Harvard University Academy Scholars Program

The Harvard Academy Scholars Program identifies and supports outstanding scholars at the start of their careers whose work combines disciplinary excellence in the social sciences (including history and law) with a command of the language and history or culture of non-Western countries or regions. Their scholarship may elucidate domestic, comparative, or transnational issues, past or present.

The Harvard Academy Scholars are a select community of individuals with resourcefulness, initiative, curiosity, and originality, whose work in non-Western cultures or regions shows promise as a foundation for exceptional careers in major universities or international institutions.

Academy Scholars are appointed for a two-year, in-residence, postdoctoral fellowship at The Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. They receive substantial financial and research assistance to undertake sustained projects of research and/or acquire accessory training in their chosen fields and areas. The Senior Scholars, a distinguished group of senior Harvard University faculty members, act as mentors to the Academy Scholars to help them achieve their intellectual potential.

Eligibility

The competition for these awards is open only to recent PhD (or comparable professional school degree) recipients and doctoral candidates in the social sciences (including history and law).

Those still pursuing a PhD should have completed their routine training and be well along in the writing of their theses before applying to become Academy Scholars. If you have completed a PhD program, the PhD completion date must be within three years of the October 1 application deadline. For applicants applying for the October 1, 2017 deadline, you must have completed your PhD or equivalent after September 30, 2014.

The Selection Committee considers all applicants in one applicant pool.

Scholarship

Each year, four to five Academy Scholars are named for two-year appointments. Academy Scholars are expected to reside in the Cambridge/Boston area for the duration of their appointments unless traveling for pre-approved research purposes.

Postdoctoral Academy Scholars will receive an annual stipend of $67,000. If selected before earning the PhD, the Scholars will receive an annual stipend of $31,000 until awarded the PhD. This stipend is supplemented by funding for conference and research travel, research assistants, and health insurance coverage. Some teaching is permitted but not required.

How to Apply

All application materials need to arrive by the deadline of October 1. We do not accept late applications.

The completed application will include:

1. Cover letter
2. Curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé
3. Research proposal (2500 word maximum)
4. Official PhD program transcript
5. Three letters of recommendation (uploaded through the online application)

Letters should be addressed to the “Selection Committee.”
Letters of recommendation need to be uploaded by the deadline of October 1.

All parts of the application are submitted online. The online application is accessed through the homepage of The Harvard Academy’s website. To access the application, click on the APPLY button.

Official Link

Deadline: 1st October 2017