Apply for the AY 2022-2024 Competition Here
Current Democracy Postdoctoral Fellows
About the Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellows join the Ash Center’s academic community and participate in the Democracy Fellows weekly seminar. The fellowship provides time and space for the fellows to work on preparing either a book manuscript based on their dissertation or related academic publications. For more information about the Democracy Fellowships, see our Five-Year Retrospective.
Eligibility
Preference will be given to postdoctoral scholars whose research interests coincide with the Ash Center’s current focus on innovations in public participation and political participation in democracies or non-democracies. Eligible applicants will be completing or will have just recently completed dissertations—within the previous three years—in the fields of political theory, political philosophy, political science, sociology, law, or history. The duration of the fellowship is two academic years.
Benefits
Fellows will receive a stipend of $65,000 annually, shared office space at the Ash Center, and access to Harvard’s libraries and online library services. The fellowship appointment period is August 1 till July 31 of the second year.
How to Apply
Applications for AY 2022-2024 can be submitted online by following this link. The deadline for applications is Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET.
The Ash Center is a vibrant and values-driven community. We are committed to diversity and welcome people of varied backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and disciplines. We actively seek applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities and underrepresented backgrounds.
Harvard is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you have questions, please contact Jose Martinez.
FAQ
- Are letters of recommendation requested as part of application?
No, lettters of recommendation are not requested.
- I accidently submitted my application without completing it. Can you delete this application?
If two applications are recieved by the same individual, we will use the last version submitted.
- Can I make changes to my application packet after I have submitted?
No, we are unable to make changes to your application.
- What does the application require?
The application will ask you to explain your research, provide three references, and upload a resume and writing sample in .pdf format.
- Can I confirm that my application was received?
You will receive a confirmation of receipt upon submitting your application materials online. You should also receive an automated email to the address you list in the application.
- Do you provide visa sponsorship for this fellowship?
Yes, the Ash Center can provide J-1 visa sponsorship for the duration of your fellowship.
- When will I hear the final decision?
All applicants will be notified by early spring next year.
- Does this fellowship require me to be in or re-locate to Cambridge?
For the academic year 2022-2023, this fellowship is intended to take place in Cambridge. A critical part of the fellowship is a weekly democracy fellow seminar series, which takes place in person.
- Do dissertations need to be exclusively in the fields of political theory, political philosophy, political science, sociology, law, or history?
Most Democracy Postdoctoral Fellows have come from the fields of political theory, political philosophy, political science, sociology, law, or history. However, the Democracy Fellows represent an interdisciplinary group, and we encourage you to apply if you have a dissertation from another related field.
Due to the volume of inquiries we are receiving, we ask that you first look at the application and if you have specific questions, please let us know and we will do our best to clarify.