Fellowship•USA · Cambridge

Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship is the flagship program of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, which selects roughly 50 fellows each year from a broad range of academic, professional, and artistic fields — humanities, social sciences, sciences, mathematics, and the creative arts. Fellows spend one full academic year in residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working on an individual project such as a book, a body of research, or a film, while drawing on the wider Harvard University community. Past fellows include Jill Lepore, Samantha Power, Zadie Smith, and Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

Benefits & funding

  • Stipend of $78,000 for the fellowship year, plus an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses.
  • Relocation, housing, and childcare funds, and healthcare support as needed.
  • Private office or studio space in Byerly Hall, in Radcliffe Yard.
  • Access to Harvard’s libraries, faculty, and university community.

Eligibility

  • Open to applicants worldwide; the official page states no nationality or citizenship restriction.
  • Humanities and social sciences: a doctorate received at least four years before the start of the fellowship, and a published monograph or at least two articles in refereed journals.
  • Science, engineering, and mathematics: a doctorate received at least four years before the fellowship, and at least five articles published in refereed journals.
  • Journalism: at least five years of professional experience. Nonfiction: one published book, a book contract, or three shorter published works.
  • Creative arts (visual arts, film/video, fiction, poetry, music composition): a sustained record of professional achievement (exhibitions, publications, performances) rather than a specific degree; a PhD/DMA is desirable but not required for music composition.
  • Fellows must reside in the Cambridge/Boston area for the full fellowship, September through May.

Application process

  1. 1
    Identify the deadline for your field and prepare your project proposal, CV, references, and discipline-appropriate work or writing samples.
  2. 2
    Submit the online application by the relevant deadline at 5 PM ET.
  3. 3
    Selected fellows relocate to the Cambridge/Boston area and remain in residence from September through May.

Program timeline

  1. Application deadline — humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction, and journalism (5 PM ET)

    Sep 10, 2026

  2. Application deadline — science, engineering, and mathematics (5 PM ET)

    Oct 1, 2026

  3. 2027-09

    Fellowship year begins (2027–2028 cohort)

  4. Fellowship year ends

    2028-05