There are three types of applicants:

1. Faculty (Scholars) from other universities who wish to spend sabbatical leave at the Weatherhead Center pursuing research;
2. Postdoctoral researchers who have received their PhDs in the last three calendar years, or who will have defended by the start of their academic appointment; and
3. Practitioners (Fellows) with a strong scholarly bent who wish to spend a year conducting a research project connected to a core interest of the Weatherhead Center. Faculty and postdocs are required to have a PhD. Practitioners do not need a PhD to be... Read more about Who is eligible to apply?

Scholars must be in residence for a minimum of four months; moreover, these four months should be primarily in the fall and spring terms. We do not recommend that scholars spend most of their time in residence during the summer months, as many faculty are away from campus then. Please not that given the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be some flexibility given uncertainty around travel and occupancy constraints.

All participants must be in residence while Harvard classes are in session (with exceptions made given uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic). For full academic year participants, this means being present for the Fall Term from late August (for orientation) through early December, and for the Spring Term from late January through early May. Participants are required to be in residence for a minimum of four months. Scholars and Fellows are also expected to participate in the Weatherhead Forum and in the Scholars Program Seminar; to contribute to some of the Center’s many other intellectual... Read more about What are the expectations for participants in the program?

Please submit all documents in PDF format. Please be sure to tell your recommenders to submit their letters in PDF format, as well.

The deadline to apply for the following academic year is November 1. For example, if you are applying for the 2022–23 academic year, the deadline is November 1, 2021. If one of your documents is not uploaded properly or if one of your recommenders is late, please contact Erin Goodman (egoodman@wcfia.harvard.edu). Read more about What if I miss a deadline?

All applicants should submit the following documents:
1. Cover letter;
2. Curriculum vitae (five pages maximum);
3. Description of research project (three pages or less);
4. Two letters of recommendation.

Applicants should submit all materials through the online application portal. Applicants will be notified of the selection committee's decision in mid-December.