The Salata Institute Fellows Program accepts exceptional academics and practitioners working on climate change and sustainability for the purpose of supporting their scholarship or professional development. Fellows, in turn, enrich Harvard University's community of scholars and scientists who are working on these issues.  The Salata Institute evaluates candidates based on their contributions to addressing climate change and sustainability; their proposals for pursuing their scholarship or professional development as Salata Institute Fellows; and their interest in engaging in the academic activity around climate change and sustainability at Harvard University, especially in Salata Institute-sponsored endeavors, such as research projects, workshops, and events.

Acceptance to the program is highly competitive. The Salata Institute awards up to five fellowships each academic year. Fellows may be scholars and scientists in any field that can contribute to advancing the Institute's mission; or they may be leading practitioners with expertise and experience in climate change and sustainability. The Program values diversity in all of its forms, including race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ideology, scholarly discipline, and professional practice.

The Salata Institute expects fellows to be actively engaged in the life of the Salata Institute and, more broadly, the intellectual life of the Harvard community in climate and sustainability. Examples of such engagement could include attending our weekly Salata Institute lunch workshop, presenting research at seminars or workshops at the Salata Institute and around the University, participating in external engagement activities coordinated by the Institute, and, if there is an overlap of research interests, engaging with or participating in one of our new Climate Research Clusters.

The Institute may also look to fellows to lead or participate in some activities to grow the climate research community. Such activities could include organizing an academic conference at the Salata Institute on a climate topic related to the fellows' work, or organizing, or participating in a graduate student reading group.

Fellows may also be invited to guest lecture; or they may audit classes with permission of the instructor. School departments may also invite fellows to teach courses, although any teaching appointment and any associated compensation are solely the purview of Harvard Schools, not of the Salata Institute.

The Salata Institute hosts fellows for one or two terms per academic year. While in residence, fellows are expected to spend most of their time on campus, except for travel conferences or other convenings associated with their projects.

The Salata Institute may provide stipends to fellows, as detailed below. The Institute provides office space and administrative support.

Spring Semester 2024 Salata Institute Fellows Application Process

In the academic year 2023-2024 fellows will be admitted to the program in the beginning of the spring 2024 semester. The spring semester begins in January 2024 and ends in May 2024. Fellows may be in residence at Harvard throughout the summer months following the spring semester, provided space is available. Extensions beyond the spring semester are considered upon request.

Deadline for applications for the Spring 2024 semester is September 15, 2023, at 11:59PM EST.

How to Apply

To apply complete the online application, which includes the following documents:

1. Significance and quality of the proposed research or project

2. Record of achievement
3. Potential for engagement in the academic activity around climate change and sustainability at Harvard University

Admissions decisions will be announced in October for applicants who applied by September 15th.

Applicants from any discipline or professional field will be considered. (Postdoctoral students, predoctoral students, and current PhD or master's students are ineligible to apply to this program.)

Salata Institute Fellows – Faculty

Applicants must have a PhD or a terminal professional degree, and they must hold a tenured or a tenure-track position at their home institutions.

Salata Institute Fellows – Practitioners
Practitioners who apply to the program must have held senior leadership positions in nonprofit organizations, governments, or the private sector. Practitioners should have at least ten years of relevant professional experience and be recognized as leaders in their fields.

Leslie Hubbard, Program Manager

Salata Institute Fellows – Faculty
If requested, the Salata Institute may offer stipends of one-half of a fellow's base academic salary up to $45,000 per semester and a research allowance of up to $5,000 for approved expenses directly related to their research. These payments support individuals in the pursuit of their scholarship, or research, of professional development.

Applicants must indicate whether they are requesting full funding, partial funding, or no funding.

Salata Institute Fellows – Practitioners
If requested, the Salata Institute may offer stipends up to $45,000 per semester and a research allowance of up to $5,000 for approved expenses directly related to their research. These payments support individuals in the pursuit of their scholarship, or research, of professional development.

Applicants must indicate whether they are requesting full funding, partial funding, or no funding.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.