FELLOWSHIPS
The International Security Program (ISP)
Program Director: Steven E. Miller; Faculty Chair: Stephen M. Walt
ISP offers both predoctoral and advanced research fellowships for one year, with a possibility for renewal. Applicants for predoctoral fellowships must be in a doctoral program, have passed general examinations prior to appointment, and have made significant progress on their dissertations. Applications for advanced research fellowships are welcome from recent recipients of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree, university faculty members, and employees of government, military, international, humanitarian, and private research institutions who have appropriate professional experience. ISP seeks applications from political scientists, lawyers, economists, those in the natural sciences, and others of diverse disciplinary backgrounds. ISP also encourages applications from women, minorities, and citizens of all countries.
Fellows are expected to devote some portion of their time to collaborative endeavors, as arranged by the appropriate program or project director. Predoctoral research fellows are expected to contribute to the Center's research activities, as well as work on—and ideally complete—their doctoral dissertations. Other/Post-doctoral research fellows are expected to complete a book, monograph, or other significant publication during their period of residence. All fellows are expected to be in residence for the duration of their fellowship.
Research interests: U.S. defense and foreign policy; grand strategy; diplomacy; nuclear, chemical, and biological–weapons proliferation; managing nuclear technology and materials; chemical and biological weapons proliferation, control, and countermeasures; terrorism; regional security, internal and ethnic conflict; and international relations theory.
Ernest May Fellowship in History and Policy
The Ernest May Fellowship aims to help build a new generation of people who can bring professional history to bear on strategic studies and major issues of international affairs. Two Ernest May Fellows in history and policy will be selected each year. Preference will be given to history Ph.D. students or post-doctoral researchers, but scholars in other fields whose research projects have a strong historical focus will receive consideration. Niall Ferguson, Laurence Tisch Professor of History and Belfer Center Board member, will serve as their point of contact and mentor at the University.
The fellows selected will be housed at the Belfer Center and participate in the activities of the Center as part of the International Security Program.
Fellowship in Empirical Studies of Gender and Political Violence
This fellowship will not be offered for 2016–2017.
The Belfer Center and the Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School are offering this joint pre- or postdoctoral research fellowship for 2015–2016. The fellowship is designed to promote positivist research in the broad area of gender and international security, with a particular focus on political violence (defined broadly to include interstate and intrastate armed conflict, insurgency, terrorism, protest, and repression). Possible specific areas of research may include, but are not limited to: causes and consequences of gendered wartime violence, gender and peacekeeping, and gendered motivations for violence.
This fellow will have shared office space with the International Security Program fellows at the Belfer Center.
ISP offers joint fellowships with:
Project on Managing the Atom (MTA)
Executive Director: Martin B. Malin
Areas of interest:
Project on Managing the Atom research focuses on reducing the risk of nuclear and radiological terrorism, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, reducing the dangers of existing nuclear stockpiles, and assessing the future of civilian nuclear power. Researchers interested in strengthening international cooperation on nonproliferation, aspects of preventing nuclear terrorism, and nuclear policy issues in the Middle East and East Asia are particularly encouraged to apply. Also encouraged are proposals examining steps toward the prohibition of nuclear weapons.
ISP, ERNEST MAY, GENDER & POLITICAL VIOLENCE, and MTA STIPEND INFORMATION
For ISP, Ernest May, and Gender and Political Violence fellowships, ISP offers ten-month stipends of 38,000 USD to postdoctoral research fellows and 27,000 USD to predoctoral research fellows, with full or partial reimbursement for health insurance premiums. For joint ISP/MTA fellowships, the postdoctoral stipend is 41,000 USD and the predoctoral stipend is 27,000 USD.
Only a limited number of funded fellowships are available: Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for other sources of funding. All applicants should indicate clearly whether they are seeking full or partial funding from ISP and indicate other potential funding sources. Nonstipendiary appointments are also offered. In most cases, office space, computers with LAN and Internet connections, and access to most Harvard University libraries and most of the other facilities will be provided.
Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships
The Belfer Center's International Security Program (ISP) participates in the nuclear security fellowship program funded by the Stanton Foundation. These fellowships are for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars and junior faculty. The purpose of the fellowships is to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders in nuclear security by supporting research that will advance policy-relevant understanding of the issues. Nuclear Security Fellows are joint International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) research fellows.
Fellows are expected to produce a written product at the end of the fellowship (e.g. an article, report, or book). Suitable topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Nuclear terrorism
- Nuclear proliferation
- Nuclear weapons
- Nuclear force posture
- Nuclear energy as it relates to nuclear security
STANTON STIPEND INFORMATION
The Stanton Nuclear Security fellowships offer ten-month stipends of 41,000 USD to postdoctoral research fellows and 27,000 USD to predoctoral research fellows, and stipends for junior faculty fellows will be awarded on a case-by-case basis and be commensurate with experience. These are benefits-eligible fellowships. Office space, computers with LAN and Internet connections, and access to most Harvard University libraries and most of the other facilities will be provided.
Application Requirements
- CV
- Unofficial transcript (pre-doctoral fellowship applicants only)
- Research statement (3–5 pages)
- Writing sample (less than 50 pages)
- Contact information for 3 recommenders submitting letters on the applicant's behalf. Your recommenders will receive emailed instructions on how to upload recommendation letters to the application database.
The 2016–2017 fellowship application period is now closed. Please check back in November for information on the 2017–2018 fellowship application process.
CONTACT INFORMATION
ISP Program Assistant
Email: susan_lynch@hks.harvard.edu
Please visit the Belfer Center Application Procedure page for more information on the Center's other research fellowships for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral scholars.
