Fellowships

Three HDS students participating in an event panel at HDS

The HDS Office of Career Services advises on and contributes to the nomination of select fellowship opportunities, including U.S. Student Program Fulbright Fellowships and Harvard Traveling Fellowships (particularly the Kennedy/Knox and Sheldon awards).

The Harvard Divinity School (HDS) application deadline for the 2027-2028 U.S. Student Program Fulbright award cycle is Friday, September 11, 2026 (approximately one month in advance of the national deadline).  Students planning to apply are encouraged to meet with HDS Career Services, well in advance of the deadline for program guidance. Candidates apply directly on the Fulbright website. Please note that applying through HDS, which will include an interview with the HDS Fellowships Committee, is limited to currently enrolled students.  Alumni are eligible to apply as Candidates-at-Large. Questions and requests for appointments may be directed to careers@hds.harvard.edu.

The deadline for 2027-2028 Harvard Traveling Fellowships (Kennedy, Knox, and Sheldon) will be announced in September and is expected to be in January 2027.  All HDS student applications for Traveling Fellowships must be submitted through CARAT, Harvard FAS’s Centralized Application for Research and Travel. Applications will be available via the Harvard University Committee on General Scholarships website. Students are advised to carefully select the application link for their degree program.

More Information about Fulbright and Harvard Traveling Fellowships can be found on the HDS intranet Fellowships and Funding page.  

Other fellowships and grants

The primary resource at HDS for information and advice on a wide range of grants and research fellowships is the Office of Financial Aid. Other good resources are the public website of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Fellowships Office and Scholarly Pursuits, an annual publication of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Also check the Harvard University Committee on General Scholarships for information on grants and traveling fellowship funds and the HDS Office of Ministry Studies for information on funds that may be available for international field education placements.

Fellowships that are more in the nature of pay-in-exchange-for-work are publicized in the Hired career management system. Simply log in to Hired and search job listings, which often include fellowship opportunities.

Writing resources

Writing consultant

Information will be posted here in June 2026 concerning an HDS writing consultant available from August 2026 to January 2027, specifically to assist current HDS students with writing personal statements and statements of purpose for fellowship, doctoral, and other advanced graduate study applications. Questions may also be directed to careers@hds.harvard.edu.

Proposal writing resources