Fellows-in-Residence Program

The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University invites applications from a broad range of researchers and practitioners who will work over the course of the year on pressing issues in ethics. Faculty in arts and sciences and professional schools, postdoctoral scholars, practitioners, and researchers from industry, government, and NGOs are eligible to apply. The call for applications for the 2026-27 academic year is completely open: we will consider any topic pertaining to the serious ethical questions of our time. Our Center will also be continuing the work of our interdisciplinary research network exploring the ethical and political dimensions of disagreement, in both its productive and unproductive varieties. Philosophers, humanists, social psychologists, and any researchers from relevant domains are invited to indicate whether their project falls into this research orbit. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given careful consideration; priority will be given to outstanding early career scholars and practitioners and to those whose work pertains to disagreement.

As always, our goal will be to craft a cohort in which all fellows will find valuable intellectual partnerships to support and spur their work. The ideal candidates are those who are willing to invest time and energy into building community with the other fellows in their cohort.

Fellows-in-Residence will be expected to devote the majority of their time to their individual projects and to participate in regular work-in-progress seminars. In addition, Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in—and contribute to—the Center’s programming, which includes public lectures, themed seminars and reading groups, conferences, workshops, and lunch discussions.

This Fellowship is residential. With the exception of travel to conferences and meetings, Fellows are expected to be in residence in the Boston area at least four working days per week during the term, and working from the Center’s office space at least three days per week.

For the last few years, the Center has offered the possibility of joint fellowship opportunities with several other Centers at Harvard. We continue to offer that possibility, with specific potential affiliations to be worked out on a case-by-case basis:

• Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University
• Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School
• Center for Bioethics at the Harvard Medical School
• Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University
• Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at the Harvard Law School

Applicants will be invited to indicate on the application form whether they wish to be considered for a joint fellowship position with one of these Centers. If selected, the joint fellowship will offer access to development opportunities and programming at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics and the partnering Center.

STIPEND  

Faculty Fellows: We offer a stipend of one-half of your base academic year salary, up to $80,000, and a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Post-Doctoral Fellows: The stipend for post-doctoral fellows will be $7,000/month for 2026-27. We also provide a research allowance of up to $5,000 per academic year for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Practitioner Fellows: Practitioner stipends are determined on a case-by-case basis, commensurate with experience, up to a maximum of $80,000. We also provide a research allowance of up to $5,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.  

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must have a PhD, professional degree, or a minimum of 5 years of equivalent professional experience by September 1 of the fellowship year. Applicants from any discipline or professional field will be considered. Those who have previously held a yearlong residential Fellowship at the Center are not eligible; this limitation does not apply to former Undergraduate Fellows or former Graduate Fellows. The Fellows-in-Residence Program runs the course of the academic year, typically from the beginning of September through the end of May, and is open to all applicants who meet the above criteria, regardless of citizenship.

Please note that advanced language skills in both written and spoken English are required for Fellows at the Center. Fellows are expected to discuss and/or present their work in English and are encouraged to participate in informal discussions with faculty and students with related interests. Application materials, including writing samples, should be in English. If offered a fellowship, non-native English speakers who cannot demonstrate their proficiency through (1) completion of a degree from an English-speaking institution of higher education or (2) satisfactory TOEFL or IELTS scores will be contacted by the Center staff to arrange for further evaluation as needed.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY:

RESEARCH & DESIGN STUDIO FELLOWSHIP

If your research pertains to the ethical and political dimensions of disagreement, please consider applying to the Center's Research & Design Studio Fellowship (https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15168), the deadline for which is also November 15, 2025.

The R&DS seeks to strengthen civil discourse in higher education and public life, bringing together faculty, students, researchers, and practitioners to explore how we can engage across differences more constructively. Fellows contribute to creating pedagogical resources, designing tools for dialogue, and testing models that help make engagement more inclusive and meaningful while also working on their own research projects.