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The Radcliffe Fellowship is a residential fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. It supports about 50 scholars, artists and public intellectuals each year with a stipend, project funds and a year in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Unlike a grant from a federal agency, it is a private-university fellowship with its own eligibility tests, so the practical questions are about publication thresholds, residency and a short, tightly specified application. This guide puts those requirements in one place. Everything below is as described on the official Radcliffe Institute pages on 2026-10-29; programs change, so check the current cycle before you plan around any figure.
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What it is and who runs it
The fellowship is run by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University (10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138). The Institute’s fellowship program page says it supports 50 scholars, artists and public intellectuals who have a record of achievement and who show great promise for future contributions. Fellows come from the humanities, the sciences, the social sciences and the creative arts. Each fellow works on an individual project, such as a book, a film or a framework, while taking part in the Harvard community.
Two other programs are listed beside it on the Institute’s pages and are separate from this fellowship: Graduate Student Fellowships and Radcliffe Research Partnerships. Their rules are not the ones described here. For where this fits among other fellowship types, see the CASRAI dictionary entry on research fellowships.
Eligibility
Eligibility depends on your field. The official application information page sets the thresholds below (source: Radcliffe Institute, “Application information”, checked 2026-10-29).
| Applicant field | What the official page requires |
|---|---|
| Humanities and social sciences | Doctorate (or equivalent) in the area of the proposed project at least four years before the appointment; appropriate terminal degrees include PhD, MD, JD, DPhil and DEd; a monograph or at least two articles in refereed journals or edited collections. |
| Science, engineering and mathematics | Doctorate in the area of the proposed project at least four years before the appointment; at least five refereed journal articles. |
| Nonfiction writers | Published book(s), a book contract, or at least three longer shorter works. |
| Journalists | At least five years of professional work. |
| Creative arts | Discipline-specific eligibility criteria set by the Institute. |
Three further rules apply to everyone. Tenure is not required, and the Institute accepts applications from people at different career stages. The fellowship is not intended to serve as a postdoctoral fellowship. People currently enrolled in a degree program, and former Radcliffe fellows (1999 to present), are ineligible. If you are looking for early-career alternatives, see the CASRAI entries on the postdoctoral fellowship and the NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship.
What it funds or requires
Fellows receive a stipend of $78,000 plus $5,000 to cover project expenses. The page says fellows may also be eligible for relocation, housing and childcare funds, and that healthcare support is available as needed.
The fellowship also carries commitments, which matter as much as the money:
- Residency. Fellows must live in the Cambridge/Boston area from September through May, so that they can take part in the fellowship community.
- Community participation. Fellows attend weekly fellows’ talks, professional development workshops and social events.
- Presenting your work. According to the fellowship experience page, two fellows present work in progress each week, either in a private cohort talk or a public lecture, followed by lunch.
In return the Institute provides private offices or artist studios in Byerly Hall, access to the Harvard Library including the Schlesinger Library, workshops, events with faculty directors, Harvard College undergraduates as research partners, and social events for fellows and their families (source: Radcliffe Institute, “The fellowship experience”, checked 2026-10-29).
Application steps
All materials go through the Institute’s online application portal. The application consists of:
- An application form and a curriculum vitae.
- A project proposal of 1,400 words, with a bibliography when appropriate.
- A work sample. Humanities and social science applicants may submit up to 40 pages; science, engineering and mathematics applicants submit three published articles.
- Contact details for three references, who are prompted by email to upload their letters of recommendation.
Because referees upload their own letters after an emailed prompt, you cannot control when the third letter arrives. Enter referee details early and tell your referees to expect the message. Funding bodies that run open competitions publish requirements the same way, usually in a notice; the CASRAI entry on the funding opportunity announcement explains that format.
Typical timeline phases
- Preparation. Confirm eligibility for your field, draft the 1,400-word proposal and choose the work sample.
- Submission. Complete the portal application and have referees upload letters. On 2026-10-29 the official page showed the deadline for the 2027-28 cycle as closed, with details of the following cycle expected the next spring.
- Two-stage review. At the first stage, experts in the applicant’s field review the application. At the second stage, a multidisciplinary committee reviews it. The criteria are the quality and significance of the project and the applicant’s intellectual or creative capacity.
- Notification. Applicants are notified by email; for the 2027-28 cycle the page gave the end of March 2027 for results. If you receive another fellowship offer before you hear from the Institute, the page asks you to tell it through its Request for Information form, using the “Selection Process” category.
- Residency. September through May in the Cambridge/Boston area.
Common mistakes
- Applying as a recent postdoc. The doctorate must be at least four years old at appointment for the humanities, social sciences, science, engineering and mathematics tracks, and the program says it is not a postdoctoral fellowship.
- Counting the wrong publications. The humanities and social sciences track asks for refereed journal articles or edited collections; the sciences track asks for at least five refereed journal articles.
- Assuming a past fellow can return. Former Radcliffe fellows (1999 to present) are ineligible.
- Applying while enrolled in a degree program. Current degree students are ineligible.
- Ignoring the residency. A September-to-May stay in the Cambridge/Boston area is a requirement, not an option.
- Sending the wrong work sample. The sample is defined differently for humanities and social sciences (up to 40 pages) and for sciences, engineering and mathematics (three published articles).
Related programs
| Program | How it relates |
|---|---|
| Radcliffe Graduate Student Fellowships | Listed separately by the Institute; not covered by the eligibility rules above. |
| Radcliffe Research Partnerships | Listed separately by the Institute; not covered by the eligibility rules above. |
For other named fellowship programs on CASRAI, see the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the guide to Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contracts in Spain.
FAQ
How much does the Radcliffe Fellowship pay?
A stipend of $78,000 plus $5,000 for project expenses, according to the official application information page. Relocation, housing and childcare funds may also be available.
Who is eligible for the Radcliffe Fellowship?
Scholars, artists and public intellectuals who meet their field’s threshold, for example a doctorate at least four years old plus a monograph or two refereed publications in the humanities and social sciences. Current degree students and former fellows are not eligible.
Is the Radcliffe Fellowship a postdoctoral fellowship?
No. The Institute states that the program is not intended to serve as a postdoctoral fellowship, and tenure is not required.
Do fellows have to live in Cambridge?
Yes. Fellows must reside in the Cambridge/Boston area from September through May.
What is in the application?
An application form, CV, 1,400-word project proposal, a work sample and three referees who upload letters of recommendation.
How are applications reviewed?
In two stages: field experts first, then a multidisciplinary committee, judging project quality and significance and the applicant’s intellectual or creative capacity.
Sources
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, “Radcliffe Fellowship” program page: https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/fellowship-program (checked 2026-10-29).
- Radcliffe Institute, “Application information”: https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/radcliffe-fellowship/application-information (checked 2026-10-29).
- Radcliffe Institute, “The fellowship experience”: https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/radcliffe-fellowship/the-fellowship-experience (checked 2026-10-29).
