Deadline: December 1, 2026
Applications are open for the Kuwait Program Visiting Scholar Fellowship 2027-2028. The Kuwait Program Visiting Scholar Fellowship at the Middle East Initiative brings senior policy-oriented scholars to campus for one semester or one academic year, depending on their availability, to conduct a study group or pursue an independent research project on a critical public policy area relevant to Kuwait and the Gulf region.
Visiting Scholars receive a stipend, travel support, and access to Harvard’s libraries and other resources. This fellowship supports the Kuwait Program’s broader objective of advancing evidence-based, rigorously scientific solutions to public policy challenges facing the State of Kuwait, the Gulf region, and the world.
Applicants may propose one of the following activities:
- Lead a Study Group: An advanced academic seminar for Harvard students, comprising four to seven sessions, on a topic of the scholar’s choosing. Student participants would be selected through a competitive application process and expected to attend regularly. Study group proceedings may be developed in to a Kuwait Program report published by the Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School.
- Conduct a Research Project: An independent research project related to the scholar’s area of expertise, ideally in collaboration with a Harvard faculty member. The project should ultimately culminate in a significant scholarly output, such as a book, edited volume, or paper to be published by the Middle East Initiative under the Kuwait Program at the Harvard Kennedy School, or a peer-reviewed open-access journal article.
Stipend
- The provide a stipend of $10,000/month
Eligibility
- The Kuwait Program Research Fellowship is designed to attract the most accomplished senior policy-oriented scholars and faculty from Kuwait.
- Applicants must be from Kuwait, currently residing and working in Kuwait, or formally affiliated with a Kuwait-based academic or research institution.
- Priority will be given to applicants whose proposals center one or more of the following priority policy areas as they relate to the State of Kuwait and the Gulf region: health, education, energy, environment, water and food security, and digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
Application
All applicants must submit the following materials:
- CV/Resume: This should include all degrees earned (with dates), as well as expected dates of completion for any degrees currently in progress.
- Study Group or Research Project Proposal (3-5 pages): Describe the project you intend to pursue when in residence at the Harvard Kennedy School.
- Study Group Proposals should include:
- Title and description that summarizes what overall topic you’d like to explore over the course of the sessions, with background and context into the topic and key areas of interest/relevance to HKS students
- Proposed outline of subtopics organized by session, and total number of sessions (between four and seven suggested)
- Proposed/suggested examples of reading assignments for each session
- Research Project Proposals should include:
- The key questions, challenges, or gaps that your project aims to address, respond to, or build upon.
- Timeline outlining the stages you anticipate for completing and publishing the proposed research.
- Names of any Harvard faculty members with whom you would like to collaborate, if selected, and explain how their work is relevant to your research.
- Any other potential funding sources you are pursuing or may pursue.
- Contact information for 3 recommenders: Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that your recommenders submit their recommendations. MEI ordinarily will not contact delinquent recommenders.
- Writing Sample (fewer than 50 pages, English language only):
- Must include an abstract of 300 words or less
- Will preferably be single-authored
- Can be either published or unpublished
- Must be composed without the use of generative AI.
- Examples include: policy brief, journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, or white paper you have produced in your field.
For more information, visit Kuwait Program Visiting Scholar Fellowship.
