$55,000 Emirates Leadership Research Fellowship
- Organization: Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
- Type: Fellowship
- Location: Global
- Deadline: December 1, 2026
- Funding: Partially Funded
The Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center pays junior and mid-career policy researchers to spend ten months at Harvard working on an independent research project about a public policy challenge facing the UAE, the Gulf and the wider Arab world. All nationalities can apply, and the initiative is especially interested in scholars, policy analysts and public servants from the region who intend to return to it. **What you get:** - A ten-month stipend of $55,000 for predoctoral fellows and mid-career practitioners who do not hold a PhD - Access to Harvard's libraries and other university resources - A full academic year in residence at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 1 to June 30 - Visa sponsorship for fellows who need it - Room to collaborate with Harvard faculty and other fellows **What you'll do:** - Carry out the research project set out in your proposal, on governance, economic dynamism, human capital or public policy design in the Gulf and Arab world - Produce a deliverable such as a working paper, journal article, policy brief or book manuscript - Take part in the public life of the Middle East Initiative, for example by speaking at or organising an event **Key dates:** - Applications opened October 1, 2026 - Applications close December 1, 2026 - Letters of recommendation due December 15, 2026 - Decisions announced no later than February 27, 2027 - Fellowship runs September 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028 **More information:** - Full eligibility, priority research areas and requirements are on the fellowship page - Applications go through the Belfer Center's fellowship portal, which works best in Chrome
