Harvard Global Health Institute Funding Opportunity for International Research Collaboration 2025-2026

The Harvard Global Health Institute is now accepting applications for our 2025-2026 cohort of Visiting Research Scholarship Program. Applications must be submitted by a Harvard faculty member, who will serve as the sponsor for an international research collaborator. This program provides funding for the Harvard sponsor to host their collaborator for a 6-week in-residence experience to complement ongoing research activities.

Visiting scholars will have their in-residence time on campus financially covered through the fellowship award. Scholars will be provided with a lump sum stipend for their logistical expenses related to the visit (i.e. housing, flights to and from Cambridge, health insurance, J-1 visa fees, and daily per diem for food).  

The Harvard sponsor must be a Harvard faculty member at any school or affiliated hospital, and the visiting scholar should have a doctoral degree in a relevant degree. Demonstrated evidence of significant collaborative work with the sponsor, or the foundations for significant collaborative work, is required. This could be publications of peer-reviewed manuscripts, codeveloped educational curricula, partnership on policy, or service work.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 19, 2025
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorHarvard Global Health Institute
• City to studyMassachusetts
• School to studyHarvard Global Health Institute

Benefits

Awarded Harvard faculty will advance collaboration with their global partners through a 6 week in-person experience for academic collaborators at Harvard University. Visiting scholars will have their in-residence time on campus financially covered through the fellowship award. Scholars will be provided with a lump sum stipend for logistical expenses (i.e. housing, flights to and from Cambridge, MA, health insurance, J-1 visa fees, and a daily per diem for food).

Requirements

Expectations for Sponsoring Harvard Faculty Collaborator

• Harvard sponsor must be a Harvard faculty member at any school or affiliated hospital. 
• Sponsor must demonstrate significant engagement with visiting scholar prior to the visit (this opportunity is focused on deepening existing relationships, not developing new collaborations). 
• The sponsoring mentors’ primary Harvard department must agree to provide the necessary academic appointment (HUID) and sponsor a J-1 visa for the visiting scholar.
• Sponsoring mentor must agree to develop a work plan and meet regularly with their visiting scholars during their time on campus and make a strong case that in-person collaborative time would be beneficial. 

Expectations for HGHI Visiting Research Scholar 

• The Visiting Scholar should have a doctoral degree in a relevant field. Exceptional candidates with a master’s degree will be considered. 
• Demonstrated evidence of significant collaborative work with the sponsor, or the foundations for significant collaborative work, is required. This could be publications of peer-reviewed manuscripts, codeveloped educational curricula, partnership on policy, or service work. 
• The Visiting Scholar must be in good standing with their home institution. 
• An active passport and the ability to obtain a J-1 visa for travel to the United States is required. 
• The Visiting Scholar must reside in the Boston, MA area during their time in residence.
• Candidates must satisfy visa requirements for English language. 

Selection Process

1. There is demonstrated long-term collaboration between the visiting scholar and the Harvard faculty mentor, for which this opportunity will advance a body of work. 

2. The sponsoring Harvard mentor’s home department is committed to supporting the visiting scholar administratively by providing a non-faculty academic appointment and a J-1 visa. 

3. The Visiting Scholar would benefit professionally from an in-person experience at Harvard University. This needs to be clearly described in the application. 

4. Priority will be given to scholars who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate in such an in-person program at Harvard, and to thematic areas of work aligned with HGHI’s areas of interest, including health equity, climate change and health, infectious diseases, digital transformation, global health financing, health justice, and community-engaged programming.  

Application Deadline

October 19, 2025

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to Harvard Global Health Institute on harvard.az1.qualtrics.com to apply

Harvard Faculty can submit a request to sponsor an international partner via our application link (coming soon).

Please note that the application will request the information below:  

• Name of visiting scholar 
• Country of origin 
• Position in home country 
• CV of visiting scholar 
• 1–2-page narrative describing the research collaboration and justification for travel to the U.S. for in-person collaboration.
• 2 Letters of Reference addressed to the Harvard Global Health Institute. 
  • One letter from the visiting scholars’ home institution allowing a 6-week leave of absence from work responsibilities 
  • One letter from the sponsoring Harvard mentor describing the justification for in-person time to support their research collaboration. The letter should also describe the sponsoring faculty member’s workplan for the visiting scholar throughout their time on campus 

For more details, visit Harvard University Funding Opportunity webpage