Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027: $92,000 Annual Salary for Recent Doctorate Recipients

The Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027 is now accepting applications from recent doctorate recipients and scholars with comparable terminal degrees who want to pursue independent environmental research while working with faculty across Harvard University. The two-year fellowship is designed to help early-career scholars use Harvard’s extensive academic and research resources to address complex environmental challenges through research that can connect different disciplines and professional schools.

The program is offered through the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE), a center of the Salata Institute, and is expected to award approximately five fellowships for the 2027 cohort.

With a salary of $92,000 per year, health insurance eligibility, relocation reimbursement, and an annual professional-expenses allowance, the fellowship provides both financial support and access to Harvard’s interdisciplinary research environment.

Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027 Overview

The Environmental Fellows Program enables recent doctoral graduates to develop their research at Harvard while working closely with a Harvard faculty host.

What Is the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program?

The Environmental Fellows Program was created by HUCE to give recent doctorate recipients the opportunity to make use of Harvard’s academic, research, and professional resources while developing work addressing complex environmental issues.

Fellows spend two years working with Harvard faculty members. Importantly, the program is not restricted to one particular Harvard school or department. A fellow can potentially work with a faculty member from a wide range of academic fields.

The program is intended to create connections among researchers working in different disciplines and professional schools. As a result, applicants are encouraged to develop research that can contribute to environmental scholarship or practice while also establishing connections beyond their previous academic work.

Financial Benefits of the Fellowship

Selected Environmental Fellows receive substantial financial and professional support throughout the fellowship.

$92,000 Annual Salary

Each fellow receives a salary of:

$92,000 per year

Because the fellowship lasts two years, the salary component represents approximately $184,000 over the full two-year period, before applicable taxes and deductions.

Health Insurance Eligibility

Fellows are eligible for employee health insurance, providing access to Harvard’s employee benefits structure.

Relocation Reimbursement

The program provides reimbursement of up to:

$2,500 for relocation expenses

This can help eligible fellows with costs associated with relocating for the fellowship.

Professional Expenses Allowance

Fellows also receive:

$2,500 annually

for travel and other professional expenses.

This support can contribute toward activities connected with professional development and research.

Who Can Apply for the Harvard Environmental Fellows Program?

The fellowship is open to individuals who have completed a doctorate or comparable terminal degree within the specified period.

For the 2027 cohort, the degree must have been awarded between:

May 2023 and August 2027

The program therefore targets scholars who are relatively early in their postdoctoral or professional careers.

Eligible terminal degrees can come from a broad range of academic fields. The program specifically notes that fellows and hosts may come from areas including:

• Sciences
• Economics
• Law
• Government
• Public policy
• Public health
• Medicine
• Design
• Humanities
• Other relevant disciplines

The diversity of fields reflects the program’s emphasis on environmental research that can extend across traditional academic boundaries.

Interdisciplinary Research Is Encouraged

Applicants do not have to conduct interdisciplinary research to be considered.

However, the program explicitly encourages interdisciplinary projects.

This means applicants working within a single discipline can apply, while researchers who can demonstrate meaningful connections between different areas of scholarship are also encouraged to apply.

For example, an environmental research proposal could potentially connect environmental science with:

• Public policy
• Economics
• Law
• Public health
• Government
• Design
• History or other humanities disciplines

The key consideration is whether the proposed research represents a strong and independent contribution to addressing environmental issues.

Research Proposal Requirements

The proposed project is an important part of the selection process.

HUCE faculty evaluate proposals based on several factors, including whether the project:

• Represents an independent line of inquiry
• Extends beyond the applicant’s doctoral research
• Extends beyond the host faculty member’s existing research
• Addresses relevant environmental issues
• Demonstrates strong potential for intellectual achievement
• Can contribute to scholarship or practice

Applicants should therefore avoid simply proposing to continue their PhD research in a slightly different form.

The program specifically looks for research that moves the candidate in a new direction while establishing a meaningful connection with the proposed Harvard host.

Your Project Should Be Distinct From Your PhD Work

One of the important features of this fellowship is the expectation that the proposed research should go beyond the applicant’s previous doctoral work.

The project should represent a new intellectual direction rather than simply being an extension of the PhD dissertation.

This requirement is particularly important for applicants who completed their doctorate recently because the fellowship is intended to help scholars develop new research trajectories.

Harvard candidates are subject to an additional expectation: their proposed research and host arrangements must take them in directions that are significantly distinct from their PhD research.

Harvard Candidates

The program allows candidates who received their terminal degrees from Harvard, as well as postdoctoral researchers currently working at Harvard, to apply.

However, these applicants must demonstrate that the proposed fellowship would take their research in a significantly new direction.

Harvard candidates should:

• Propose research substantially different from their PhD work
• Establish new research connections within the University
• Avoid continuing with the same professors or groups with whom they are currently associated
• Avoid simply extending their current research

This is designed to ensure that the fellowship provides a genuinely new research opportunity.

Finding a Harvard Faculty Host

One of the most important steps in preparing an application is identifying a suitable Harvard faculty host.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin this process early.

The faculty host will:

• Mentor the fellow
• Provide office space
• Provide basic administrative support
• Offer a productive research environment
• Support the proposed research project

The host’s commitment is an important component of the application.

Host Support Letter

Every applicant’s proposed host must submit a letter of support of no more than two pages.

The letter should describe:

• The faculty member’s commitment to the applicant
• Their commitment to the proposed research
• Their ability to mentor the fellow
• Their support for the candidate’s proposed project

The program notes that Harvard faculty members can receive approaches from many potential applicants and may conduct their own selection process before agreeing to recommend a candidate.

How to Find a Suitable Host

Applicants who are unfamiliar with Harvard faculty can explore potential hosts through the Salata Institute’s faculty resources.

Salata Institute Faculty Directory

When identifying a potential host, applicants should carefully examine the faculty member’s research interests, publications, and academic background.

A strong potential host should be someone whose expertise aligns meaningfully with the proposed research while still allowing the applicant to establish an independent research direction.

Importantly, faculty members from any discipline may potentially serve as hosts, regardless of whether they have previously worked specifically in environmental research or with HUCE.

However, each faculty member can host only one Environmental Fellow at a time.

Faculty Members Not Available as Hosts in 2027

According to the program information provided, the following faculty members are not eligible to host Environmental Fellows in 2027:

• Charles Davis
• Charles Taylor
• Scott Edwards
• Le Xie
• Robin Kelsey
• Phillip Deloria

The program also states that the following faculty members have indicated that they cannot serve as hosts:

• Richard Lazarus — Harvard Law School
• Joyce Chaplin — History

Applicants should therefore consider host availability before investing significant effort in approaching a particular faculty member.

Selection Criteria

The Environmental Fellows selection process considers the applicant’s previous academic and professional achievements as well as the potential contribution of the proposed research.

Key considerations include:

1. Academic and Professional Success

The committee considers the applicant’s previous academic and professional accomplishments.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong record that supports their potential as an independent scholar or practitioner.

2. Potential Contribution

The committee evaluates the candidate’s potential contribution to:

• Scholarship
• Environmental research
• Professional practice
• Broader understanding of environmental issues

3. Strength of the Research Proposal

The proposed project should demonstrate:

• Independence
• Intellectual ambition
• Environmental relevance
• A clear departure from previous doctoral research
• Potential for meaningful scholarly achievement

4. Host Faculty Commitment

The host’s enthusiasm and commitment are also important.

The committee considers whether the proposed host can:

• Mentor the fellow effectively
• Support the research
• Provide appropriate workspace
• Offer a productive research environment

5. Diversity of Research Interests

HUCE aims to create a cohort with a diverse range of:

• Academic interests
• Skills
• Backgrounds
• Research approaches

The 2027 cohort is expected to complement fellows selected previously, with the overall cohort consisting of approximately a dozen scholars.

More information click HERE

Interview Stage

After reviewing applications, the selection committee will invite a selected group of applicants to discuss their proposals further.

The interview will take place by video with the selection committee.

Applicants should therefore be prepared to clearly explain:

• Their proposed research
• Why the project matters
• How it addresses an environmental issue
• How it differs from their PhD research
• Why Harvard is an appropriate environment
• Why the proposed faculty host is suitable
• What contribution they expect the project to make

Fellowship Community and Harvard Faculty Engagement

The Environmental Fellows Program is not limited to individual research.

HUCE organizes a co-curricular program designed to help fellows become familiar with one another and with each other’s research.

Fellows participate in biweekly dinners involving:

• Environmental Fellows
• Harvard faculty
• A speaker from the Harvard faculty

These activities are intended to strengthen intellectual exchange and help fellows build connections across Harvard.

Other Harvard Environmental Research Opportunities

The program also points prospective applicants toward the Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum.

Global Change Fellows are eligible to participate in the Environmental Fellows cohort at HUCE under the arrangements described by the program.

Applicants interested in this related opportunity can explore the Arnold Arboretum’s program information.

Harvard Arnold Arboretum Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship

Important Deadline

The application window for the 2027 Harvard Environmental Fellows Program is currently open.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2026

Applicants should not wait until the final deadline to begin looking for a Harvard faculty host.

Because the host relationship and faculty support letter are important parts of the application, prospective applicants should allow sufficient time to:

1. Identify potential faculty hosts.
2. Review their research interests.
3. Contact suitable faculty members.
4. Discuss the proposed research.
5. Establish a host relationship.
6. Develop the research proposal.
7. Secure the required host support.
8. Complete the application before the deadline.

There is also an important program-specific note concerning the Department of the History of Science: it has a November 1 deadline for sponsor requests.

Applicants considering a History of Science sponsor should therefore take this earlier date into account.

How to Prepare a Strong Application

Although the final selection is made by the HUCE faculty committee, applicants can use the program’s stated criteria to guide their preparation.

Start With the Research Question

Clearly define the environmental problem or research question you want to investigate.

Your project should demonstrate why the issue deserves scholarly attention and what new contribution your research could make.

Make the Project Independent

Avoid presenting a proposal that simply continues your doctoral dissertation.

Instead, demonstrate how the fellowship would allow you to develop a new line of inquiry.

Identify the Right Harvard Host

Research potential faculty hosts carefully.

Look beyond someone’s job title and examine their:

• Publications
• Current research
• Academic interests
• Methodological expertise
• Connections to your proposed project

Demonstrate the Harvard Connection

Explain why Harvard’s research environment and the proposed faculty host are particularly useful for your project.

The application should make clear why this research direction benefits from the resources and intellectual environment available at Harvard.

Think Across Disciplines

Interdisciplinary research is encouraged, so applicants may want to identify meaningful connections between their environmental research and other fields.

However, interdisciplinary work is not mandatory. A strong single-discipline proposal can also be considered.

Who Is This Fellowship For?

The Harvard Environmental Fellows Program is particularly relevant to recent doctorate recipients or scholars with comparable terminal degrees who want to establish an independent research direction focused on environmental issues.

The program can be relevant to researchers working across a remarkably broad range of fields, including science, economics, law, government, public policy, public health, medicine, design, and the humanities.

The fellowship may therefore be particularly useful for scholars whose environmental research does not fit neatly into one academic discipline.

Application Information

The official application is available through Harvard University’s academic positions system.

Harvard Environmental Fellows Program Application

For questions about the program, applicants can contact:

Jim Clem
HUCE Managing Director
environmental_fellows@harvard.edu

The main program page is available through the Harvard University Center for the Environment.

Harvard University Center for the Environment – Environmental Fellows Program

Conclusion

The Harvard Environmental Fellows Program 2027 provides recent doctorate recipients with a two-year opportunity to develop independent environmental research within Harvard’s interdisciplinary academic environment. Fellows receive a $92,000 annual salary, health insurance eligibility, relocation support of up to $2,500, and a $2,500 annual allowance for travel and professional expenses.

A particularly important feature of the program is its emphasis on independent research that moves beyond the applicant’s PhD work. Applicants should therefore begin preparing early, especially when identifying a Harvard faculty host and developing a proposal that demonstrates both environmental relevance and intellectual independence.

With approximately five fellowships expected for the 2027 cohort, prospective applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements, establish a suitable host relationship, and prepare their materials well before the December 1, 2026 deadline.

For more opportunities click HERE