Postgraduate Public Service Fellowship

DEADLINE:
Applications due: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 11:59pm via CARAT

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Postgraduate Public Service Fellowships support meaningful public service projects undertaken after graduation. Projects may be of any length between 3 and 12 months. Candidates should present one proposal; a single application will put you into consideration for all available funding.

For these purposes, a public service project is defined as work that:

  • helps people meet their needs for food, shelter, and/or health;
  • improves educational and/or employment opportunities;
  • educates people about their legal and/or civil rights;
  • protects the environment and/or wildlife;
  • and/or otherwise supports the general welfare.

Eligibility:
Applicants must be graduating Harvard College seniors of any nationality.


PFORZHEIMER FELLOWSHIP: Pforzheimer Foundation Public Service Fellowships provide funding for students who will be involved in public service projects after graduation. Projects are expected to be at least three months long.

Benefits:  
Approximately $80,000 or more is available each year to be distributed by the selection committee.  Award amounts vary depending on project duration and need.

Selection criteria:  
Fellows will be selected on the basis of their demonstrated interest, abilities, and commitment to public service, as well as the merit, soundness, and practicality of their project. There is a preference for proposals where the student’s direct involvement is essential to the success of the project, and when the project addresses a significant human need. Financial need is not a criterion.

RICHARDSON FELLOWSHIP: The Richardson Fellowships are intended for students contemplating a career in public service and provide the opportunity to spend a year gaining concrete experience with the issues that their public service career would address. The tenure of each Richardson Fellowship must be between ten and twelve months, depending upon the nature of the project and the living expenses necessary to pursue it.

Benefits:
Three awards of approximately $30,000 each will be made each year.

Selection criteria:
The Richardson Fellowships are to be awarded to students who show outstanding promise of being of service in the public or non-profit sectors. Successful candidates will demonstrate a ready empathetic understanding of the plight and position of others, an ability to lead or persuade, and commitment to the public good as distinct from merely private ambition. Each candidate should also show that they are seriously contemplating a career in public service, to which the experience gained in the fellowship year would make a valuable contribution.
 

  • Applications due: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 11:59pm via CARAT
  • Selection Committee interviews: Early April

Download URAF Applications