- Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
- Application Instructions
General Description
Henry Russell Shaw Summer Fellowships support graduating Harvard College seniors to pursue purposeful travel in Europe. The Shaw Summer Fellowships are supported by the same endowment and serve the same general purpose as the full-year Henry Russell Shaw Traveling Fellowships: "To enable one or more graduates of Harvard College … to pass a few months in European travel. The purpose of this gift is to make it possible for young men [and women] of promise to supplement their formal education by broadening and cultivating influence which comes from acquaintance with other countries."
Shaw Summer Fellowships will support travel experiences that allow recipients to pursue some individual fancy or passion but will not ordinarily support experiences that seem focused on establishing or enhancing pre-professional credentials. Awards will also be limited to students who have not yet had any significant travel experience outside the US (and, for students from other countries, their home country).
For purposes of this fellowship, Europe is considered to comprise the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, divided from Asia to its east by the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea with its outlets, the Bosporus and Dardanelles. Iceland may also be considered part of Europe, as may island possessions of European countries that lie in the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Aegean Sea, and Black Sea.
Benefits
- Stipend of typically no more than $8,000
Eligibility
- Must be a Harvard College graduating senior (off-cycle seniors may also apply)
- Can be any nationality/citizenship
- Must be able to commit 10 to 12 consecutive weeks following May commencement to living in Europe
Selection criteria
A travel proposal that presents a rich and exciting experience in Europe during the summer will be the most important consideration in the selection process. The selection committee will look for proposals that provide some focus on the cultures to be encountered and effective means of exploring and interacting with them outside the bounds of formal study, internship, and community service arrangements.
The selection committee will expect recipients to possess language proficiency sufficient for them to pursue their travels and interact in a meaningful manner with the cultures of their host countries. To the extent that academic or other preparation is helpful or necessary in these pursuits, the selection committee will also expect to see some evidence of this preparation on an applicant’s transcript and resume.
There is no set academic or extracurricular profile for these fellowships. That said, selection committees generally look for students whose academic records show a spectrum of interests and some intellectual achievement. They also generally look for students who have been involved in extracurricular activities at Harvard and/or in the community. To selection committees, such involvement usually manifests a student’s interests and talents, concerns for others, leadership potential, and strength of character.