Traveling Fellowships

The application process for these fellowships is completed in stages, which are described below next to the appropriate dates. The beginning initial deadline will be in early November 2023. Approximate deadlines are listed below. Specific deadline dates will be added to this page each fall when available. Students who do not meet this first deadline may not be eligible to enter the competition later. Late applications may not be accepted. In addition to the GSD-specific timeline listed below, be sure to review the official instructions, under the “Guidelines for Master’s and doctoral degree candidates” section. Students are encouraged to review eligibility for each specific fellowship before applying. Be sure to plan ahead for requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation. Students will submit their application through FAS’ Centralized Application for Research and Travel (CARAT link is contained in the application). All materials will need to be submitted through that system. For any questions about the GSD timeline, please contact Jeannine Leach at [email protected].

The schedule is as follows:

Thursday, November 9, 2023: Applicants must submit (by email to [email protected]) one PDF containing the following items:

• A cover letter indicating your name, program at the GSD, name of Fellowship you are applying for, destination, project period, and the names of two individuals who will be providing letters of reference on your behalf (at least one should be a Harvard faculty member). The actual reference letters are not needed until the final deadline.
• A draft of your proposal which includes your project summary, project budget, and timeline that utilizes the length of time specified in the guidelines. Submitted materials will be reviewed by select GSD faculty. Please review the fellowship instructions for descriptions about the sections of your proposal. Even at this early stage, your proposal should be thoughtfully presented. If your proposal is not well established, faculty may not have enough information on which to base their input. Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their materials.

Tuesday, December 12, 2023: Approximate date that applicants will receive feedback following faculty review. Feedback will include comments and suggestions for improvement if the committee feels the application should proceed to the final phase.

Monday, January 15, 2024: Online application and all supplemental materials must be submitted by students through CARAT (see application guidelines). Please review the instructions for all required materials.

April 2024: Decisions will be announced.

Tips

• Be sure to allow enough time to request academic transcripts from the GSD and other graduate schools you have attended, if applicable.
• Give recommenders ample notice to allow time for writing letters of recommendation. You may also want to provide them with a copy of your proposal to review.

Complete applications will be reviewed, approved, and ranked for submission to the Committee on General Scholarships (CGS). Rankings will, in-part, be used to determine which applications will be submitted to the final review committee at CGS. In prior years, CGS has limited the number of student applications to between three and four from the GSD. CGS will consider our student applications along with student applications from other schools at Harvard.