Recent doctoral graduates with bold ideas for tackling environmental challenges can apply for Harvard’s 2027 Environmental Fellows Program, with approximately five fellowships available.
Run by the Harvard University Center for the Environment, the programme gives selected researchers the opportunity to spend two years at Harvard working with a faculty mentor and developing an independent research project addressing an environmental issue. The programme welcomes research spanning science, economics, law, public policy, public health, design and the humanities. (Harvard Environmental Center)
The fellowship provides a US$92,000 annual salary, eligibility for employee health insurance, up to $2,500 in relocation reimbursement, and a $2,500 annual allowance for travel and professional expenses. (Harvard Environmental Center)
Applicants can come from any university worldwide, and non-US citizens are eligible. Candidates must have received, or be on track to receive, a doctorate or comparable terminal degree between May 2023 and August 2027. (Harvard Environmental Center)
Importantly, applicants must secure a Harvard faculty member willing to serve as their host and mentor before their application can be reviewed. The proposed research should represent an independent line of inquiry that extends beyond the applicant’s doctoral work and the host’s existing research. (Harvard Environmental Center)
The 2027 application deadline is December 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST, while host and recommendation letters are due by December 11. Successful fellows are expected to begin in 2027 and reside in the Cambridge area for the fellowship. (Harvard Environmental Center)
For African researchers working on climate change, biodiversity, conservation, sustainable agriculture, environmental economics, energy, environmental health or related fields, the programme represents a particularly strong opportunity to bring Africa-focused research into a global academic environment while gaining access to Harvard’s interdisciplinary expertise and networks.
Harvard Environmental Fellows Program — 2027 application details