Fellowship Program Details

The fellowship runs from September 2026–May 2027.

Fellows receive a stipend of $78,000 plus an additional $5,000 to cover project expenses. Please note that if you are a US citizen or permanent resident coming from a home institution based in the US, you can opt to have your stipend paid through your home institution or to you directly.

Harvard Radcliffe Fellows may also be eligible to receive relocation, housing, and childcare funds to aid them in making a smooth transition to Radcliffe. Healthcare support is made available as needed. If fellows would like to hire Harvard undergraduate students as Research Partners, we will cover their hourly wages.

Although amounts have not been set for fellows in the 2026-2027 class, information on current benefits is available here.

Harvard Radcliffe Fellows benefit from a uniquely interdisciplinary and creative community that each year spans the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences. This diversity of approaches and expertise sets our program apart from other fellowship opportunities. With access to Harvard's unparalleled resources, Harvard Radcliffe Fellows can dive deeply into their projects while engaging with scholars, writers, and artists with whom they might not otherwise connect. Along with their cohort, Radcliffe Fellows join an exceptional network of alumni, making an impact in their professional fields and in the larger world.

In addition to the stipend, project expense allowance, and additional funds to aid in relocation mentioned above, fellows receive office or studio space in Byerly Hall—in Radcliffe Yard—and full-time Harvard appointments as visiting fellows, granting them access to Harvard University's libraries, and athletic facilities. If fellows would like to hire Harvard undergraduate students as Research Partners, we will cover their hourly wages. Fellows will also be able to participate in professional development and engagement opportunities throughout their fellowship year.

Some of our talks are open to spouses/partners, and there are engagement activities throughout the year to which your families will be invited.

Here are some additional benefits your family may take advantage of during your fellowship year:

- Spouses or qualified domestic partners of current Harvard University ID card holders may apply for borrowing privileges at Widener Library. More information is available here.

- Family members of fellows may sit in on regular lecture courses in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and some of the other graduate schools at the faculty member's discretion.

- Radcliffe Fellows are eligible to purchase a family membership, which covers spouses/partners and any dependent children under 26, to use Harvard Recreation.

- The Fellowship Program provides funds to help eligible fellows cover the costs of dependent childcare. Information about childcare at Harvard University can be found here.

Fellows present their work-in-progress throughout the fellowship year, either in the form of a private talk for their cohort or a public lecture. Group lunches occur two days per week, and fellows are invited to attend events happening across the Institute throughout the year.

While the primary purpose of a Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship is to give fellows time and space to pursue their own work, they are expected to engage actively with their colleagues in their cohort and to participate fully as members of the Harvard Radcliffe community. As a result, we ask fellows to limit their travel to scheduled breaks during the year (five weeks in winter and one week in March). Permission from the Executive Director is required if a fellow will be away for more than two weeks during the term. Only if all fellows are fully present in all aspects of the Institute's life can we build the truly generative and interdisciplinary community that is the hallmark of Radcliffe.

The Harvard Radcliffe Institute serves as Harvard University's institute for advanced study. We are dedicated to creating and sharing transformative ideas across the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Core to this mission is the work of the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Program, which supports the groundbreaking scholarship and creative production of a diverse class of fellows each year.

The Academic Ventures and Engagement program at Radcliffe brings together scholars from across Harvard University and around the world to foster multidisciplinary collaborations—in small, intensive workshops and large public conferences—that lead to new ideas, innovative research, and the advancement of knowledge. The Harvard Radcliffe Institute Faculty Directors, experts in their areas of study, are committed to creating connections among scholars, schools, and disciplines across Harvard University and around the world. The Institute is also home to one of the nation's foremost archives of women's history—the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America.

Harvard Radcliffe Fellows benefit from full-time Harvard appointments as visiting fellows, granting them access to Harvard University's libraries, housing, and athletic facilities. Radcliffe Fellows may audit courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools at the faculty member’s discretion.

If you cannot find an answer to your question, please reference our eligibility guidelines for more detailed information. For any other questions, please submit a Request for Information form. We will do our best to help you.

Thank you for your interest in the Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program!