Tāmaki Paenga Hira: Tui tui hono tangata, whenua me te moana.
Auckland War Memorial Museum: Connecting through sharing stories of people, lands and seas
Auckland Museum is a much-loved culture and heritage organisation at the heart of Auckland's identity, committed to outstanding management of its world-class collections, developing and sharing engaging content through its galleries, exhibition, events, educational programmes and the permanent and volunteer staff who tell the Museum's stories. We are Auckland's home of commemoration as well as the country’s oldest research institution and a major tourist destination.
Job Description
Auckland Museum’s Summer Student Programme is open to promising undergraduate students from a range of disciplines. Students will join a cohort-style programme for ten weeks over the summer to gain career-relevant experience and have the opportunity to train alongside Museum professionals and to gain an insight into the culture and heritage sector. Our Summer Studentships provide an opportunity to undertake a project tailored to your interests and aspirations.
About the programme:
-Summer studentships will run over 10 weeks from 16 November 2026 to 12 February 2027 (with a 3-week break over the Christmas and New Year period)
-Cohort-style programme, with tours and talks from staff at Tāmaki Paenga Hira
- A wide-range of interesting and unique research projects
- A stipend of $7,000 will be awarded to each successfully selected student
Project Description:
Materials Testing for Storage and Display
Materials used in storage, display and exhibition construction can sometimes release harmful compounds that accelerate the deterioration of museum collections. Understanding how to identify potentially hazardous materials is an important part of conservation. This project will investigate rapid screening methods that could enhance Auckland Museum’s materials testing workflow and support more efficient decision-making. The student will undertake practical testing of a range of materials using techniques such as burn testing, pH testing, Acid Detection (A-D) strips, and visual or microscopic examination. The project will explore whether these simple and cost-effective methods can reliably identify materials that require further assessment through Oddy testing or can be quickly excluded from storage and display applications. The student will analyse test results, evaluate the effectiveness of different screening approaches and contribute to the development of practical testing protocols that support the long-term preservation of museum collections.
Desired Skills and Experience
This project will best suit a student with:
Knowledge of materials chemistry
Experience in testing and scientific experimentation, ie chemistry
Ability to interpret results and draw conclusions
Effective written communication skills (to draft clear testing protocols)
Closing Date: 2 September 2026
You must be currently eligible to study in New Zealand to apply for this student training opportunity.
Auckland Museum offers a rich and fulfilling environment where we embrace diversity and nurture our bicultural capability as demonstrated in our Teu le Va and He Korahi Maori strategies. We also offer a range of great benefits including an award-winning wellbeing programme.
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to be part of a fabulous New Zealand organisation committed to telling our national and Auckland stories, reflecting our unique place in the South Pacific.
He Oranga Tangata ka ao Enriching lives. Inspiring discoveries
