The Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program supports established scholars, writers, artists, journalists, and public intellectuals as they pursue an individual project within an interdisciplinary cohort. This record covers the humanities and social sciences, creative arts, and nonfiction and journalism application areas for 2027–2028. Fellows relocate to the Cambridge/Boston area and work in residence from September through May, using Harvard resources while participating in weekly talks, workshops, and community events.
Benefits & funding
- A $78,000 stipend plus $5,000 for project expenses.
- Office or studio space in Byerly Hall and a full-time Harvard appointment as a visiting fellow.
- Access to the Harvard Library system, University athletic facilities, professional development, and engagement opportunities.
- Eligible fellows may receive relocation, housing, childcare, and healthcare support.
Eligibility
- Applicants may come from any nationality or place of residence, but must be able to reside in the Cambridge/Boston area from September through May.
- Current degree students and former Harvard Radcliffe fellows from 1999 onward are ineligible. Tenure is not required.
- Humanities and social-science applicants must have received a doctorate or equivalent in the proposed-project area by December 2023 and must have published a monograph or at least two refereed articles or edited-collection articles.
- Journalism applicants need at least five years of professional journalism experience. Nonfiction applicants need a published book, a contract for a book-length manuscript, or at least three published shorter works longer than newspaper articles.
- Creative-arts applicants must meet the published discipline standard: film and video require a significant body of independent work; visual arts require at least five years of professional work, several curated group shows, and at least two professional solo exhibitions; fiction follows the nonfiction publication routes; poetry requires at least 20 poems or a poetry book published in the previous five years and a manuscript in progress; playwriting requires a significant body of independent work, typically produced or optioned plays; music composition requires strong professional achievement and recent performances, while a PhD or DMA is desirable but not mandatory.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Create an account in the online fellowship application portal.
- 2Select Humanities and Social Sciences, Creative Arts, or Nonfiction and Journalism as the application area.
- 3Complete the form and upload a curriculum vitae, a 1,400-word project proposal, and the discipline-appropriate writing or work sample.
- 4Enter contact details for three references, who will receive email requests to upload recommendations.
- 5Submit the complete application, including recommendation letters, by September 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Program timeline
Complete application deadline for the covered application areas.
September 10, 2026, 5:00 PM Eastern Time
Applicants notified of the result by email.
End of March 2027
Residential fellowship period begins.
September 2027
Residential fellowship period ends.
May 2028