Harvard University: Weatherhead Scholars Program

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Position description

The Weatherhead Scholars Program offers a unique opportunity to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary cohort at Harvard University, bringing together leading academics and accomplished practitioners from around the world. Each year, approximately thirty affiliates are selected through a highly competitive process. Participants may be visiting faculty from other institutions of higher education, postdoctoral fellows who earned their PhD within three years of applying, or practitioner fellows such as mid-career or senior diplomats, journalists, NGO leaders, military officers, civil servants, and other professionals.

Housed within the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs—Harvard’s largest international social science research center—the program supports independent research on international, transnational, and comparative topics while fostering meaningful dialogue across disciplines and sectors. Most affiliates spend the full academic year in residence, though one-semester appointments are possible.

Please review the Weatherhead Scholars Program website and FAQ page thoroughly for detailed information. The position requirements differ by category, and full job descriptions are available on ARIeS, Harvard’s online portal for hiring. All Application materials must be submitted through Harvard University’s academic portal by the stated deadlines to ensure full consideration.

Postdoctoral Fellows and Visiting Scholars: October 8, 2026
Practitioner Fellows: February 15, 2027

Practitioner Fellows

Weatherhead Scholars Program Practitioner Fellows come from a range of professional backgrounds, including diplomacy, journalism, private sector leadership, the military, elected office, public service, and civil society. We welcome applicants from the United States and around the world who hold at least a bachelor’s degree, demonstrate a strong interest in international affairs, have a track record of professional impact, and show a clear commitment to engaging with academic and policy communities. Candidates may apply individually or be nominated by a sponsoring institution and must propose a project aligned with the mission of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs while committing to active participation in the program.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the director of the Weatherhead Scholars Program to discuss their candidacy and the application process. The application for individual Practitioner Fellows for the 2027–2028 academic year is available via Harvard’s ARIeS online system. Applications are accepted until February 15, 2027.

Practitioner Fellows are subject to an administrative fee of USD $25,000 for the academic year or USD $12,500 per semester, payable before the start of the fellowship program.

Visiting Scholars

Weatherhead Scholars Program Visiting Scholars are tenured or tenure-track faculty (or the international equivalent) in the social sciences. Applicants must hold a PhD in a discipline such as international affairs, political science, sociology, history, economics, environmental studies, or a related field, and be actively engaged in research on international, comparative, transnational, or global issues. This category is not open to adjuncts, lecturers, or non-ladder-rank researchers. Faculty are generally expected to secure their own funding through sabbatical salary or external grants. Candidates must propose a project aligned with the mission of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and commit to active participation in the program.

Please note: Researchers affiliated with think tanks or research institutes should apply to the Practitioner Fellowship, while recent PhD graduates should consider the Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The application for Visiting Scholars for the 2027–2028 academic year is available via Harvard’s ARIeS online system. Applications are accepted until October 8, 2026.

Visiting Scholars are subject to an administrative fee of USD $10,000 for the academic year or USD $5,000 per semester, payable before the start of the fellowship program.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Weatherhead Scholars Program Postdoctoral Fellows in International Affairs are social scientists working on international, transnational, or comparative issues who hold a PhD in a social science discipline—such as international affairs, political science, sociology, history, economics, environmental studies, or a related field. Applicants must have earned their degree within the past three years or be scheduled to complete all requirements and defend their dissertation by the start of the appointment.

The Weatherhead Center accepts five to ten postdoctoral fellows each academic year through the Weatherhead Scholars Program. There are three dedicated funding opportunities:

• Raphael Morrison Dorman Fellowship – Open to social scientists conducting research in any discipline related to international affairs.
• Hicham Alaoui Postdoctoral Fellowship on Climate and the Environment – Open to social scientists conducting research on climate and/or environmental issues in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Sang-Kee Kim Postdoctoral Fellowship on East and Southeast Asia – Open to social scientists conducting research on East Asia and Southeast Asia (excluding Japan and China).
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in International Security – Open to early-career scholars working on international security, international relations, public policy, and related areas of the social sciences. The International Security Postdoctoral Fellowship is a partnership between the Weatherhead Scholars Program and the newly established Program on International Relations and International Security, which supports research and intellectual exchange on international security, conflict, foreign policy, and global order.

The applications for Postdoctoral Fellows for the 2027–2028 academic year are available via Harvard’s ARIeS online system. Applications are accepted until October 8, 2026.

This position is eligible for Harvard University benefits and includes a salary. The Weatherhead Scholars Program postdoctoral salary for 2027–2028 is USD $70,000, payable over twelve months. The fellowships are highly competitive; in a typical year, about 5% of applicants are selected.

The Weatherhead Scholars Program also welcomes applicants with external funding; however, they must apply by the stated deadline and will be considered alongside all other applicants. Postdoctoral fellows whose funding comes from a source outside of Harvard must meet the NIH minimum base salary requirement for postdoctoral researchers at their experience level on the NIH scale. Personal funds may not be used, in full or in part, to meet this requirement.