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Training and Career Development Opportunities for Minority Students and Scholars
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Balanced participation in academic and educational programs is an important aspect of the equal opportunity program. These programs serve to acquaint students and scholars with Smithsonian resources, research directions and career possibilities. They help to develop the pool of candidates for future jobs at the Smithsonian and other museums and research institutes and gives them the experience and contacts to help them achieve these jobs. Although the percentage of academic visitors who become Smithsonian staff is not high (5-10%) a previous association with the Institution is often key to obtaining a position at the Institution or elsewhere. 

Special programs include internships and fellowships, cooperative education assignments, career awareness opportunities for junior and senior high school students, and federal junior fellowship appointments. These are described in the following sections. 

[[underlined]]University Students and Scholars[[/underlined]]

The Office of Fellowships and Grants, responsible for programs at the university level, is engaged in a number of efforts to increase minority participation in visiting academic programs. The purposes are to increase minority interest and success in established competitions such as the pre and postdoctoral fellowships and to provide special offerings for minorities to develop an initial interest that will lead to joining mainstream programs and staff. The office works closely with the Offices of Equal Opportunity and Personnel Administration to relate these efforts to staffing requirements and opportunities.