Raghunathan Family Fellowship

Scholars are expected to be in residence for the upcoming academic year. Appointment dates for the 2026-2027 academic year will run from August 20, 2027 to May 20, 2028. The selected fellow will be granted desk space for this period. 

The gross stipend for the Raghunathan Family Fellowship is $51,000, which is prorated to the duration of the Fellowship. The stipend will be paid to you on a biweekly basis, meaning every two weeks. For foreign citizens, Harvard may be required to take taxes out of the payment upfront. Please contact the Harvard International Payee Tax Compliance Office with any questions. 

Round-trip economy travel expenses and visa fees from South Asia to Boston will also be reimbursed (for participants residing in South Asia only). All reimbursements and stipends are limited to the dates of the appointment.

The Mittal Institute nor Harvard University does not sponsor, provide, nor procure housing for fellows during their residency. Fellows are expected to have at least temporary housing by the start date of their fellowship and arrival in Cambridge. More information and resources on housing in the Cambridge area can be found on the FAS Office of Postdoctoral Affairs: https://postdoc.fas.harvard.edu/housing 

Eligibility

Candidates must have been awarded their PhD prior to applying and within five years of the fellowship start date. For the AY27/28 cycle, this means their PhD should be awarded after August 20, 2022, for a start date of August 20, 2027. Priority will be given to scholars who have not previously accessed Harvard’s resources and have primarily studied at institutions in South Asia.

Deadlines

The application window for the Academic Year 2027/28 window is now open. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, December 8, 2026. Letters of recommendation are due Tuesday, December 8.

Decisions will be made typically within 2 – 3 months of the application deadline.

How to Apply

All application materials should be uploaded and submitted via an online application form called ARIeS. To start, please create an account on the ARIeS site.

Once your account is active, you will be able to create and submit an application. The application portal can be found here.

All applicants will need to submit the following through ARIeS:

• A five-page, double-spaced research plan
• An updated and current curriculum vitae, which lists your academic degrees (including disciplines and the dates the degrees were received), your publications and research presentations, and any previous grants and/or fellowships.
• A writing sample that is no more than ten pages, double-spaced.
• A scan of your PhD diploma (transcripts and proof of other degrees are not required).
• Two letters of recommendation uploaded directly to ARIeS. NOTE: Recommenders will NOT be able to submit their letters until you have completed your application. If need be, letters can emailed directly to htaylor@fas.harvard.edu, with “Mittal Institute Fellowship Recommendation” and the applicant’s name in the subject line. They can be addressed to ‘Members of the Selection Committee.’

• All materials must be received by the application deadline in order to be considered. If you have questions, please reach out to our program coordinator rather than to Harvard faculty.