Overview
Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s 2027–2028 fellowship is approaching its science, engineering and mathematics deadline: 1 October 2026, 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The humanities, social sciences, creative arts, nonfiction and journalism deadline has already passed. This update focuses on the remaining STEM application window.
Eligibility and required materials
Science, engineering and mathematics applicants must meet the doctorate timing requirement specified by Radcliffe—December 2023 for this cycle—and have at least five refereed-journal articles. Current degree students and previous Harvard Radcliffe fellows from 1999 onwards are ineligible. This is not a postdoctoral fellowship.
The application includes the online form, CV, a 1,400-word project proposal, an appropriate bibliography, three published articles as work samples and three recommendation letters. Submit all materials through the official portal. The complete application, including letters, must meet the deadline; registering an account alone is insufficient.
Fellowship period and financial support
The fellowship runs from September 2027 to May 2028. Radcliffe lists a US$78,000 stipend plus US$5,000 for project expenses. These are fellowship amounts, not monthly payments. Additional relocation, housing and childcare assistance may be available to eligible fellows, with healthcare support according to need.
Fellows receive workspace and visiting-fellow appointments, access to Harvard libraries and opportunities for professional development. The programme is residential, requiring participation in the Cambridge/Boston community. It is not a remote research grant that can simply be used while remaining at another institution. Applicants should review the attendance and travel expectations before accepting any offer.
Preparing a focused research proposal
The following preparation guidance is Opportunities Feed’s editorial advice, rather than additional Radcliffe selection rules. Begin with a research question that a reader outside your immediate specialism can understand. Explain why the problem matters, what is missing from existing work and what you intend to produce during the fellowship. A proposal becomes easier to assess when the question, method and planned output are connected.
Avoid treating the proposal as a compressed account of everything you have done. Your previous work should establish readiness for the proposed project, not crowd it out. Select the achievements that show you can carry out the method, navigate the evidence or develop the relevant conceptual argument. Be explicit about what is genuinely new in this project.
Explain the contribution of the proposed environment without relying on the institution’s reputation alone. Identify the kinds of resources, discussion or interdisciplinary exchange that would help the work. Do not claim that a particular academic has agreed to collaborate unless that agreement actually exists. An honest account of intellectual fit is stronger than an invented partnership.
Review feasibility carefully. Separate essential milestones from desirable extensions and explain what a meaningful outcome would look like if a difficult part of the research takes longer than expected. Where the project depends on permissions, data access or approvals, describe their current status accurately. Proposed access is not the same as confirmed access.
References, samples and final application checks
With the closing date near, contact referees promptly and respectfully. Give them the project summary, relevant background and exact deadline, and check whether their letters have reached the portal. Do not write a referee’s assessment on their behalf or assume that an email invitation means the recommendation is complete.
Select work samples that demonstrate the capabilities most relevant to your proposal. For a collaborative publication, be prepared to explain your own contribution precisely. This is especially important when the project depends on a method or result that readers may otherwise attribute to the whole team. Use the requested document format and follow any portal-specific instructions.
Proofread the final uploaded files rather than only the versions saved on your device. Confirm that equations, references, tables and special characters remain readable after conversion. Check that filenames are clear and that the application answers agree with the CV. A final review should catch factual inconsistencies, not just spelling mistakes.
Summary table
| Programme | Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship 2027–2028 |
|---|---|
| Current application area | Science, engineering and mathematics |
| Deadline | 1 October 2026, 5:00 PM ET |
| Application route | Official online fellowship portal |
Conclusion
This deadline is relevant to eligible researchers with a substantial record of work and a clearly developed project. Read the full criteria and prepare all required components, including recommendations, before submitting. Readers seeking undergraduate, master’s or immediate postdoctoral funding should look for programmes designed for those stages instead.
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