Organizer Information
The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, known as Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is one of the world's leading centers for interdisciplinary research and exploration. Its work grows out of the history of Radcliffe College, founded in the late 19th century to give women access to Harvard-level instruction; Radcliffe formally merged with Harvard University in 1999, establishing today's Institute. The Institute remains interdisciplinary by design and shaped by an institutional legacy of promoting inclusion, with a continuing commitment to women, gender, and society alongside broader work spanning the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Central to its mission is the Radcliffe Fellowship Program, which each year supports a cohort of roughly 50 scholars, artists, and public intellectuals — past fellows have included Jill Lepore, Samantha Power, Zadie Smith, Elizabeth Warren, and Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.
Title & Description
The Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Program, 2027–2028
The Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program offers scientists, writers, scholars, public intellectuals, and artists a full academic year to pursue ambitious projects within an interdisciplinary community, drawing on the resources of Harvard University. The Institute welcomes applications proposing innovative work that confronts pressing social, scientific, and policy issues and engages audiences beyond academia. Reflecting Radcliffe's history, it welcomes — without limiting eligibility to — proposals focused on women, gender, and society, or drawing on the Schlesinger Library's collections. It also invites proposals connected to its 2024–2029 focus area on academic freedom and connecting across difference, addressing themes such as intellectual virtues, free and open inquiry, political polarization, inequality, and religious pluralism, as well as proposals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics affected by federal research funding cuts. Fellows work on an individual project — a book, film, or other body of work — while engaging with the wider Harvard community.
Theme
The Institute's 2024–2029 multiyear focus area is academic freedom and connecting across difference, and proposals relevant to this theme are especially invited, alongside proposals in women, gender, and society, and STEM fields affected by federal research funding cuts. No single required theme applies to all applicants; proposals across the humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction/journalism, and science/engineering/mathematics are accepted.
Categories
- Research
- Writing
- Creative Writing
- Fiction
- Poetry
- Playwright
- Composer
- Video/Film
- Visual Arts
- Nonfiction
- Culture
- Interdisciplinary Arts
- Multiple Disciplines
- Fellowship
Eligibility
- Not intended as a postdoctoral fellowship; those currently enrolled in a degree program are ineligible
- Open to applicants across career stages; academic tenure is not required
- Former Harvard Radcliffe fellows (1999–present) are ineligible
- Humanities and social sciences applicants: doctorate or equivalent terminal degree (PhD, MD, JD, DPhil, or DEd) in the area of the proposed project received at least four years before the fellowship appointment (December 2023, for the 2027–2028 year), plus a published monograph or at least two articles in refereed journals or edited collections
- Science, engineering, and mathematics applicants: doctorate in the proposed project area received at least four years before appointment (December 2023), plus at least five published articles in refereed journals
- Journalism applicants: minimum five years of professional journalism experience
- Nonfiction applicants: at least one published book, a contract for a book-length manuscript, or at least three shorter published works longer than newspaper articles
- Film and video applicants: a body of independent work of significant achievement, typically exhibited in galleries/museums, shown at film/video festivals, or broadcast on television
- Visual arts applicants: at least five years as a professional artist, including participation in several curated group shows and at least two professional solo exhibitions
- Fiction applicants: at least one published book, a contract for a book-length manuscript, or at least three shorter published works
- Poetry applicants: at least 20 poems or a book of poetry published in the last five years, and must be completing a manuscript
- Playwriting applicants: a significant body of independent work, typically including plays produced or under option
- Music composition applicants: strong evidence of professional achievement with a record of recent performances (a PhD or DMA is desirable but not required)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Stipend of $78,000
- Additional $5,000 to cover project expenses
- Possible relocation funds
- Possible housing funds
- Possible childcare funds
- Healthcare support made available as needed
- Office or studio space in Byerly Hall, Radcliffe Yard
- Full-time Harvard appointment as a visiting fellow, including access to the Harvard Library system
- Access to University athletic facilities
- Professional development and engagement opportunities throughout the fellowship year
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Completed online application form
- Curriculum vitae
- 1,400-word project proposal (with bibliography where appropriate)
- A writing or work sample (specifications vary by discipline; e.g., up to 40 pages for humanities/social sciences, three published articles for science/engineering/mathematics, up to 30 pages for nonfiction/fiction/journalism, up to 10 poems for poetry, up to 30 pages for playwriting, 12 images plus up to 3 moving-image excerpts for visual arts, up to 15 minutes of work for film/video, and one to three composition samples with scores for music composition)
- Contact information for three references, who will be prompted by email to upload letters of recommendation
- Designation of a primary discipline (and optionally an additional disciplinary area for interdisciplinary work)
- All materials submitted via the online application portal
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline (humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction and journalism): 10 September 2026
- Application Deadline (science, engineering, and mathematics): 1 October 2026
- Notification of Results: by the end of March 2027
Location
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Additional Details
- Applications are reviewed in a two-tiered process: first by experts in the relevant field, then by a multidisciplinary committee selecting a diverse class of fellows based on achievement and potential
- Applicants working on interdisciplinary projects should select the discipline area that best fits their background and eligibility, and may designate an additional disciplinary area on the application
- Fellows are required to reside in the Cambridge/Boston area from September through May to participate in the fellowship community, including weekly talks, professional development workshops, and social events