Funding

Fully Funded

Fellowship•Remote

Harris Social Impact Fellowship

University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Application Deadline

October 19, 2026

Official Page

The Harris Social Impact Fellowship is a full-time program designed by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy for recent graduates and early-career professionals with strong STEM skills. It combines eight weeks of faculty-led coursework in policy analysis, research, critical reasoning, and data analytics with nine months of applied learning at a research center or policy institute.

Fellows complete a capstone addressing a public or social-sector challenge and receive professional development and mentorship. The 2027–2028 cohort will include 15 fellows and run from July 2027 through June 2028.

Benefits & funding

  • A $75,000 stipend supports living and healthcare expenses.
  • A separate $21,000 award fully covers the fellowship academic credential.
  • Fellows receive an eight-week academic curriculum, a nine-month applied-learning placement, career coaching, mentorship, and an annual alumni retreat.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must demonstrate serious technical, quantitative, or analytical capacity through coursework, research, or work experience.
  • A bachelor’s degree must be conferred before the fellowship begins; holders of bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees may apply.
  • The program is intended for recent graduates and early-career professionals with less than two years of experience.
  • Participants must already be legally authorized to work in the United States; UChicago does not sponsor visas, and the fellowship does not qualify for a STEM OPT extension.
  • No prior policy experience is required, and the program states no citizenship or gender restriction.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

  • Education required

    Bachelor · Master · PhD

  • Experience required

    ≤ 1 yrs

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Application process

  1. 1
    Create or access an account in the Harris application portal, choose the 2027 non-degree application, and select the Harris Social Impact Fellowship.
  2. 2
    Submit an approximately 300-word motivation statement of no more than one single-spaced page, a one-page technical experience statement, a resume, transcripts, and one letter of recommendation.
  3. 3
    Add a recommender who can address your technical, quantitative, or analytical work; the letter is expected by the application deadline, though late letters are accepted until the final interview day.
  4. 4
    Shortlisted applicants move through a take-home technical assessment, virtual interviews, and lab-matching interviews plus an on-campus interview day.

Program timeline

  1. Application deadline

    October 19, 2026, 11:59 PM CT

  2. Take-home technical assessment

    Mid-to-late November 2026

  3. Virtual interviews

    Early-to-mid December 2026

  4. Lab-matching interviews and on-campus interview day

    Mid-to-late January 2027

  5. Fellowship starts

    July 2027

  6. Fellowship ends

    June 2028

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