PON Graduate Research Fellowships Application Process

The application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is February 6, 2025.

Consistent with the PON goal of fostering the development of the next generation of scholars, the Program on Negotiation Graduate Research Fellowships provide support for one year of dissertation research and writing in negotiation and related topics in alternative dispute resolution and give fellows an opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse resources available at PON.

The Program on Negotiation Graduate Research Fellowships are designed to give doctoral students who are writing their dissertations the opportunity to be part of the PON community for one year. Successful candidates will receive:

  • A stipend of $35,000
  • Communal workspace and related facilities at PON
  • Opportunity to present one’s research at Harvard
  • Library and other privileges at Harvard.

PhD students enrolled in programs outside of the United States are welcome to apply, but please note that there is an expectation that PON Graduate Fellows will be in residence in the Cambridge community during their fellowship year.

Requirements for Fellowship Recipients

PON Graduate Fellows are expected to:

  • participate fully in an interdisciplinary research seminar, faculty seminars, and other special events. Fellows have the opportunity to be involved in an array of opportunities at all of the PON consortium schools – Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, – and other institutions in the Boston area.
  • publicly share their research with PON and the broader negotiation community near the end of their tenure at a public event New Findings in the Field of Negotiation hosted by PON.
  • be available to participate in PON Executive Education Program role simulations and PON pedagogy activities as needed.

PON Graduate Research Fellows are responsible for obtaining their own health insurance.

Doctoral candidates in the fields of economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, international relations, public policy, urban planning, business, and law are encouraged to apply. Doctoral candidates must have completed all degree requirements except for the dissertation. Graduate law students are eligible in connection with scholarly research undertaken to satisfy their SJD thesis requirements.

Each applicant should submit:

  1. Cover page listing the following information:
    • Full name
    • School and program
    • E-mail address
    • Mailing address
    • Telephone number
    • Will you require a visa to be in residence at PON for the academic year? (Please note that citizenship is not a factor in the fellow selection process)
  2. A cover letter indicating that if the fellowship is accepted, the applicant plans to reside in the Cambridge area
  3. A detailed description of her/his proposed research (no longer than 15 pages)
  4. A research budget indicating all expenses and other possible sources of financial support
  5. A resume
  6. A departmentally approved dissertation proposal, accompanied by a statement confirming that you are in a full time PhD or SJD program, and have completed all required course work, and
  7. Two letters of recommendation on university letterhead, one of which must be from the faculty member who will be supervising his or her research at the student’s home university.

While applicants are not required to work within the university or department of a PON faculty member, strong preference will be given to research that is of particular interest to one or more members of the PON faculty. Therefore, applicants who are not currently working with PON faculty are strongly encouraged, but not required, to identify a PON faculty member to whom their research is likely to be of interest, and to solicit a letter of support from that person. Please see the Research Projects section of this site for information on research projects and faculty members. A list of all PON affiliated faculty members can be found here. Preference will be given to applicants who are planning to pursue a career in academia. Applicants will be notified via email regarding our decision within one month of the deadline.

Please Note: E-mail submission of all application materials is required.

Direct application materials and inquiries by email to:

Diane Long, Event and Outreach Coordinator
dlong@law.harvard.edu
Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
1563 Massachusetts Ave.
Pound Hall 501
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 496-5541

For information about the current and past fellows please click here.