Predissertation Fellowships

Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowships are for outstanding Harvard Griffin GSAS doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences conducting summer language study and/or preliminary dissertation research. Ordinarily, for students in the summer following the G1, G2, or G3 year, this merit-based fellowship is intended for the early stage of dissertation development prior to having an approved prospectus. Notification for this fellowship is typically in mid-April. 

CONSULT YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNAL DEADLINE 

Instructions for Summer 2025 

Purpose and Eligibility

This summer award provides support to outstanding Harvard Griffin GSAS doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences for the purpose of summer language study and/or preliminary dissertation research or fieldwork. The award is ordinarily for students in the summer following the G1, G2, or G3 year and is intended for students still at an early stage in the development of the dissertation. Students who have an approved prospectus before summer 2025 are not eligible. Preference will be given to summer projects that will help advance the applicant from the predissertation stage to an early stage of the dissertation. The award is merit-based; financial need is not a consideration. Harvard Griffin GSAS can only offer 24 awards in this fellowship category. Planning for the summer should not be based on an assumption of receiving this award. 

Stipend and Tenure

The award may be used in the United States or abroad. The stipend is $3,000. Please note that although the standard form includes a budget form, the Harvard Griffin GSAS award is a fixed sum of $3,000. Payment is in one lump sum on July 1. 

Terms and Conditions 

1. Students may apply either for a Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowship or a Harvard  Summer School Tuition Fellowship in the same year; they may not apply for both simultaneously. 
2. Students who have received a Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowship in the past are no longer eligible to apply for this award. 
3. The Harvard Griffin GSAS financial aid provision of a summer research award does not affect eligibility for the predissertation summer award or tuition waiver. 
4. Students applying for either a Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowship or a Summer School Tuition Fellowship may not apply for a Merit/Term-Time Fellowship in the same application year. 
5. To increase your chances of success, we strongly encourage you to also apply for summer funding from Harvard Centers (for example, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Pre- and Mid-Dissertation Grants and the Reischauer Institute Graduate Summer Research Grant) and external sources. For more opportunities, see CARAT. 

Application Instructions for Students 

1. Determine your departmental deadline by contacting your department administrator. Applications for the Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowship must be completed in CARAT by the internal departmental deadline. 
2. A completed application includes the following materials: 

• application form, including budget sheet (via CARAT) 
• current CV; not to exceed two pages 
• current transcript from Harvard. When applying for internal Harvard fellowships, students do not need to submit an official transcript from the Registrar’s Office. They may submit a copy of their grade report available online from my.harvard 
• statement of purpose, double-spaced and not to exceed three pages. The statement should describe your proposed use of the award. For research abroad, please describe the subject and plan of your research including the feasibility and necessity of undertaking it in the proposed country or countries. Similarly, for language study, describe the necessity of the language for your future research.
• one faculty signature form. Your advisor must sign this form and upload it directly into CARAT. No letter of recommendation is required.

Instructions for Departments 

1. Announce an internal deadline when students must submit applications in CARAT. Choose a date that will allow the department to complete the required ranking form by the submission deadline of March 6, 2025, at noon.  
2. Once the required materials have been submitted by the applicants, a nomination form that includes a ranked order of the candidates is to be completed by the department chair. Departments may only submit a maximum of five students on the ranked list.
3. Once the department has done its ranking and completed its nomination form, departments upload this nomination form to each student’s application in CARAT by March 6, 2025, at noon.
4. Departments should review the terms and conditions outlined above when advising students on fellowship applications.