Applications are open for the Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship 2027–2028 in the United States. This nine-month residential fellowship gives established scholars, scientists, writers, journalists, artists, and public intellectuals time and support to complete an ambitious individual project at Harvard University.
The fellowship runs from September 2027 through May 2028 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The confirmed core award is a $78,000 stipend plus $5,000 for project expenses. Eligible fellows may receive further help with relocation, housing, childcare, and healthcare. The official 2027–2028 program details explain the current benefits.
Applicants should note one important deadline correction. October 1, 2026, is the deadline only for science, engineering, and mathematics. Applications in the humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction, and journalism close earlier, on September 10, 2026. Both deadlines are at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship 2027–2028: Quick Facts
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Fellowship name | Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program 2027–2028 |
| Provider | Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University |
| Host location | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States |
| Program type | Advanced, non-degree residential fellowship. It is not a postdoctoral fellowship |
| Duration | Nine months, September 2027 to May 2028 |
| Eligible fields | Humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction and journalism, science, engineering, and mathematics |
| Nationality | Applicants from all countries are welcome |
| Core funding | $78,000 stipend plus $5,000 project-expense allowance |
| Other support | Eligibility-based relocation, housing, childcare, and healthcare assistance |
| General deadline | September 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET |
| STEM deadline | October 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET |
| Result notification | March 2027 |
| Application mode | Online |
| Official application | 2027–2028 Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship portal |
What Is the Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship?
The Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is Harvard University’s institute for advanced study. Its fellowship program brings together 50 people from different academic, professional, and artistic fields each year.
Fellows work on individual projects such as books, films, research studies, artistic works, or new frameworks. The program looks for applicants with a strong record of achievement and the potential to make an important future contribution. Harvard’s Radcliffe Fellowship overview describes the cohort as scholars, artists, and public intellectuals from the United States and other countries.
The program welcomes projects addressing major social, scientific, and policy questions. Proposals may focus on women, gender, and society or use the Schlesinger Library, but these themes are welcomed rather than required. For 2024–2029, the Institute also invites work related to academic freedom and connecting across difference.
Fellowship Duration and Location
The 2027–2028 fellowship begins in September 2027 and ends in May 2028. This makes it a nine-month academic-year program.
Fellows are based at Harvard Radcliffe Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They receive an office or studio in Byerly Hall and a full-time Harvard appointment as a visiting fellow. The appointment provides access to Harvard libraries and athletic facilities. Course auditing is possible with the instructor’s permission.
This is an in-residence commitment. Fellows are expected to engage with their cohort, attend program activities, and limit travel mainly to scheduled breaks. An applicant seeking a remote or part-time award should not assume this fellowship will fit that plan.
Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Funding and Benefits
Confirmed core funding for 2027–2028
Each selected fellow receives:
- A $78,000 stipend
- A separate $5,000 allowance for project expenses
- An office or studio at Harvard Radcliffe Institute
- A full-time visiting-fellow appointment at Harvard
- Access to Harvard University libraries and athletic facilities
- Professional-development and engagement opportunities
- Coverage of hourly wages if the fellow hires an approved Harvard undergraduate research partner
The $5,000 project allowance is intended for project costs. Applicants should not treat it automatically as extra personal living income.
Additional support for eligible fellows
Harvard Radcliffe states that selected fellows may also qualify for:
- Relocation assistance
- Housing support
- Childcare funding
- Healthcare support as needed
The official current-cycle FAQ confirms these support categories, but the public financial-support page available during verification still displays detailed figures for the 2026–2027 academic year. Applicants should therefore confirm the 2027–2028 allowance amounts directly with the Institute before making financial commitments.
Is the fellowship fully funded?
The program provides substantial financial support and is commonly described as fully funded. Harvard, however, lists specific benefits rather than promising that every expense will be paid for every fellow.
Applicants should plan for possible personal costs, including:
- Federal, state, or other taxes. Harvard’s published financial-support overview states that HRI payments are taxable income
- Rent or living expenses above any allowance received
- Moving and travel expenses beyond approved support
- Childcare or health costs above the amount for which the fellow qualifies
- Visa, document, and related expenses unless Harvard confirms reimbursement
Harvard’s public application pages reviewed for this article do not state an application fee or promise reimbursement of all visa and airfare costs. Applicants should check the portal and written award terms instead of assuming these costs are covered.
Available Fellowship Fields
Applicants select the area that best fits their project and professional background. The five current program areas are:
- Humanities
- Social sciences
- Creative arts
- Nonfiction and journalism
- Science, engineering, and mathematics
Interdisciplinary applications are welcome. Applicants may identify a primary discipline and an additional field, but they must meet the eligibility rules for the primary area selected. The official disciplines list provides the fields accepted in the 2027–2028 cycle.
Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Eligibility Criteria
The fellowship is open to applicants from around the world. Independent scholars, artists, and writers may apply without a university affiliation. Academics do not need tenure.
This is not a degree scholarship or a postdoctoral fellowship. Applicants enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program when they submit are normally ineligible. An exception applies when the dissertation has already been accepted, the degree is forthcoming, and the applicant meets the field-specific criteria.
Former Harvard Radcliffe fellows from 1999 onward cannot apply again. The official eligibility guidance also permits a joint application by no more than two people. Both collaborators must meet the rules and submit separate applications.
Humanities and social sciences
Applicants must:
- Have received a doctorate or equivalent in the proposed project area by December 2023 for the 2027–2028 cycle
- Have published a monograph or at least two articles in refereed journals or edited collections
Accepted terminal degrees may include a PhD, MD, JD, DPhil, or DEd, where relevant to the proposed field.
Science, engineering, and mathematics
Applicants must:
- Have received a doctorate in the proposed project area by December 2023 for the 2027–2028 cycle
- Have published at least five articles in refereed journals
Scientists proposing work with a Boston-area laboratory must contact a potential host before applying. One of the three recommendation letters must come from that host.
Journalism and nonfiction
Journalism applicants need at least five years of professional journalism experience.
Nonfiction applicants must meet at least one of these conditions:
- Have one or more published books
- Hold a contract for a book-length manuscript
- Have at least three published shorter works that are longer than newspaper articles
Creative arts
Requirements depend on the discipline:
- Film and video: A significant body of independent work, normally shown at festivals, galleries, museums, or on television
- Visual arts: At least five years of professional work, participation in several curated group exhibitions, and at least two professional solo exhibitions
- Fiction: A published book, a contract for a book-length manuscript, or at least three qualifying shorter published works
- Poetry: At least 20 poems or one poetry book published within the last five years, plus a manuscript in progress
- Playwriting: A significant body of independent work, normally including produced or optioned plays
- Music composition: Strong professional achievement and recent performances. A PhD or DMA is desirable but not required
Required Application Documents
All material must be submitted online and in English. The common application package includes:
- Completed online application form
- Curriculum vitae of no more than six pages
- Project proposal of no more than 1,400 words
- Writing or work sample suited to the selected discipline
- Contact details for three recommenders
- Three recommendation letters uploaded by the recommenders
The project proposal must include a 150-word abstract within the 1,400-word total. Harvard asks for 12-point font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. A bibliography is optional and does not count toward the proposal word limit. The official application-materials page gives the full format and sample rules.
Work-sample requirements by field
- Humanities and social sciences: Relevant unpublished work or a published article or book chapter, up to 40 pages
- Science, engineering, and mathematics: Three published articles
- Nonfiction: A recent relevant chapter, story, manuscript, or article, about 30 pages in total
- Journalism: Three substantive published articles, about 30 pages in total, with up to 15 minutes of optional audio or video work
- Fiction: A recent chapter, story, manuscript, or article, about 30 pages in total
- Film and video: Up to 15 minutes through YouTube or Vimeo
- Music composition: One to three recent samples, with written scores unless the work is electronic or improvisational
- Playwriting: One play or section, up to 30 pages
- Poetry: Up to 10 poems
- Visual arts: 12 images and, where relevant, up to three moving-image excerpts
Text documents may be uploaded as DOC, DOCX, or PDF, with PDF preferred. The text-file limit is 10 MB. Visual-arts image files may be JPG, GIF, or PNG, up to 3 MB each.
Selection Process
Harvard Radcliffe uses a two-stage review:
- Experts in the applicant’s field assess the application.
- A multidisciplinary committee selects the final cohort.
Reviewers consider the quality and significance of the proposed project. They also assess intellectual or creative capacity through the applicant’s record of achievement or exceptional promise. Collegiality and openness to cross-disciplinary discussion matter because fellows work in a shared community.
Applicants will receive the result by email in March 2027. Harvard Radcliffe does not provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants, but they may apply again in a later cycle. See the official selection-process page.
How to Apply for the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship 2027–2028
Follow these steps:
- Review the eligibility rules for your proposed field.
- Open the official Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship application portal.
- Register with your name, email address, mailing address, and password, or sign in to an existing account.
- Select the correct application area and primary discipline.
- Complete the online form and upload your CV, proposal, and field-specific work sample.
- Add accurate contact details for three recommenders and send the portal requests early.
- Check the status of all three letters. Recommendation letters must arrive by the same deadline as the main application.
- Submit the complete application before 5:00 PM Eastern Time and keep the confirmation email.
Do not wait until the final hours. Your application is incomplete if the required recommendation letters have not arrived by the relevant deadline.
Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Application Deadlines
The correct deadline depends on the program area:
- Humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction, and journalism: Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
- Science, engineering, and mathematics: Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
On both dates, Eastern Time is Eastern Daylight Time, UTC−4. For applicants in India, the deadlines are 2:30 AM IST on September 11 and October 2, 2026, respectively.
The application and all three recommendation letters share the same deadline. Harvard confirms both dates on its 2027–2028 application-information page and official portal.
Practical Tips for a Strong Application
Write for readers outside your specialty
Field experts review the first stage, but a multidisciplinary committee makes the final selection. Explain specialist terms and make the 150-word abstract understandable across disciplines.
Define the project and its value
State what you will produce during the nine months. Explain the project’s significance, method, source material, present status, and contribution to your field or society.
Explain why Radcliffe fits the work
Identify the Harvard collections, people, facilities, or cross-disciplinary conversations relevant to your project. Avoid a generic paragraph about Harvard’s reputation.
Choose recommenders carefully
Ask people who can assess your project, achievements, and ability to work well with others. Harvard advises using no more than one recommender from your home institution when applicable.
Prepare a realistic financial plan
Compare the stipend and any confirmed allowances with housing, insurance, tax, travel, and family costs in the Boston/Cambridge area. Do not rely on an unconfirmed extra allowance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship 2027–2028 open to international applicants?
Yes. Applicants from all countries are encouraged to apply. Harvard University typically sponsors J-1 scholar visas for international Radcliffe fellows.
Is October 1, 2026, the deadline for every applicant?
No. October 1 is only for science, engineering, and mathematics. Humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction, and journalism applications are due on September 10, 2026. Both close at 5:00 PM ET.
Is this a master’s, PhD, or postdoctoral scholarship?
No. It is a non-degree fellowship for established scholars and practitioners. Harvard states that it is not intended as a postdoctoral fellowship.
Can a current PhD or master’s student apply?
Generally, no. A student may qualify only if the dissertation has already been accepted, the degree is forthcoming, and all field-specific eligibility conditions are satisfied.
Do applicants need a Harvard or university affiliation?
No. Independent scholars, writers, and artists are eligible if they meet the requirements for their field.
How much funding does the fellowship provide?
The confirmed 2027–2028 package provides a $78,000 stipend and $5,000 for project expenses. Further relocation, housing, childcare, and healthcare support depends on eligibility.
Is there an application fee?
The official public pages reviewed for the 2027–2028 cycle do not state an application fee. Applicants should confirm the final position in the application portal. Do not interpret the absence of a published fee as a guarantee.
When will applicants receive the results?
Harvard Radcliffe plans to notify applicants by email in March 2027.
Can two people submit a joint project?
Yes. A group may contain no more than two applicants. Each person must qualify independently and submit a separate application.
