Raghunathan Family Fellowship

The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University is pleased to offer the Raghunathan Family Fellowship to support recent PhDs in the humanities and social sciences related to South Asia. Research topics can cover any period of South Asian history or contemporary South Asia. 

About the Fellowship

The Raghunathan Family Fellowship is a Cambridge-based fellowship where the selected fellow will join the Mittal Institute community on Harvard’s campus for the duration of the academic year.  The selected Raghunathan Fellow will be expected to be in residence for the full 2026/2027 Academic Year (please see Harvard’s Academic Calendar for exact dates).

While working directly with their selected Faculty Mentor on their personal research project (proposed in their application), the Raghunathan Family Fellow will fully engage with the intellectual life at the Mittal Institute and at Harvard. At the end of their residency the Raghunathan fellow will present their work in a Mittal Institute seminar moderated by their faculty mentor. Apart from their own research, fellows will participate in grant and fellowship review, mentor graduate students and help collaborate on other events and projects at the Institute. 

Fellowship Details

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, 2026 to May 20, 2027. The selected fellow will be granted desk space for this period. 

The gross stipend for the Raghunathan Family Fellowship is $50,885.71, 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 AY26/27 cycle, this means their PhD should be awarded after August 20, 2021, for a start date of August 20, 2026. 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 2026/27 window is now open. The deadline for applications is Monday, December 8, 2025. Letters of recommendation are due Wednesday, December 17.

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 thomaselliott@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.

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy . Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.

Contact

Thomas Elliott

Program Coordinator
thomaselliott@fas.harvard.edu