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Resources

Students spend their time at Harvard in a number of ways – conducting thesis research during the summer, completing internships abroad, studying world languages, and more. Below are lists of resources that the university provides for students interested in exploring summer opportunities, senior theses, or travel abroad opportunities in general academic studies, Latin-American Studies, Latinx Studies, and Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights. Please note that most deadlines for these opportunities are in the spring semester of every school year.

General Resources at Harvard

  • The Office of Career Services (OCS). The OCS administers funding that supports students enrolled in Harvard and Non-Harvard Summer Study Abroad Programs. Funding is also available for Harvard-Run International Programs, including a variety of summer internships offered by Harvard centers in places like Latin America, Europe, China, etc. Take advantage of drop-in hours and information sessions, or make an appointment with an adviser.
  • The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF). URAF promotes and supports research opportunities for Harvard undergraduates, from helping students to identify research opportunities to administering research programs like SHARP and MMUF (see below). URAF also hosts office hours and offers one-on-one advising appointments.
  • CARAT. The Central Application for Research and Travel (CARAT) is used by many campus programs and research units as the starting point for application submission. Click the button labeled “Undergraduate Opportunities” for information about individual funds, including deadlines. 

Summer Opportunities (Undergraduates)

  • David Rockefeller Center for Latin-American Studies Summer Programs – DRCLAS is pleased to offer structured 8-week internship and immersion programs in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. Since 2005, more than two thousand Harvard students have participated in DRCLAS programs in Latin America. Continuing Harvard students in good standing – from all schools and concentrations – are eligible to apply. Language requirements vary. 
  • David Rockefeller Center for Latin-American Studies Remote Summer Programs – DRCLAS offers a semi-structured Remote Summer Program (RSP) for currently enrolled students. The RSP offers students the opportunity to engage with Latin America in a meaningful manner that will help shape professional skills, cultural knowledge, and language capabilities through an internship placement (based in Latin America), langauge sessions, and cultural activities. 
  • DRCLAS Government Department Chair’s Traveling Fund (Brazil) – The Department of Government at Harvard University and the Brazil Studies Program & Brazil Office of Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies are partnering to offer an enriching internship experience with Brazilian host organizations to two highly qualified Government concentrators.
  • Harvard College Research Program – The Harvard College Research Program (HCRP) provides funding in support of student-initiated, independent scholarly research or creative endeavors undertaken with guidance of a Harvard-affiliated faculty mentor. HCRP also provides support for students presenting their independent research at a conference.
  • Harvard Clubs Summer Community Service Fellowship – The Harvard Clubs Summer Community Service Fellowship (SCSF) Program supports Harvard undergraduates seeking to work on public service projects in one of several communities across the country (see belowfor a full list). SCSF is coordinated through the joint efforts of the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship and the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). Local Clubs commit to funding a summer intern and raising money from their alumni/ae base. Typically, students identify internships of their choosing.Fellowship stipends typically range from $4,000 to $5,000. Fellows are expected to devote 10 weeks of full-time (35+ hours per week) involvement to their public service project.’
  • Harvard Institute of Politics Director’s Internship Program – The IOP has partnered with high-profile organizations and elected officials around the world to provide substantive, career-oriented summer internships for undergraduate students interested in politics, government, and public service. These are fully-funded internships that allow students to gain experience in the public sector that may otherwise be difficult to obtain or finance.
  • Harvard Institute of Politics Summer Stipend Program – Offers funding for students who have secured non- or low-paying summer internships in politics and public service. Eligible internships include: local, state, or federal government, public interest groups, non-governmental organizations, political organizations, advocacy work, direct service, and education.
  • Harvard Radcliffe Institute Carol K. Pforzheimer Student Fellowships – Carol K. Pforzheimer Student Fellowships provide funding to Harvard undergraduates to do research in the Schlesinger Library’s collections.
  • HBS Latin America Research Center Internships – DRCLAS is pleased to co-sponsor an internship with Harvard Business School in the Latin America Research Center (LARC) during summer 2022. 
  • Presidential Public Service Fellowship – Harvard’s Presidential Public Service Fellowship program supports a broad range of summer opportunities that serve the common good. Fellows are involved in meaningful projects that affect communities across the United States. They are active in programs that focus on education, the arts, and government; work in social services and human rights organizations; and seek improved outcomes in health, the environment, and the justice system.
  • Priscilla Chan Summer Service Stipend – This program provides funding for students who receive need-based aid for college and have secured an unpaid summer internship or fellowship in public service! Eligible students will receive a $5,000 base stipend and are eligible for additional funding (up to $1,000)!
  • Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) – Summer Undergraduate Research in Global Health (SURGH) research positions offer students the opportunity to research critical issues in global health under the direction of a Harvard faculty or affiliate mentor while living on-campus. Residential programming and financial support are meant to enable SURGH fellows to form a close-knit community with each other and with the Undergraduate Research Village, including PRISE, BLISS, PRIMO, and SHARP students. Therefore, fellows are expected to participate and contribute to the community of scholars throughout the duration of the program. House tutors and deans are asked for input on candidates during the selection process. The working dates for SURGH are usually the first week in June through the second week in August.

Summer Opportunities (Graduate Students)

  • DRCLAS Graduate Student Associate – Help facilitate independent research related to Latin America (for PhD students or advanced Professional Degree)
  • Weatherhead Center for International Affairs – The Center currently supports twenty-four doctoral candidates from advanced degree programs that include African and African American studies, anthropology, architecture and urban planning, education, government, history, history of science, law, religion, social policy, and sociology.
  • Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies – A supportive and stimulating interdisciplinary environment where you can interact with fellow graduate student colleagues, visiting scholars and fellows, faculty, and experienced practitioners at the Davis Center. Whether you are looking to connect with colleagues or searching for office space in an interdisciplinary and collegial environment, becoming a Graduate Student Associate gives you more opportunities to immerse yourself in the intellectual life of the Davis Center.
  • Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute – Harvard University supports Graduate Student Associates (GSAs) from across the different schools at Harvard who conduct research focused on South Asia. This program aims to support graduate and Ph.D. students at Harvard
  • Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies – Approximately 10 graduate student associates will be selected each academic year. The GSAs are expected to be present at the Fairbank Center offices regularly (conditions permitting) to benefit from and contribute to the interdisciplinary research environment. GSAs meet together on a biweekly basis each semester to participate in professional development focused sessions as well as to present their dissertation research to each other, gaining constructive feedback from peers. Professional development sessions, faculty presentations, or other ideas for meetings can be arranged according to the group’s interests and suggestions.
  • Harvard University Asia Center – As part of its mission to promote intra- and inter-Asian research, the Asia Center invites Harvard University graduate students who engage seriously with at least two Asian countries to become Asia Center Graduate Student Associates (GSA).
  • Reischauer Institute for Japanese Studies – The Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies is surrounded by an extensive community of scholars that prominently includes graduate students enrolled in a number of departments and programs.
  • Center for European Studies
  • Havard Center for Population Studies – The Graduate Student Affiliate program at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (the Harvard Pop Center) is designed to facilitate and supplement a student’s independent research toward a doctoral degree related to “population sciences” or “population health.”

Thesis Grant Opportunities

  • Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights Summer Thesis Research Grants – Summer travel grants to assist Harvard juniors with senior honors thesis research related to ethnicity, human rights, indigeneity, and migration.
  • DRCLAS Summer Research Travel Grant – The Summer Research Travel Grant supports undergraduate and graduate or professional students conducting thesis or dissertation research related to Latin America and the Caribbean. Research proposals are accepted from all disciplines, but must be directly related to the region.
  • Kenneth I. Juster Fellowships for Undergraduate Research and Travel – The Weatherhead Center is pleased to offer grants to support undergraduate field research or field experience in the areas of international relations, international trade and economic affairs, international development, international negotiation and dispute resolution, and global governance and affairs.
  • Asian American Studies Senior Thesis Research Grant – For research for a senior honors thesis related to Asian American Studies, with a relationship to Asian American life, history, culture, theory, or politics. Projects may deal with persons or groups with ancestry that is Pacific Islander, South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian, or Middle Eastern. Likewise, ‘American’ need not be limited to U.S. contexts. Deadline: February 14, 2022.
  • Canada Program Undergraduate Thesis Research Grants – The Canada Program, funded by the William Lyon Mackenzie King endowment, examines Canadian economic, social, cultural, and political issues in their domestic and international dimensions. The program comprises a seminar speaker series, an annual faculty conference, graduate and undergraduate student affiliates, and two annual visitor opportunities: the William Lyon Mackenzie King Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies, who chairs the seminar and organizes the faculty conference, and the William Lyon Mackenzie King Postdoctoral Fellows.
  • Asia Center Undergraduate Summer Research Travel Grants – Research must look at two or more countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia comparatively or explore the relations among Asian countries. Individual country topics may only be considered for Southeast Asian countries or if they are part of broader, multi-country research. This multi-country context must be made explicit in the application.
  • Asia Center Winter Research Travel Grants for Undergraduate Students – Research must look at two or more countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia comparatively or explore the relations among Asian countries. Individual country topics may only be considered for Southeast Asian countries or if they are part of broader, multi-country research. This multi-country context must be made explicit in the application.
  • Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Thesis Research Grants – The Weatherhead Center holds an annual competition to award fifteen to twenty travel grants to support the summer field research of Harvard undergraduates. These grants are designed to help finance travel in connection with senior thesis research on international affairs.

Travel Abroad Opportunities

  • Harvard Summer School (Study Abroad) – The programs, from five to nine weeks in length, provide a range of academic experiences and opportunities, from focused foreign language and culture courses to immersive study of location-specific topics in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.