Who is eligible to apply for the Academy Scholars Program?

The Academy Scholars Program is open to scholars from all countries and citizenships who have recently completed or are nearing completion of a PhD or equivalent doctoral program in the social sciences or law.

The Academy Scholars Program is not a degree-granting program. If you have not recently completed or are not currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent doctoral program in the social sciences or law you are not eligible to apply for the Academy Scholars Program.

Predoctoral candidates must have finished all field research and be well into the writing stage Read more about Who is eligible to apply for the Academy Scholars Program?

What fields of study are eligible for the Academy Scholars Program?

The founders considered area studies expertise in non-Western parts of the world to be a valuable addition to the social science disciplines. Accordingly The Harvard Academy looks for outstanding applicants in PhD or equivalent programs or with PhD or equivalent degrees in disciplines normally represented as in the social sciences in universities, where most of the Academy Scholars find employment.

We define non-Western as any country other than the US, Canada, and Western Europe (as defined by the former Iron Curtain). Also, research that covers non-Western interaction with Read more about What fields of study are eligible for the Academy Scholars Program?

What is the application process for the Harvard Academy Program?

All application materials need to be submitted by the deadline of October 1. We do not accept late applications.

The completed application will include:

Cover letter which succinctly states the applicant's academic field, country or region of specialization, and proposed research topic
Curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé; including list of publications
Research proposal (2500 word maximum); including intellectual objectives and planned methodological and disciplinary work
A copy of your PhD program Read more about What is the application process for the Harvard Academy Program?

Do you have any guidelines for writing the research proposal?

The Selection Committee is looking for the most promising young scholars in the social sciences (including history and law). Your research proposal should make a compelling case that the Selection Committee should select you above the other 700 applicants.

Your research proposal should be no longer than 2500 words. The Selection Committee is most interested in the relevance of your research to your discipline and the contribution your research makes to your discipline. These should be clear in the research proposal.

The Selection Committee is also interested in Read more about Do you have any guidelines for writing the research proposal?

Do you have any application and acceptance statistics from previous years?

Selection to The Harvard Academy is very competitive. We welcome applications regardless of nationality or place of graduate study (though normally the language of research is English). The number of Academy Scholars selected each year depends upon the plans of the other Academy Scholars at The Harvard Academy. Each Academy Scholar is awarded four terms of residence, with stipend, at The Harvard Academy. The four terms must be taken within four years of the fall term after the initial selection. Since patterns of attendance change, the number of Harvard Academy Scholars chosen in any Read more about Do you have any application and acceptance statistics from previous years?