Weatherhead Scholars Program – Sang Kee Kim Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Affairs of East and Southeast Asia

The Sang Kee Kim Postdoctoral Fellowship brings an early-career social scientist to Harvard for the 2027–2028 academic year. The fellow conducts independent research on East or Southeast Asia, excluding projects centered on Japan or China.

The fellow joins the multidisciplinary Weatherhead Scholars Program cohort in Cambridge. The residency includes seminars, professional development, and participation in the wider Weatherhead Center and Harvard communities.

Benefits & funding

Salary of USD 70,000, paid over twelve months.
Eligibility for Harvard University benefits.
Shared office space and participation in the program’s weekly seminar and professional-development activities.

Eligibility

Applicants must have received a PhD within the past three calendar years in a relevant social-science field.
Applicants who have not yet graduated must have the PhD conferred before the fellowship starts.
The proposed research must focus on East Asia or Southeast Asia, excluding Japan and China as research areas.
Preference is given to recent graduates who have not previously held a postdoctoral position; this is not a hard eligibility bar.
No nationality or prior-residency restriction is stated, and the program supports visa applications for international scholars.

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
PhD Enrolled · PhD

Check my eligibility — free

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

1
Open the Harvard Academic Positions listing and select the application link.
2
Submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, research statement, and dissertation abstract, then complete the supplemental questions.
3
Provide details for two or three referees; the portal requests their letters after submission.
4
If shortlisted, provide a scholarly writing sample if requested; no new writing is required.

Program timeline

Application deadline.
October 8, 2026
Recommendation-letter deadline.
October 15, 2026
Residential appointment begins.
Late August 2027
Residential appointment ends.
Mid-May 2028