at AAM 2026
- Submit a post-conference survey (to take no longer than 30 minutes to complete)
Scholarship recipients are expected to follow any AAM 2026 guidelines provided by AAM before and throughout the conference.
How to Apply
The open application period is open until February 6, 2026. Applicants will be notified of all decisions on or before March 6.
To be considered for a scholarship, you must submit the following information with your application:
AAM 2026 will center on the Museum Odyssey. Please prepare a single essay (no longer than 500 words) addressing the following questions:
- How has your work/experiences shaped your interest in the conference theme?
- How will your participation at the conference contribute to your professional growth?
- How will you plan to share knowledge from the conference in your work or academic studies?
Your resume/curriculum vitae (2 page limit)
Please note: All essays submitted must be original to the author. Submissions may not be generated by artificial intelligence. If the submission has been substantively assisted by artificial intelligence (including large language models or similar technologies), the applicant must disclose this use and provide appropriate attribution within the work. Failure to do so will result in the scholarship review committee rejecting the essay.
Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact Brianne Roth at broth[at]aam-us.org.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo Scholarship Program is generously supported by
The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence.
