Application Key Dates and Eligibility
Q: When is the application period and deadline?
A: Applications are now open and will close on February 13th.
Q: Is the fellowship open to students graduating in May 2022?
A: Yes. The fellowship is open to graduate students completing their program in 2022.
Q: May international students apply?
A: Most international students can apply, but you may need to check with the International Office here to discuss your specific visa situation. Note: Harvard University, not the city, will be your employer and Harvard will pay you for the fellowship.
Q: May undergraduates apply?
A: The summer fellowship is only open to graduate students. Please check our Student Opportunities page for undergraduate engagement options.
Q: What schools do successful applicants commonly attend at Harvard?
A: We love to see a diversity in programs and schools represented. Cities are often looking for a different perspective. Given the nature of the projects to date, most of our applicants are from HKS, HSPH, HBS, HGSE, and GSD.
Q: Have any past fellows been selected without prior government experience?
A: Yes! We accept fellows with all types of backgrounds - public, private, and non-profit.
Selection and Placement Process
Q: What does the matching process look like?
A: After the application window has closed, we review all candidates’ applications and select the top candidates for first round interviews in late February through early March. Once we have determined the top candidates for each city, the cities will meet with the finalists and provide their feedback to us. We will then compare the cities’ priority candidate against the students’ ranking. In instances where there is not an immediate match, we will revert to the candidate pool and conduct the search and match procedure until all positions are filled.
Q: How does city placement/choice work?
A: In the application, you will be asked to rank top 3 choices and make a case for these top three choices. The interview and review team will evaluate your application and, when possible, do our best to match you to one of their top three choices.
Integration with Host City Team
Q: What is the format and structure of the fellowship?
A: The fellowship is designed to be a fully immersive, in person experience. Given global circumstances, fellowships have been primarily remote for the last 2 years. However, fellows have added value and made significant impact despite the distance or limited travel. We are planning for in-person fellowships for summer 2022, however we will follow University guidance on travel as we approach start dates.
Q: How integrated are fellows with their government teams?
A: We ask cities to integrate fellows with their teams as much as possible. In remote fellowships, fellows and city supervisors will need to make an extra effort.
Q: Will I need any special hardware or software for the work?
A: No special hardware or software is needed to complete a fellowship. However, each fellowship city may have unique security and confidentiality requirements which would be addressed when onboarding the fellow.
Fellowship Support
Q: Is there a stipend?
A: Yes, Bloomberg Harvard provides a stipend of $8500 for the 10-week fellowship and pays for 1, single purchase, round trip ticket to the fellowship city.
Q: If selected, will housing be provided in the fellowship city?
A: The fellow is responsible for securing their own housing. Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative does not provide funds in excess of the $8500 stipend and single purchase around trip ticket. In previous years, some cities have provided guidance to help the fellow secure housing during their 10-week placement.
Q: What support do fellows receive?
A: Yes, Bloomberg Harvard fellows will meet regularly and be paired with a fellow “buddy” to build a network of support and community of practice to aid in problem-solving collectively with each other and Bloomberg Harvard staff. A pre-fellowship orientation and ongoing professional development workshops will be designed and scheduled over the 10 weeks to fill gaps in fellows’ skillsets and guide final deliverables. Examples of previous professional development workshops include sessions such as “Making Yourself Useful” with David Eaves; “Survey Design” with Bloomberg Harvard staff; and “City Hall 101” with former Mayor Sly James and former Los Angeles Chief Data Officer Sari Ladin-Sienne.
Q: Do I choose my own faculty advisor?
A: We will assign you a faculty advisor as well as an Initiative staff “champion” to serve as your advocate within our program.