HDS - Financial Aid - Outside Funding for Master's Research

Financial Aid

Outside Funding for Master's Research

Funding sources are listed alphabetically by the name of the sponsoring organization. Unless otherwise noted, please submit applications for funding directly to the sponsoring organization.

Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty

Calihan Academic Fellowship Programs

The Calihan Academic Fellowships provide scholarships and research grants to future scholars and religious leaders whose academic work shows outstanding potential. Applicants studying theology, philosophy, economics, or related fields must demonstrate the potential to advance understanding in the relationship between theology and the principles of the free and virtuous society. Such principles include recognition of human dignity, the importance of the rule of law, limited government, religious liberty, and freedom in economic life.

Calihan Travel Grants

The Calihan Travel Grants provide financial assistance to students who have been selected to present, at an academic conference, research relevant to themes promoted by the Acton Institute. Such themes include the integration of theological ideas with principles of limited government, rule of law, religious freedom, and economic liberty. Grants are also open to students who need to travel to, and perform research at, archives or libraries or to attend educational conferences that involve the above themes.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation, Inc.

The Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) is committed to the idea that academic excellence comes in many forms. The three ways in which the EAF carries out its mission are through academic scholarships, fellowships, and community assistance awards:

Academic scholarships are the primary means by which the EAF carries out its mission. The Foundation awards merit, financial need, and Youth Partners Accessing Capital (P.A.C.) scholarships.
EAF fellowships do not require enrollment in an academic institution. These awards help to improve the quality of life of others by funding research and projects with practical applications.
The EAF offers community assistance awards to assist individuals and organizations for a specific civic, educational, or human service program or project.

American Academy of Religion (AAR)

Collaborative Research Grants

To fulfill its commitment to advance research in religion, the AAR each year awards Collaborative Research Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support projects proposed by AAR members and selected by the AAR Research Grants Review Committee. Collaborative grants are intended to stimulate cooperative research among scholars in different institutions, with a focus on a clearly identified research project. They may also be used for interdisciplinary work with scholars outside the field of religion, especially when such work shows promise of continuing beyond the year funded. Collaborative project proposals are expected to describe plans for having the results of the research published.

Individual Research Grants

To fulfill its commitment to advance research in religion, the AAR each year grants Individual Research Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support projects proposed by AAR members and selected by the AAR Research Grants Review Committee. These grants provide support for important aspects of research, such as travel to archives and libraries, research assistance, field work, and released time.

American Historical Association Grants

The Albert J. Beveridge Grant for Research in the History of the Western Hemisphere

The funds for this program come from the earnings of the Albert J. Beveridge Memorial Fund. Only members of the American Historical Association are eligible. The grants are intended to further research in progress and may be used for travel to a library or archive, for microfilms, photographs, or photocopying—a list of purposes that is meant to be merely illustrative, not exhaustive (other expenses, such as child care, can be included). Preference will be given to those with specific research needs, such as the completion of a project or completion of a discrete segment thereof. Preference will be given to PhD candidates and junior scholars.

The Littleton-Griswold Research Grant for Research in U.S. Legal History

The funds for this program come from the earnings of the Littleton-Griswold Fund. Only members of the American Historical Association are eligible to apply. The grants are intended to further research in progress and may be used for travel to a library or archive, for microfilms, photographs, or photocopying—a list of purposes that is meant to be merely illustrative, not exhaustive (other expenses, such as child care, can be included). Preference will be given to those with specific research needs, such as the completion of a project or completion of a discrete segment thereof. Preference will be given to PhD candidates and junior scholars.

The Bernadotte E. Schmitt Grants for Research in European, African, or Asian History

The funds for this program come from the earnings of a bequest from Bernadotte E. Schmitt, president of the American Historical Association in 1960. Only members of the association are eligible to apply. The grants are intended to further research in progress and may be used for travel to a library or archive, for microfilms, photographs, or photocopying—a list of purposes that is meant to be merely illustrative, not exhaustive (other expenses, such as child care, can be included). Preference will be given to those with specific research needs, such as the completion of a project or completion of a discrete segment thereof. Preference will be given to PhD candidates and junior scholars.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers fellowships (up to $23,000) and grants (normally $5,000) to individuals to pursue research or study in one or more of the Scandinavian countries for up to one year. Awards are made in all fields. Please visit the foundation's website for more information.

American Theological Library Association

The Publications Committee of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) awards publication grants each year to one or more recipients to aid in the development of a scholarly work that advances some aspect of theological librarianship or provides bibliographic access to a significant body of literature within theological or religious studies. The committee especially encourages proposals from persons undertaking their first major project in this area.

Asia Center Graduate Summer Research Grants

The Harvard University Asia Center offers grants to support graduate research during the summer relating to any country in East, South, and Southeast Asia. The competition is open to graduate students from all Schools at Harvard at all stages of their academic careers. Grants will not exceed $3,000.

Harvard's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies (PDF; Adobe Reader required) offers grants to support graduate research during the summer in or relating to China and Taiwan. The competition is open to graduate students from all Schools at Harvard at all stages of their academic careers. Grants will not exceed $3,000. Recipients are required to submit, upon their return, a brief report on their work over the summer. Application deadline is Friday, February 27, 2009. Application and instructions are available on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences' Fellowships Office website.

Asian Art and Religion Fellowship Program

The Asian Art and Religion Fellowship Program offered by the Asian Arts Council focuses on the relationship between the artistic and religious traditions of Asia, and enables American scholars, specialists, and artists to conduct research and undertake projects in Asia involving the interdisciplinary analysis of religion and the arts. Up to five research fellowships or travel grants are awarded each year through this program.

The Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School

The Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR) and Harvard Divinity School (HDS) are pleased to announce the availability of the Dana McLean Greeley International Internship for an HDS student interested in furthering interreligious understanding. The Greeley International Internship honors the Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, AB '31, STB '33, who believed that people of all backgrounds and faiths are deeply connected to one another and should work together for positive social change. Applications for one summer internship will be accepted from HDS students who wish to intern with an organization outside of the United States that is dedicated to the promotion of interreligious understanding, peace, and social justice.

Cross Currents Magazine Annual Research Colloquium Fellowship

The Cross Currents Research Colloquium Fellowship provides successful applicants with the opportunity to integrate his or her faith tradition with the life of the mind, and to outline a project that will be of interest to those outside his or her area of academic specialization or religious tradition. The colloquium runs for four weeks during July in New York City. Each scholar works on his or her own project, but benefits by being able to collaborate with others from a group of 20 scholars and resource theologians.

Episcopal Divinity School's Jonathan M. Daniels Memorial Fellowship

The Jonathan M. Daniels Memorial Fellowships (PDF; Adobe Reader required), awarded annually, are intended to set students in accredited theological schools free from their academic life and commitments to be engaged directly in some area of social concern, such as racial equality, civil rights, fair housing, community organization, or environmental issues. They are not intended to support research, supervised field education, existing nonprofit organizations, or any activity that is primarily based in the school curriculum itself. There is no restriction as to the location of the project. The committee meets in March each year to review all proposals and to make a judgment on those to be funded.

Furman University Chaplaincy Internship

Furman University is offering an academic year chaplaincy internship to begin August 2009 and run through May 2010. The position is appropriate for a master's- level theological (or related field) student desiring supervised field placement or as post-graduate field experience for those individuals interested in academic chaplaincy. Supervised by the Furman chaplain's office, this internship is full time and will involve work with a diverse student body, a world-class faculty, and a stellar university staff. Applications are due by April 15, 2009. Please visit the Furman chaplaincy website for more information on application requirements.

Harvard University Foreign Languages and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS)

The Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences' FLAS Fellowships promote foreign language competence and international world area knowledge by ensuring the continuance of area expertise in a variety of fields, including academia. The FLAS Fellowship is an annual competition designed to finance graduate study in foreign languages and appropriately related area studies. For more information, see Outside Funding for Language Study.

Harvard-China Scholarships

An agreement between Harvard University and the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China provides Harvard undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. citizens the opportunity to study or conduct research in China for one academic year. The Ministry of Education arranges for the recipient's admission to one of approximately 80 Chinese universities that are approved to accept foreign students by the Ministry of Education and the China Scholarship Council. Five full scholarships (covering tuition and a stipend for living expenses) and 10 partial scholarships (covering tuition only) are available each year. Harvard undergraduate and graduate students apply for consideration directly to the Committee on General Scholarships.

Application materials can be requested by contacting the Committee on General Scholarships. Application Deadline is Monday, December 8, 2008, at 5 pm.

Harvard University Committee on General Scholarships Traveling Fellowships

Sinclair Kennedy Traveling Fellowships

Sinclair Kennedy Traveling Fellowships are awarded to Harvard graduate students for one academic year of travel, study, and/or research outside the United States. The fellowship provides a lump-sum stipend that is paid to the recipient before he or she leaves the U.S. (the stipend was $22,000 for academic year 2008-09). The fellowship can be combined with other sources of funding, subject to the approval of the Committee on General Scholarships (CGS). Graduate students interested in applying must have already completed one full year of graduate study at Harvard at the time of application. Applicants need not hold a Harvard degree. Preference is given to applicants with U.S. citizenship.

For more information, or to receive an application, please contact Beth Flaherty in the HDS Office of Financial Aid. Applications must be submitted to the HDS Office of Financial Aid by 5 pm on Friday, January 30, 2009.

Frank Knox Traveling Fellowships

Frank Knox Traveling Fellowships are awarded to Harvard College seniors and Harvard graduate students for one academic year of travel, study, and/or research in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom. The Knox Traveling Fellowship provides a lump-sum stipend that is paid to the recipient before he or she leaves the U.S. (the stipend was $22,000 for academic year 2008-09).The fellowship can be combined with other sources of funding, subject to the approval of the Committee on General Scholarships (CGS). Graduate students interested in applying must have already completed one full year of graduate study at Harvard at the time of application. Applicants need not hold a Harvard degree but must be U.S. citizens.

Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowships

Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowships are awarded to Harvard graduate students for one academic year of travel, study, and/or research outside the United States. Although the intent of this fellowship program is to provide Harvard graduate students with the opportunity to spend an academic year abroad, applications from students interested in travel, study, or research within the United States are considered on a case-by-case basis. In no event are Sheldon Fellowships awarded to students who wish to study or conduct research at Harvard or in the greater Boston area.

The Sheldon Fellowship provides a lump-sum stipend that is paid to the recipient before departing for his or her intended destination (the stipend was $22,000 for academic year 2008-09). The fellowship can be combined with other sources of funding subject to the approval of the Committee on General Scholarships (CGS). Graduate students must have already completed one full year of graduate study at Harvard at the time of application. Applicants must hold a Harvard degree or be a candidate for a Harvard degree in the year of application. Doctoral students with no prior Harvard degree may petition their departments to award them a master's degree in order to comply with this requirement. Preference is given to applicants with U.S. citizenship.

Harvard University Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

Support of graduate and undergraduate students is an important priority for the Weatherhead Center. Generous grants from the Weatherhead Foundation and from the Hartley R. Rogers family allow the Center to provide extensive research opportunities for students. These funds complement our student programs funds from the Weatherhead Foundation and the Maurice and Sarah Samuels family, allowing us to offer exciting programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Resources for students are extensive, ranging from thesis research grants and workshops for undergraduates, to pre- and postdoctoral fellowships, language study opportunities, and affiliations for graduate students and recent PhD recipients. We invite students to explore the Weatherhead Center's myriad resources over the coming year.

International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons

The International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons offers a Student Ministry Scholarship, available to students enrolled in a master of divinity program. Awards are usually for $1,000 for the academic year and must be used toward tuition. More specific application criteria can be found on the website.

The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) is pleased to announce the Next Generation Leadership in Asian Affairs Fellowship for 2009-2010. This year-long program, based in Seattle, focuses on bridging the gap between scholarship and policymaking. Fellows collaborate with leading scholars to conduct independent research and share research findings with the policymaking community in Washington, D.C.

The fellowship is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Individuals who have received their master's degree diplomas up to twelve months prior to the application deadline may apply to the program. Applicants must have completed a master's or equivalent professional degree (MA, MBA, LLM, JD, etc.) by the time the fellowship begins. Prospective fellows should apply only for the year that they expect to participate. No deferrals are permitted.

Mater Dei Institute of Education

Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin, Ireland, is holding an international, interdisciplinary conference and graduate summer school this year from June 8 to 11 titled " 'A Secular Age': Tracing the Contours of Religion and Belief."

This four-day event will consist of plenary addresses, concurrent sessions for academic papers, and graduate workshops—all of which will focus on the themes raised in Charles Taylor's recent work, A Secular Age. Additionally, the graduate summer school will provide participants with an opportunity to attend a series of workshops facilitated by leading theologians, philosophers, and sociologists. It is envisaged that a selection of the proceedings of this four-day event will be published in a book and will be circulated internationally. More information can be found on the Mater Dei website.

The Newberry Library Fellowships

The Newberry Library Fellowships are available to graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students in the humanities whose research would benefit from time spent in the library's collections. Newberry's collections concern the civilizations of Western Europe and the Americas from the late middle ages to the early twentieth century. A number of long- and short-term fellowships are available at stipends of $1,800 to $35,000. Application deadlines vary; detailed program and application information is available on the library's website.

The Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University

The Newhouse Graduate Newspaper Fellowship and Apprenticeship for Minorities is a highly competitive 30-month program that provides two generous awards each year to minority students who have majored in subjects other than journalism as undergraduates. It is supported by the Newhouse Foundation. Application deadline is February 1, 2009. Please visit their website for more information.

Novak Award

The Novak Award, named after distinguished American theologian Michael Novak, provides a $10,000 award for new outstanding scholarly research into the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society. This award recognizes those scholars early in their academic career who demonstrate outstanding intellectual merit in advancing the understanding of theology's connection to human dignity, the importance of the rule of law, limited government, religious liberty, and freedom in economic life.

Rappaport Institute Public Policy Summer Fellowship

Harvard University's Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston offers summer public policy fellowships. The fellowships offer 12 graduate students paid, 10-week summer internships in key state and local agencies in the Greater Boston area. Fellows also participate in a weekly seminar series with leading practitioners and scholars and are required to write a short essay related to their experiences. Fellows receive a $7,000 stipend. Visit the Rappaport Institute's website for details on summer 2009 deadlines.

The fellowship program is a key component of the Rappaport Institute, which aims to improve the governance of Greater Boston by fostering better connections among the region's scholars, policymakers, and civic leaders. In addition to the Public Policy Program, the Rappaport Institute develops and disseminates policy-relevant research in timely and accessible ways; fosters conversations between researchers and practitioners; hosts public events on regional issues; and offers training for local officials.

In previous years, fellows have worked on a diverse range of projects that include: school reform plans, environmental risk assessment, public-private partnerships, community development projects, performance-management systems, racial bias in the juvenile justice system, health coverage for foster children, and reduction plans for greenhouse gases.

The Shrewsbury Fellowship

The Shrewsbury Fellowship, administered through The Memorial Church of Harvard University, offers an opportunity for an American student from Harvard to spend a school year as a full member of the community in one of England's finest "public schools" (as preparatory schools are called in England). Founded in 1552, Shrewsbury alumni include Sir Philip Sidney, Judge Jeffreys, and Charles Darwin. It is situated on the edge of the attractive medieval town of Shrewsbury on the Welsh border. It is a private boarding school with 700 boys between the ages of 13 and 18 and a maintains a faculty of 90. The sixth form (ages 16-18) will become coeducational in September 2008.

Applications are due by February 10, 2009, and interviews will be held on Friday, February 20, if necessary. Please visit the Shrewsbury Fellowship website for more information and to download an application.

Smithsonian Institution Graduate Student Fellowships

The Smithsonian Institution encourages access to its collections, staff specialties, and reference resources by visiting scholars, scientists, and students. The Institution offers in-residence appointments for research and study using its facilities, and the advice and guidance of its staff members.

World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches provides scholarship assistance to study abroad for candidates recommended by churches and church-related organizations. Applicants should have a college degree as well as several years of work experience. Nominated candidates must commit to returning to their home country upon completion of study to take up the task for which the training was requested. Scholarships are normally provided for periods between three months and two years.