USA: Fellowships in Sustainability Science, Center for International Development, Harvard University

The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard's Center for International Development seeks to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective interventions that promote sustainable development. To that end, we seek to advance scientific understanding of human-environment systems; to improve linkages between relevant research and innovation communities on the one hand, and relevant policy and management communities on the other; and, more broadly, to build capacity for linking knowledge with action to promote sustainability. The Program is directed by Bill Clark, Michael Kremer, and Nancy Dickson. More information about the Sustainability Science Program can be found at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/sustsci

Eligibility

The Sustainability Science Fellowships are open to advanced doctoral and post-doctoral students, and to mid-career professionals engaged in research or practice that advances the goals of the program (see above). Prospective fellows should have a focused personal research or writing objective that is consistent with those goals. In addition, applicants should be interested in spending some of their time as fellows in collaborations with other fellows and faculty in the program in ways that will advance the interdisciplinary, problem-driven agenda of sustainability science more broadly. The Fellowships are tenable at Harvard during the University's academic year beginning in September 2010. Applications for the mid-career fellowships are invited from individuals in governmental, non-governmental, private organizations, or academia with at least five years of professional experience doing work involved in linking science and practice for sustainable development.

Applications for the post-doctoral fellowships are welcome from recent recipients of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree. (Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. between 2006 and May 2010.) Applicants for a doctoral fellowship must currently be enrolled in a doctoral program and have passed their qualifying exams (completed coursework and passed oral and/or written exams) by May 2010. Applicants whose doctoral programs do not require qualifying exams must have completed all the required coursework for the Ph.D., since fellows will not be doing course work while at Harvard. Applications are solicited from individuals working in the natural and social sciences as well as relevant professions. Special funding for the Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowships in Sustainability Science is available to support citizens of Italy or developing countries who are therefore especially encouraged to apply. Further information regarding current and past fellows can be obtained through the program's web site.

Responsibility

Fellows are expected to play a central role in the intellectual life of the Sustainability Science Program. This includes working on and presenting results of the personal research project proposed in the fellow's application, preparation for and attendance at Program seminars and workshops, and authorship or co-authorship of a substantial paper addressing a topic agreed upon by the fellow and program directors. Fellows should expect to spend about half of their time on collaborative work they will be encouraged to develop with Harvard faculty and other fellows. The other half of their time may be devoted to personal research and writing. In order to enhance interactions within the program, we strongly discourage substantial additional activities or obligations during the period of the fellowship. Exceptions must be negotiated with the Program in advance of accepting a fellowship offer. Fellows are expected to be in residence at Harvard during the full period of their award except when doing field research or attending academic conferences. Such time away from Harvard should not generally amount to more than 25% of the fellowship period.

Application Procedure

Applications for the fellowship are due December 1, 2009. Candidates should submit:

An on-line application cover sheet, located here.The cover sheet includes the names of three referees who candidates must ask to submit recommendation letters in support of their applications. Candidates who are offered a fellowship will be paired with a Harvard faculty host with related interests. Applicants may identify potential faculty hosts in the on-line application, but applicants are not required to secure a host before applying. A list of Harvard faculty with interests related to sustainability science is provided on the web pages of the Sustainability Science Program Faculty Affiliates, Harvard's Center for International Development and the Center for the Environment. Any member of the teaching faculty from any discipline at Harvard can serve as a host, regardless of whether the host has had a prior affiliation with the Sustainability Science Program or with any of the Centers listed above.

The following documents in pdf format should be attached to a SINGLE email
message and sent to: sustsci_grants@hks.harvard.edu
by December 1, 2009. The subject heading of the email should read
'Sustainability Science Fellowship' followed by the applicant's last name.

Proposal: Applicants should attach a description of their proposed project including specific information demonstrating how their work contributes to the goals of the sustainability science program as outlined above. Maximum length is 1500 words (about 3 pages of single spaced type) plus literature citations

Curriculum vitae: Please attach curriculum vitae, listing publications and graduate coursework on research methodology or experience relevant to the planned project (3 page maximum).
Writing Sample (20 page maximum, e.g., peer-reviewed article, draft dissertation chapter

Additionally, the three (3) recommenders named in the cover sheet should email their letters of support directly to: sustsci_grants@hks.harvard.edu by December 1, 2009. The subject heading should read 'Sustainability Science Fellowship: Recommendation for [candidate's name]. Referees should comment on the applicant's suitability for the Sustainability Science Fellowship, including relevant information on scientific originality, professional productivity, and demonstrated ability to work in groups. Applicants applying for doctoral fellowships in Sustainability Science should have one recommendation from a thesis advisor or other university official stating that the applicant has/is expected to pass his/her qualifying exams by Summer 2010. If an applicant does not have qualifying exams at his/her university, then the applicant's major advisor should state this in the letter of recommendation and confirm that the necessary coursework will have been completed by June 2010. (Our strong preference is for recommendations letters to be sent by email. If letters must be mailed, the postal address is: Sustainability Science Fellowships, Sustainability Science Program, Center for International Development, Harvard University, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.)

Applicants bear full responsibility for ensuring that all materials, including recommendation letters, are received by December 1, 2009. We will NOT notify applicants of incomplete applications, and will not review such applications. Decisions will be announced by February 2010.

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