The Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE), a centre of Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, is accepting applications for its Environmental Fellows Program 2027. This two-year postdoctoral fellowship pays a salary of US$92,000 a year and lets recent doctorate holders work with Harvard faculty on environmental research in any discipline. Foreign nationals are eligible.
Deadline: 1 December 2026, 5 pm Eastern Time.
About the Environmental Fellows Program
HUCE created the programme so that recent doctorate recipients can use Harvard’s resources to tackle complex environmental issues. Fellows spend two years working with a Harvard faculty host in any school or department, and they form a community of researchers that strengthens links across the university. HUCE expects to award about five fellowships for the 2027 cohort.
Benefits
- A salary of US$92,000 per year for two years
- Eligibility for employee health insurance
- Up to US$2,500 reimbursement for relocation expenses
- A US$2,500 annual allowance for travel and other professional expenses
- A co-curricular programme, including biweekly dinners with fellows, Harvard faculty and invited faculty speakers
Who Can Apply?
- Holders of a doctorate or comparable terminal degree awarded between May 2023 and August 2027
- Applicants without a PhD can apply if they studied in a field where the PhD is not the usual terminal degree
- Degrees from any university in the world. Foreign nationals are eligible, and proficiency in English is required.
- Any discipline: sciences, economics, law, government, public policy, public health, medicine, design and the humanities
- Willing to live in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area for the full two years. Fieldwork must be scheduled during summer or the January recess.
- Current Harvard degree holders and postdocs can apply only if their project and host take them in a significantly new direction
Finding a Harvard Faculty Host
Every applicant needs a Harvard faculty member to host their research. The host acts as a mentor and provides office space and basic administrative support. Start early: many faculty receive multiple requests, and some run their own selection process. Potential hosts are listed on the Salata Institute faculty directory. Faculty can host only one Environmental Fellow at a time, and some faculty are not available as hosts for 2027, so check the official page.
Note: the Department of the History of Science has an earlier deadline of 1 November for sponsor requests.
Selection Criteria
- Your academic and professional record and your potential contribution to scholarship or practice
- A project that is an independent line of inquiry, clearly going beyond your PhD work and your host’s current research
- The project’s relevance to environmental issues
- Your host’s enthusiasm for the project and ability to mentor you and provide workspace
- Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by video
Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged but not required.
Application Requirements
- Online application form with these PDFs:
- a CV, including publications
- a detailed research proposal of up to five pages, excluding references, explaining why you want a Harvard residential environmental fellowship
- up to three publications or writing samples
- Three reference letters, including one from your dissertation adviser. Requests are only emailed to referees after you submit, and referees have until 11 December 2026.
- A letter of support from your Harvard host (maximum two pages), committing to mentor you and provide office or lab space. Hosts send it to [email protected] by 11 December 2026.
How to Apply
- Read the official Environmental Fellows Program page and its FAQ.
- Agree on a project with a Harvard faculty host.
- Submit the online application on Harvard’s academic positions portal by 1 December 2026, 5 pm ET.
Questions can go to Jim Clem, HUCE Managing Director, at [email protected].
More Climate and Research Fellowships
- Climate Risk Lab Data Science and Machine Learning Fellowship 2027
- IBCI Blue Carbon Fellowship 2026: US$60,000 for Blue Carbon Scientists
- IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) 2027
Frequently Asked Questions
Can international applicants apply?
Yes. Degrees from any university in the world are accepted, and foreign nationals are eligible.
Do I need a PhD?
Yes, or a comparable terminal degree, awarded between May 2023 and August 2027.
Do I need a Harvard host before applying?
Yes. Your host must submit a letter of support, so contact potential hosts early.
When is the deadline?
1 December 2026, 5 pm Eastern Time. Reference and host letters are due by 11 December 2026.
