Smithsonian reviews

Sometimes scientific colonialism can appear when working in the tropics.

This is an institution that is falling apart. There is high turnover, the pay and benefits are terrible, very little transparency in decision making, and an extremely toxic culture of fear. Institutional policies are weaponized for personal vendettas, and completely ignored when it comes to employee rights. This all results in high levels of anxiety, incompetence, fear, and aggression among staff. Administration has also pushed a heavy anti-union/union busting regime against Trust employees. This is coupled with deplorable attacks on academic freedom. Be warned, academic freedom does not exist at the Smithsonian Institution. Research is only acceptable for work that aligns with the interest of donors and upper management. My recommendation for anyone coming to Smithsonian for a research based position: RUN!