Applications are now open for the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027, offering recent doctoral graduates an opportunity to conduct advanced environmental research at Harvard University in the United States.
The two-year fellowship brings researchers together with Harvard faculty to investigate complex environmental challenges across a wide range of disciplines. Successful fellows receive a $92,000 annual salary, health insurance eligibility, relocation assistance, and additional funding for travel and professional activities.
Approximately five Environmental Fellows are expected to be selected for the 2027 cohort, making this a highly competitive opportunity for early-career researchers interested in environmental scholarship.
The application deadline is December 1, 2026.
Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027: Overview
Host Institution: Harvard University
Country: United States
Program: Environmental Fellows Program
Duration: Two years
Annual Salary: $92,000
Relocation Support: Up to $2,500
Professional and Travel Allowance: $2,500 annually
Health Insurance: Employee health insurance eligibility
Expected Fellowships: Approximately five
Application Deadline: December 1, 2026
The fellowship is administered by the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE), a center of the Salata Institute.
About the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program
The Environmental Fellows Program was established to enable recent doctoral graduates to use Harvard’s extensive academic and research resources to address complicated environmental issues.
Fellows spend two years working with Harvard faculty members.
One of the distinctive features of the program is its interdisciplinary flexibility. Fellows can work with faculty members in any Harvard school or department, allowing researchers to develop connections that cross traditional academic boundaries.
The program is designed not simply to continue a fellow’s doctoral research but to help early-career scholars develop new and independent directions of inquiry.
Financial Benefits of the Harvard Environmental Fellowship
Successful candidates receive a substantial support package during the fellowship.
$92,000 Annual Salary
Each Environmental Fellow receives a salary of $92,000 per year.
Over the standard two-year fellowship period, this represents $184,000 in salary before considering the program’s additional benefits.
Health Insurance
Fellows are eligible for employee health insurance through Harvard.
Relocation Expenses
Successful fellows can receive reimbursement of up to $2,500 for relocation expenses, helping candidates who need to move to take up the fellowship.
Travel and Professional Development
The program provides an additional $2,500 annual allowance for travel and other professional expenses.
This support can help fellows participate in research-related and professional activities during their appointment.
Who Can Apply for the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program?
The program is open to candidates who hold a doctorate or comparable terminal degree.
For the 2027 cohort, the eligible degree-award period is:
May 2023 through August 2027.
This means the fellowship is specifically aimed at researchers who are relatively early in their postdoctoral careers.
Applicants should carefully consider whether the timing of their degree meets this requirement before preparing an application.
Research Areas
The Environmental Fellows Program welcomes researchers from a wide range of academic backgrounds.
The selection information indicates that fellows and their faculty hosts may come from areas including:
- Sciences
- Economics
- Law
- Government
- Public policy
- Public health
- Medicine
- Design
- Humanities
Environmental research itself can span numerous areas, including climate change, energy, ecology and biodiversity, human health, architecture and environmental design, social sciences, and business, law and policy.
Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged, but interdisciplinary research is not mandatory. Candidates pursuing important environmental questions primarily within one academic discipline are also encouraged to apply.
Harvard Environmental Fellowship Selection Criteria
Applications are assessed using several factors.
Academic and Professional Achievement
The selection committee considers applicants’ previous academic and professional accomplishments as well as their potential contribution to scholarship or professional practice.
Quality of the Research Proposal
The proposed research project is a central part of the selection process.
The project should represent an independent line of inquiry and clearly move beyond both the candidate’s doctoral work and the host faculty member’s existing research.
Candidates should therefore avoid presenting a proposal that simply continues their PhD project.
Environmental Relevance
The proposed research must demonstrate relevance to environmental challenges.
The committee also considers the candidate’s potential for significant intellectual achievement.
Faculty Host Support
Support from the proposed Harvard faculty host is another important component.
The committee considers the host’s enthusiasm for the candidate and research project, their capacity to mentor the fellow, and their ability to provide an appropriate research environment.
Interview
A selected group of applicants will be invited to discuss their proposed research with the selection committee through a video interview.
Finding a Harvard Faculty Host
Identifying an appropriate faculty host is an important part of applying.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to begin this process early and establish a relationship with a Harvard faculty member who can host their research.
The host acts as the fellow’s mentor and provides basic administrative support and office space.
Because serving as a host represents a substantial commitment, applicants should identify faculty members whose expertise and interests genuinely complement their proposed project.
Faculty Host Letter of Support
Successful applicants are expected to receive strong support from their proposed Harvard host.
The host must submit a letter of support of no more than two pages to the selection committee.
The letter should explain the faculty member’s commitment to both the candidate and the proposed research.
Candidates should approach potential hosts well before the application deadline because Harvard faculty members may receive requests from several prospective applicants.
Some faculty members may conduct their own internal selection process before deciding which applicant they are willing to recommend.
Can Harvard Graduates Apply?
Yes.
Candidates receiving terminal degrees from Harvard and postdoctoral researchers currently working at Harvard can be eligible.
However, important conditions apply.
Their proposed fellowship research and host arrangement must move them in significantly new directions compared with their existing work.
Harvard candidates should not propose simply to continue working with the same faculty members or research groups with whom they are already associated.
Their proposed research should also not merely extend their current project.
The intention is to encourage candidates to establish new intellectual directions and connections within Harvard.
Environmental Fellows Community
The program also includes activities designed to create a community among fellows.
HUCE organizes a co-curricular program that allows fellows to learn about each other’s research and build connections.
Environmental Fellows participate in biweekly dinners alongside Harvard faculty and invited speakers from the University.
This provides an additional opportunity for researchers from different disciplines to exchange ideas and establish professional relationships.
How to Apply for the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027
Interested candidates should begin by developing a research proposal and identifying an appropriate Harvard faculty member who could serve as their host.
Because the research proposal should represent a new direction beyond the applicant’s PhD research, candidates should clearly explain the originality and environmental significance of their proposed work.
Applicants should also allow sufficient time for discussions with their prospective host and preparation of the required faculty support letter.
Applications are submitted through Harvard’s academic application system.
Candidates should carefully review the official application instructions and program requirements before submitting their materials.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027 is December 1, 2026.
Candidates should begin contacting prospective faculty hosts well before the deadline.
Applicants considering sponsorship through Harvard’s Department of the History of Science should note that the source information identifies an earlier November 1 deadline for sponsor requests through that department.
Why Consider the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program?
The program combines independent environmental research with access to expertise across Harvard University.
Rather than limiting applicants to a single scientific field, the fellowship can accommodate researchers working across science, policy, economics, law, health, design, medicine, humanities, and other disciplines.
The $92,000 annual salary, relocation reimbursement, professional travel allowance, and health insurance eligibility provide significant financial support during the two-year appointment.
Perhaps more importantly for an early-career researcher, fellows can develop an independent research direction while working closely with a Harvard faculty mentor and interacting with scholars from across the University.
Final Thoughts
The Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027 is a competitive postdoctoral opportunity for researchers seeking to tackle major environmental challenges while developing new directions in their academic careers.
Harvard expects to award approximately five fellowships for the 2027 cohort.
Successful candidates receive a $92,000 annual salary, employee health insurance eligibility, up to $2,500 in relocation reimbursement, and a further $2,500 each year for travel and professional expenses.
Eligible candidates must have received, or expect to receive, their doctorate or comparable terminal degree between May 2023 and August 2027.
Prospective applicants should begin identifying an appropriate Harvard faculty host as early as possible and develop a research proposal that clearly extends beyond their previous doctoral research.
Application Deadline: December 1, 2026.
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