HGHI Visiting Research Scholarship Program — Fellowship

The HGHI Visiting Research Scholarship Program enables a Harvard faculty member to host an international global health collaborator for six weeks in Boston. The in-person residency takes place in April and is intended to deepen an established partnership and advance shared research.

The visiting scholar works with the Harvard sponsor under an agreed work plan, participates in HGHI activities, and presents their work at private and public events. Applications for the 2027 cohort are closed, so the program is currently between annual cycles.

Benefits & funding

Six weeks in person at Harvard University in the Boston area.
A lump-sum stipend covers logistical costs including housing, flights to and from Boston, health insurance, J-1 visa fees, and a daily food allowance.
Participation includes required virtual orientation and opportunities to present work at HGHI events and attend the annual symposium when schedules permit.

Eligibility

The sponsor must be a Harvard faculty member at any Harvard school or affiliated hospital.
The sponsor and visiting scholar must already have significant collaborative work or a strong foundation for it; the program does not match scholars with Harvard faculty.
The sponsor’s primary department must provide the necessary non-faculty academic appointment and sponsor the visiting scholar’s J-1 visa.
The visiting scholar should hold a doctorate in a relevant field; exceptional candidates with a master’s degree may be considered.
The scholar must be in good standing at their home institution, hold an active passport, meet J-1 English-language requirements, and be able to obtain the visa.
The scholar must live in the Boston area during the April residency and should be a peer or near-peer collaborator rather than a junior mentee.

Can you apply?

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Education required
Master · PhD

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Application process

1
Confirm an established collaboration with an eligible Harvard faculty sponsor and secure the sponsor department’s appointment and visa support.
2
Develop a six-week work plan explaining why in-person collaboration is valuable.
3
Prepare the scholar’s name, country of origin, home-country position, CV, and the Harvard sponsor’s supporting documentation.
4
Obtain two reference letters: one authorizing six weeks of leave from the home institution and one from the Harvard sponsor explaining the collaboration and work plan.
5
The Harvard faculty sponsor submits the request through the official application portal when the next cycle opens.

Program timeline

June 26, 2026
Applications for the 2027 cohort announced open.
August 23, 2026
Application deadline for the 2027 cohort.
Six-week in-person residency in the Boston area.
April 2027