☰
Applications are open for the Charles Bullard Fellowship in Forest Research 2025-2026. Harvard University awards a limited number of Bullard Fellowships annually to individuals representing a variety of disciplines and approaches to the study of forested ecosystems. These full-time residential fellowships allow individuals to foster their scientific and professional growth and to contribute to research on forests at Harvard.
Opportunity Details
A major goal of the Bullard Fellowship program is to enhance research activities at Harvard Forest and build long-term collaborations that connect Harvard Forest with other parts of the University. Fellows can be based at the Harvard Forest or associated with other departments and centers at Harvard, such as the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, and the Arnold Arboretum. Bullard Fellowships are not intended for post-doctoral fellows; instead they are targeted at individuals with a record of independent scholarship and professional accomplishment.
Fellowships are occasionally awarded in the arts and environmental humanities, though these are rare. Please note that proposals in the arts and humanities must demonstrate a strong connection to the research at Harvard Forest and may undergo a separate review process led by Harvard University colleagues from the appropriate discipline.
Fellowships are either 2 to 3 months (Short-Term Fellows) or 6–12 months (Long-Term Fellows), and offer a stipend of $6250 per month (i.e., $75,000 per year). Awards are not intended for graduate students or recent postdoctoral candidates. Fellows are expected to be in residence throughout their fellowship. Typically, this means that Fellows are present at the Harvard Forest or their Harvard University host lab at least three days per week. All Fellows are expected to attend Harvard Forest Lab Meetings on Wednesdays and other community events. Our intent is to have Bullard Fellows become fully immersed in our community.
Harvard Forest is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse and inclusive community that collectively supports and implements our mission.
Applications will open August 1, 2024 for fellowship opportunities in 2025-2026.
The deadline for applications is October 1, 2024.
View the listing of past fellowship recipients or learn more about this year's Bullard Fellows.
Research areas include forest ecology, tree physiology, soil biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, forest resource management, conservation and biodiversity, land use planning, and public policy. Fellowships are occasionally awarded in the arts and environmental humanities. Please note that proposals in the arts and humanities must demonstrate a strong connection to the research at Harvard Forest and will undergo a separate review process led by Harvard University colleagues from the appropriate discipline.
Duration
Fellowships may start at any time after September 1. Short-Term fellowships are 2 to 3 months and Long-Term fellowships are typically 6 to 12 months in duration.
The Bullard Fellowship is a residential program and Fellows are expected to spend a substantial portion of their Fellowship based at either Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts or at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Currently, staff at Harvard Forest are expected to be on-site Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Bullards who expect to spend more than a week or two traveling during their Fellowship should include details in their application.
The Fellowships carry stipends up to $6250 per month (i.e., a max of $75,000 for a year); the amount of each award depends on the duration of the Fellowship. Fellows have the option of having the award paid either to themselves or to the Fellow's employer.
In most cases, the stipend will supplement income received for devoting a period to research, e.g., sabbatical leave pay for an individual in academic life, appointments with federal support for training of individuals in federal public service, or educational leave with pay for individuals in the private sector. Fellowships are not intended to provide significant funds for original research.
Please consider the information regarding costs discussed in the following sections: Fellowship Location, Taxes, Travel Reimbursement, Health Insurance and International Fellows.
Travel Fellowships All Bullard Fellows will receive a travel fellowship equivalent to the cost of one round trip between their Fellowship site location and their home base. The fellowship will reflect either the actual airfare or mileage (at rate determined by the IRS) between the two, whichever is lower. Bullards are responsible for the travel costs of any people accompanying them.
Bullard Fellowships are generally awarded to individuals who have established themselves in academia, public service, or in the private sector. Bullard Fellowships are intended for scholars and practitioners who have demonstrated substantial accomplishment and vision; recent PhD graduates are generally not appropriate. For those in academic careers, preference is given to holders of doctoral degrees who received their degrees at least two years prior to applying and have published a monograph or at least two (humanities and social sciences) or five (STEM) articles in refereed journals or edited collections. Applicants from outside academia must demonstrate leadership in their field and propose a project that shows promise of making important contributions to forest studies, broadly defined. All applicants will be considered in terms of the likelihood that study at Harvard will help advance their careers and the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Harvard Forest. Judgments of the Bullard Review Committee are based primarily on the quality of the applicant's professional accomplishments, academic record, and potential benefits from interaction with the Harvard Forest community and its institutional resources.
The application requires:
Deadline: Applications must be completed with accompanying documentation by October 1 at 5 pm EST. References are accepted until October 15 Midnight EST. Successful candidates will be notified on or before December 15.
For additional information: e-mail [email protected].