Harvard University 2025 Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Weatherhead Scholars Program at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs is now accepting applications for its prestigious 2025 postdoctoral fellowships. Each year, the program welcomes a diverse cohort of 20-25 individuals, including postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, and practitioner fellows. These one-year residential fellowships are designed to support recent PhD graduates in conducting groundbreaking research in the social sciences, with a focus on international, comparative, transnational, and global issues. Participants are expected to reside on campus for the fellowship duration, which runs from late August through mid-May, and engage actively in the Weatherhead Scholars Seminar, held weekly.

Each academic year, the Weatherhead Center hosts five to ten postdoctoral fellows through the Weatherhead Scholars Program. While funding is available for a select number of fellows, applicants are encouraged to specify in their cover letter if they have external funding to support their postdoctoral work.

Benefits of Harvard University Postdoctoral Fellowship

Funded postdoctoral fellows will receive a stipend of $70,000, payable over twelve months. Fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year begin in August 2025. If an applicant has received external funding to support their postdoctoral activities, please note this in the application cover letter.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should have completed their PhD within the past three years in disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, history, economics, psychology, public policy, political science, environmental science, statistics, or closely related fields. The PhD must be conferred before the start date of the fellowship. Candidates who completed their degree within one year of the fellowship start date must submit an electronic PDF of their degree verification, either in the form of a completion certificate from their institution or a letter from the registrar, confirming that all degree requirements have been met and the date of degree conferral.

This one-year fellowship offers an enriching opportunity to advance research and scholarship within a vibrant academic community.