The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School runs this academic-track fellowship in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fellows join the Center’s research on energy policy, climate policy, climate finance and energy technology innovation.
The 2027–28 research areas are US–China energy innovation and decarbonization, solar geoengineering governance, climate finance for emerging and developing economies, the effects of AI and data centers on the US grid, and Super El Niño resilience in the Asia-Pacific. Applications are open until December 1, 2026.
Benefits & funding
- A stipend (amount not published), office space and some research support, including travel.
- Postdoctoral fellows get Harvard benefits including health insurance; predoctoral fellows and those whose PhD is over five years old may get full or partial reimbursement of insurance premiums.
- Access to Harvard facilities.
- Housing is not included; applicants are encouraged to seek other funding too.
Eligibility
- Predoctoral candidates, recent recipients of a PhD or equivalent (a DPhil counts), visiting scholars and junior-faculty researchers.
- Predoctoral applicants must have passed general exams and made significant dissertation progress.
- Postdoctoral applicants need a PhD granted within five years of September of the fellowship year and must commit full time; finishing the PhD by the start is accepted, paid at the predoctoral rate until confirmed.
- Relevant academic or professional experience in the research area is expected.
- No nationality restriction is stated; visa sponsorship is available.
- Fellows must be in residence and spend at least four-fifths of their time on Center research.
Can you apply?
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Application process
- 1Choose this fellowship in the Belfer online portal; emailed applications are not accepted.
- 2Prepare a CV, a 3–5-page research statement (question, policy relevance, planned outputs, project plan) and one single-authored English writing sample under 50 pages.
- 3State whether you seek full or partial funding and list other funding sources.
- 4Submit by December 1, 2026; submitted applications cannot be edited.
- 5Three recommenders receive upload instructions only after you submit; letters are due December 15, 2026.
Program timeline
Applications open
Oct 1, 2026
Application deadline
Dec 1, 2026
Recommendation letters due
Dec 15, 2026
Decisions
Mid-February 2027
Ten-month appointment
September 2027–June 2028