Application Requirements
- CV/ Resume
- Unofficial transcript (pre-doctoral fellow applicants only)
- Research statement (3-5 pages)
- Writing sample (less than 50 pages)
- Should be one published or unpublished piece written by the applicant (co-authored pieces not accepted) in English that will demonstrate his/her English-language writing ability
- Can be a journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, white paper, etc. you have produced in your field
- Contact information for 3 recommenders submitting letters on your behalf
The 2016-2017 application period is now closed. Recomendations will be due on Monday, February 1, 2016. Decisions will be announced by March 31, 2016.
Terms of Fellowship
The Center's programs and projects offer a variety of both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships. Fellows are appointed for ten-month appointments from September through June, with a possibility for renewal.
Fellows are expected to devote some portion of their time to collaborative endeavors, as arranged by the appropriate program or project director. Pre-doctoral research fellows are expected to contribute to the Center's research activities, as well as work on — and ideally complete — their doctoral dissertations. Post-doctoral fellows are also expected to complete a book, monograph, or other significant publication during their period of residence. All fellows are expected to be in the Cambridge area for the duration of their fellowship.
Eligibility
Pre-doctoral candidates must have passed their general examinations and have made significant progress on their dissertations in order to be considered. Applications for fellowships are welcome from recent recipients of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree, university faculty members, and employees of government, military, international, humanitarian, and private research institutions who have acquired appropriate professional experience. The Belfer Center seeks applications from political scientists, lawyers, economists, those in the natural sciences, and others of diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The Center also encourages applications from women, minorities, and citizens of all countries.
Further information regarding eligibility may be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Stipend Information
Stipends for research fellows vary by program and project. Please review the program fellowship pages on the left for program/project-specific funding information.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for other sources of funding. All applicants should indicate on their application form whether they are seeking full or partial funding from the Center. Non-stipendiary appointments are also offered.
Submission of a formal application is required for all fellowship applicants, whether they need funding or have independent support.
Areas of Research
To review the research areas of available fellowships, please consult the list of "All Available Fellowships" on the left-hand navigation sidebar. For more information on the specific focus of each program, visit that program's page.
For proposals that span Belfer research programs, applicants may direct their applications to more than one project or program on the application form, but please note that applicants are expected to have existing expertise in their fellowship's research area.
For more information:
E-mail: bcsia_fellowships@hks.harvard.edu