Note: For each of the fellowships listed in the categories below, please find more detailed information by consulting the CARAT database. This database also has a more comprehensive list of summer, research, and travel fellowships.

Summer Fellowships

GSAS offers two summer fellowships to assist with language study or preliminary research or fieldwork. Applications for these two GSAS opportunities can be found in CARAT. 

  • GSAS Graduate Society Summer Predissertation Fellowships: for outstanding GSAS doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences conducting summer language study and/or preliminary dissertation research or fieldwork. 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 mid-April. 
  • GSAS Summer School Tuition Fellowships: allows doctoral students to engage in language study at Harvard Summer School to prepare for department foreign language exams or for language needs related to the dissertation. This opportunity ordinarily is for use in the summer following the G1, G2, or G3 year, but under special circumstances students in later years may apply.  

    EMERGENCY POLICY AMENDMENT FOR SUMMER 2020

    For summer 2020, Harvard Summer School is waiving tuition for GSAS students interested in studying a language. This tuition waiver is applicable for one course. Applications should be submitted through CARAT by May 1, 2020. Contact the Fellowships Office with questions.

Information about other Harvard summer fellowships supporting research or language study can be found by visiting Harvard’s research center websites.

Research and Travel Fellowships (including Fulbrights)

Several Harvard fellowships or Harvard-managed fellowships support a semester or an academic year of research and travel abroad, including the following, applied for through GSAS. Please also see the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) entries in the CARAT database.

  • Kennedy, Knox, and Sheldon Traveling Fellowships, the Lurcy Traveling Fellowships, and the Samuelson Traveling Fellowships: The Committee on General Scholarships invites Harvard graduate and professional schools to nominate candidates who wish to apply for support to conduct research or study abroad for the academic year. The competition is open to current Harvard graduate students or students who will graduate from one of Harvard’s professional schools in the current academic year. The Lurcy Fellowship is strictly for research or study in France. The Lee Whittinghill Samuelson Traveling Fellowship is awarded at the discretion of the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to support students in programs of research or study conducted abroad that span the full academic year. The fellowship was established by the gift of Lee Samuelson, MBA 1966, PhD 1972. As a graduate student, Dr. Samuelson benefited from the Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, which enabled him to study abroad. He hopes this gift will help ease financial burdens and open doors to international opportunities for future generations of graduate students, just as the Sheldon Fellowship did for him. Notification for this fellowship is typically mid-April.
  • Cultural Exchange Fulbright Fellowship from the Institute of International Education (IIE): for study or research abroad, administered by the Institute of International Education on behalf of the US Information Agency. Applicants must be US citizens. The awards are for both Western and non-Western countries. Students in GSAS need to apply through the GSAS Fellowships Office (except those away from campus, who may apply as an at-large candidate directly to IIE). Please note that students must observe the GSAS campus deadline. 
  • Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program (DDRA): designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern languages and area studies in the US by providing opportunities for scholars to conduct research abroad. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. The program seeks a comprehensive or multi-disciplinary approach; awards are for all major world areas with the exception of Western Europe; research is allowed in multiple countries. Please note that students must observe the GSAS campus deadline. Campus Deadline: TBD for 2020-2021
  • Merit and Term Time Research Fellowships: A semester award that allows outstanding GSAS students to focus their time on research, fieldwork, and writing. These fellowships are for outstanding GSAS students in the humanities, social sciences, and in specifically designated areas of study in the natural sciences and mathematics. Students must have passed Generals and have an approved dissertation prospectus at the time of nomination, or no later than the beginning of the semester when the award is taken. Notification for this fellowship is typically mid-April. 

Additional research and travel fellowships

Many of the fellowship opportunities listed above are applied to through Harvard's Centralized Application for Research and Travel (CARAT).