What is the Sustainability Science Fellowship?

The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University’s Center for International Development offers doctoral, post-doctoral, and mid-career fellowships in Sustainability Science. The fellowships are tenable at the Center for International Development during Harvard’s academic year beginning in September 2010. Fellowships are available for 10 months (September 2010-May 2011), 12 months (September 2010-August 2011), the fall semester (September-December 2010), the spring semester (February-May 2011), or for two academic years (post-doctoral fellows only) (September 2010-August 2012).

What are the goals of the Sustainability Science Program?

The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard’s Center for International Development seeks to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective interventions that promote sustainable development. To that end, we seek to advance scientific understanding of human-environment systems; to improve linkages between relevant research and innovation communities on the one hand, and relevant policy and management communities on the other; and, more broadly, to build capacity for linking knowledge with action to promote sustainability. The Program is directed by Bill Clark, Michael Kremer, and Nancy Dickson. More information about the Sustainability Science Program can be found at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/sustsci

Who can apply for a Sustainability Science Fellowship?

The Sustainability Science Fellowships are open to advanced doctoral and post-doctoral students, and to mid-career professionals engaged in research or practice that advances the goals of the program (see above). Prospective fellows should have a focused personal research or writing objective that is consistent with those goals. In addition, applicants should be interested in spending some of their time as fellows in collaborations with other fellows and faculty in the program in ways that will advance the interdisciplinary, problem-driven agenda of sustainability science more broadly. The Fellowships are tenable at Harvard during the University’s academic year beginning in September 2010. Applications for the mid-career fellowships are invited from individuals in governmental, non-governmental, private organizations, or academia with at least five years of professional experience doing work involved in linking science and practice for sustainable development. Applications for the post-doctoral fellowships are welcome from recent recipients of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree. (Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. between 2006 and May 2010.) Applicants for a doctoral fellowship must currently be enrolled in a doctoral program and have passed their qualifying exams (completed coursework and passed oral and/or written exams) by May 2010. Applicants whose doctoral programs do not require qualifying exams must have completed all the required coursework for the Ph.D., since fellows will not be doing course work while at Harvard. Applications are solicited from individuals working in the natural and social sciences as well as relevant professions. Special funding for the Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowships in Sustainability Science is available to support citizens of Italy or developing countries who are therefore especially encouraged to apply. Further information regarding current and past fellows can be obtained through the program’s web site.

With whom do fellows work?

Each year, the Sustainability Science Program recruits approximately 15-20 fellows to work with one another and with Harvard faculty. Candidates who are offered a fellowship will be paired with a Harvard faculty host who has related interests. Applicants may identify potential faculty hosts in the on-line application, but applicants are not required to secure a host before applying. A list of Harvard faculty with interests related to sustainability science is provided on the web pages of the Sustainability Science Program Faculty Affiliates, Harvard’s Center for International Development and the Center for the Environment. Any member of the teaching faculty from any discipline at Harvard can serve as a host, regardless of whether the host has had a prior affiliation with the Sustainability Science Program or with any of the Centers listed above.

What are the responsibilities of Sustainability Science Fellows?

Fellows are expected to play a central role in the intellectual life of the Sustainability Science Program. This includes working on and presenting results of the personal research project proposed in the fellow’s application, preparation for and attendance at Program seminars and workshops, and authorship or co-authorship of a substantial paper addressing a topic agreed upon by the fellow and program directors. Fellows should expect to spend about half of their time on collaborative work they will be encouraged to develop with Harvard faculty and other fellows. The other half of their time may be devoted to personal research and writing. In order to enhance interactions within the program, we strongly discourage substantial additional activities or obligations during the period of the fellowship. Exceptions must be negotiated with the Program in advance of accepting a fellowship offer. Fellows are expected to be in residence at Harvard during the full period of their award except when doing field research or attending academic conferences. Such time away from Harvard should not generally amount to more than 25% of the fellowship period.

What support is provided by the Sustainability Science Fellowship?

The Sustainability Science Fellowship is based on a 12-month stipend of $48,000 for post-doctoral fellows, $25,000 for doctoral fellows, and a negotiated amount for mid-career fellows depending on their citizenship, current salary, current employment location, seniority, and other sources of support. Fellows may also obtain funding from their own academic institutions, outside foundations, and personal resources. In the case of successful mid-career applicants with support for sabbatical or professional leave, packages can be negotiated in which Program funds complement such support and stipends can be paid to the fellow’s home institution. Recipients are expected to spend a minimum of one semester at the University. Stipends will be proportionately reduced for fellows spending less time in residence with the Program which can range from 3-12 months. Fellows will have the option of purchasing Harvard employee medical and dental benefits. Office space and supplies, personal computers, telecommunications, and access to Harvard University libraries and other facilities will be provided. Expenses associated with project workshops are covered for fellowship holders by the Program. Limited support for field research expenses is provided on a competitive basis as budgets allow. Since the Program’s funds are limited, prospective fellows are strongly urged to pursue additional sources of stipendiary and research support. Applications from those with their own resources are also welcome.

What is the full application procedure due by December 1, 2009?

Applications for the fellowship are due December 1, 2009. Candidates should submit:

1. An on-line application cover sheet, located here.

The cover sheet includes the names of three referees who candidates must ask to submit recommendation letters in support of their applications. Candidates who are offered a fellowship will be paired with a Harvard faculty host with related interests. Applicants may identify potential faculty hosts in the on-line application, but applicants are not required to secure a host before applying. A list of Harvard faculty with interests related to sustainability science is provided on the web pages of the Sustainability Science Program Faculty Affiliates, Harvard’s Center for International Development and the Center for the Environment. Any member of the teaching faculty from any discipline at Harvard can serve as a host, regardless of whether the host has had a prior affiliation with the Sustainability Science Program or with any of the Centers listed above.

2. The following documents in pdf format should be attached to a SINGLE email message and sent to: sustsci_grants@hks.harvard.edu by December 1, 2009. The subject heading of the email should read ‘Sustainability Science Fellowship’ followed by the applicant’s last name.

• Proposal: Applicants should attach a description of their proposed project including specific information demonstrating how their work contributes to the goals of the sustainability science program as outlined above. Maximum length is 1500 words (about 3 pages of single spaced type) plus literature citations
• Curriculum vitae: Please attach curriculum vitae, listing publications and graduate coursework on research methodology or experience relevant to the planned project (3 page maximum).
• Writing Sample (20 page maximum, e.g., peer-reviewed article, draft dissertation chapter

3. Additionally, the three (3) recommenders named in the cover sheet should email their letters of support directly to: sustsci_grants@hks.harvard.edu by December 1, 2009. The subject heading should read ‘Sustainability Science Fellowship: Recommendation for [candidate's name]. Referees should comment on the applicant’s suitability for the Sustainability Science Fellowship, including relevant information on scientific originality, professional productivity, and demonstrated ability to work in groups. Applicants applying for doctoral fellowships in Sustainability Science should have one recommendation from a thesis advisor or other university official stating that the applicant has/is expected to pass his/her qualifying exams by Summer 2010. If an applicant does not have qualifying exams at his/her university, then the applicant’s major advisor should state this in the letter of recommendation and confirm that the necessary coursework will have been completed by June 2010. (Our strong preference is for recommendations letters to be sent by email. If letters must be mailed, the postal address is: Sustainability Science Fellowships, Sustainability Science Program, Center for International Development, Harvard University, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.)

Applicants bear full responsibility for ensuring that all materials, including recommendation letters, are received by December 1, 2009. We will NOT notify applicants of incomplete applications, and will not review such applications. Decisions will be announced by February 2010.

What criteria are fellowship applications evaluated on?

Fellowship applications will be evaluated according to the criteria listed below. No proposal is expected to meet all of these criteria, but those scoring high on many of the criteria will be more likely to succeed in the competition.

• Prior success and potential contribution of the applicant to scholarship or practice of sustainability science;
• Project significance: the potential impact of the research project on sustainability science scholarship or practice (note that the means used to pursue the research may be grounded in a single discipline or may be multidisciplinary; the requirement is that the results of the work contribute to the field of problem-inspired work on human-environment interactions that we call “sustainability science”);
• Problem-driven relevance: the ways in which successful completion of the project would contribute to solving practical problems of sustainable development. We are interested in work relevant to any significant problem of sustainability, e.g. relevant to any dimension of Kofi Annan’s “WEHAB” (Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture, Biodiversity) agenda for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. For the 2010-11 competition, however, we will give some preference to applicants whose work addresses challenges of sustainable development at the intersection of water, agriculture and land use issues.
• Developing world component: this could include north-south relations; comparative work; be solely based in a developing country; work focusing on implications for the developing world of an issue such as governance, trade, or globalization, etc.);
• Involves field work in the developing world;
• Develops institutional links with an academic or practitioner/ applications/ problem-solving oriented institution in the developing world;
• Provides synergies with a regional center at Harvard, e.g. centers for Latin America, Asia, Africa (learn more);
• Diversity: The Program will attempt to select a group of fellows from a range of academic disciplines and nations whose work will focus on a variety of topics. Recipients may include people with degrees in the sciences, economics, law, government, public policy, public health, medicine, design, and the full array of humanities. Their research topics will be equally varied. Interdisciplinary research projects are encouraged, although this is not a requirement for the fellowship. Candidates with interests in approaching sustainability issues through a single discipline are therefore also encouraged to apply.

How do I receive updates about the fellowship opportunities with the Sustainability Science Program?

To receive periodic messages about fellowship opportunities with the Sustainability Science Program, subscribe to the list “sustsci_fellowships” by sending a message (with no subject) to:

containing the line in the message field:

subscribe sustsci_fellowships

What related fellowships are available at Harvard?

Related fellowship opportunities are available through a number of other Harvard Programs and Centers. Since funding for the Sustainability Science Program is limited, interested applicants are urged to consider applying to these other fellowship programs as well. Applicants who receive such fellowships and are pursuing research related to sustainability science are invited to apply to the Sustainability Science Program for joint appointment as non-stipendiary fellows.

• Harvard University Center for the Environment: Post-doctoral fellowships.
• Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs: Post-doctoral and doctoral fellowships.
• David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies: Visiting scholars and professional fellows.
• Weatherhead Center for International Affairs: Students.
• U.S.-Japan Program Advanced Research Fellowships: Post-doctoral fellows.
• Fritz Thyssen Fellows: Post-doctoral and doctoral fellows nominated by a Harvard faculty member; must be citizens of Germany.
• Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies: Doctoral and postdoctoralfellowships.
• Charles Bullard Fellowship in Forest Research: Mid-career fellowships.

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