Posted by Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world.
About the Program
The Academy Scholars Program purports to identify and support outstanding scholars at the start of their careers whose work combines disciplinary excellence in the social sciences or law with a command of the language and history or culture of countries or regions outside of the United States or Canada. Their scholarship may elucidate domestic, comparative, or transnational issues, past or present.
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.
Click here for the detailed list of fields of study.
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 or 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 3 years of the October 1 application deadline. For applicants applying for the October 1, 2021 deadline, you must have completed your PhD or equivalent after September 30, 2018.
- The Selection Committee considers all applicants in one applicant pool.
- Applications are welcome from qualified persons without regard to nationality, gender, or race.
Note:
- The Academy Scholars Program is not a degree-granting program. If you have not recently completed or are not currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent doctoral program in the social sciences or law you are not eligible to apply for the Academy Scholars Program.
- Predoctoral candidates must have finished all field research and be well into the writing stage of their dissertation at the time of application, with an estimated completion date within 2022.
Terms
Each year, 4-6 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 travelling for pre-approved research purposes.
Stipend & Funding
- Postdoctoral Academy Scholars will receive an annual stipend of $70,000 (~52.3 Lacs INR).
- If selected before earning the PhD, the Scholars will receive an annual stipend of $35,000 (26 Lacs INR) 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?
Application Documents
The completed application will include:
- Cover letter which succinctly states the applicant’s academic field, country or region of specialization, and proposed research topic
- Curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé; including list of publications
- Research proposal (2500 word maximum); including intellectual objectives and planned methodological and disciplinary work
- A copy of your PhD program transcript
- Three letters of recommendation (uploaded through the online application)
Application Submission
- Letters should be addressed to the “Selection Committee.”
- All parts of the application, including the three letters of recommendation, are submitted online as pdf documents.
- The online application is accessed through the homepage of The Harvard Academy’s website. To access the application, click on the APPLY ONLINE button OR click on the link given at the end of this post.
Application Deadline
- Letters of recommendation need to be uploaded by the deadline of October 1.
- All application materials need to be submitted by the deadline of October 1. No late submissions will be accepted.
Location
Cambridge/Boston area
Contact Information
In case of queries, write to applicationinquiries@wcfia.harvard.edu
For more information about the Harvard University Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, click here.
Click here to apply for the Harvard Fellowship Program.
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