Democracy Doctoral Fellowships

Applications for AY2024-25 are now closed. Applications for AY2025-2026 will open in September, 2024.

About the Fellowship 

The Ash Center awards two dissertation research fellowships to Harvard Kennedy School Ph.D. candidates or other Harvard University students in related fields. The aim of this fellowship is to support well-defined doctoral work from Harvard University students focused on innovations in public participation and political participation in democracies and non-democracies.

Pre-doctoral fellows join the Ash Center’s academic community and participate in our weekly democracy fellow seminar series. The fellowship affords doctoral candidates the time and space to work on completing their dissertations without the obligation of teaching at a critical time in their program. 

Eligibility

Doctoral dissertation topics should fall within the parameters of the Center’s current focus on innovations in public participation and political participation in democracies or non-democracies. Candidates should have an excellent academic record and well-defined research objectives. Preference will be given to applicants whose projects have progressed beyond the conceptual stages of the research.

The Ash Center is a global and values-driven community that believes diverse perspectives are paramount to better understanding and addressing real-world problems. In fostering an environment of rigor, curiosity, and integrity, we value and respect different opinions, lived experiences, and diverse research and policy areas and approaches. We actively seek candidates who share our commitment and values.

Benefits

Fellows will receive a stipend of $35,000 annually and shared work space at the Ash Center.

How to Apply

To learn more about the application process, please visit our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.

Additional inquiries should be directed to:

Jose Martinez
Program Administrator, Democratic Governance
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School
E-mail:
jose_martinez@hks.harvard.edu

Please note that we do not provide critique/feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Current Democracy Doctoral Fellows