Apply to be a Visiting Scholar

Next Deadline: September 23, 2024.

Application coming soon.

Program Overview

Each year DRCLAS selects a number of distinguished academics (Visiting Scholars) and professionals (Fellows) who wish spend one or two semesters at Harvard working on their own research and writing projects. Visiting Scholars and Fellows are selected competitively on the basis of the applicant's qualifications, the quality of the applicant's research plans, and the relevance of both to the Center's mission and objectives.

For fellowship holders, the minimum stay is one semester during the regular academic year. Fall term appointments run from September 1 to the end of December. Spring appointments begin in January and end in May. Visiting Scholars and Fellows are expected to be in residence during the fellowship.

Visiting Scholars and Fellows are provided shared office space, library borrowing privileges, access to University facilities and events, and opportunities to audit classes and attend seminars in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and in other Harvard professional schools.

Eligibility

The DRCLAS Visiting Scholars and Fellows program is open to academics from Latin America as well as Latin Americanist from the US and other parts of the world (scholars). Applications are also accepted from established practioners, such as visual and performing artists, and policy-makers (fellows). Scholars are expected to hold a PhD.

Please note: This is not a postdoc program, current PhD students, and recent PhD graduates are generally not appropriate candidates for the Visiting Scholars and Fellows Program at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

Proficiency in both written and spoken English is expected of Visiting Scholars and Fellows. Each Visiting Scholar or Fellow is expected to present a lecture in English on a topic related to his or her research and encouraged to be available for informal consultation by faculty and students with related interests. All applications materials must be in English.

Application Requirements

Proposals must have a clearly defined project and should address how the proposed project connects to and benefits from Harvard's unique resources (including libraries, faculty, ongoing projects, special initiatives). Materials (including recommendation letters) must be submitted in English.

An interdisciplinary panel of Harvard faculty reviews all completed applications and selects those to be appointed.

A complete application includes the online application with the following documents:

  • Proposal (limit 3-4 page) -uploaded with application and labeled as follows: if your name is Juana Cortes the document name is "Proposal_Cortes"
  • CV -uploaded with application and labeled as follows: if your name is Juana Cortes document name should be "CV_Cortes"
  • Two letters of Recommendation -requested by the applicant online, completed by the recommenders separately. 

Letters of recommendation must be submitted in PDF format online from recommenders after an invitation from the application system. 

Availablity of Funding

The residential fellowships offer a comprehensive package, covering up to a taxable $4,000 for a round-trip of travel expenses to and from the home state/country for both the scholar and dependents under 18 years old. This allocation encompasses expenses such as meals, luggage, and ground transportation associated with the round-trip travels, along with emergency-only health insurance coverage for the foreign Visiting Scholar or Fellow and their immediate family. Additionally, recipients receive a taxable $35,000 living stipend while at Harvard. The duration of appointments typically spans one or two semesters based on the applicant's preference, yet the stipend remains fixed at $35,000, irrespective of the residency length. Recipients are anticipated to dedicate a full semester on campus, either during Fall (September-December) or Spring (January-May). It's worth noting that Visiting Scholars and Fellows have the option to seek additional funding from their academic institutions, external foundations, or personal resources.

Questions?

Please email the DRCLAS Visiting Scholars Program: drc_vsf@fas.harvard.edu