Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program 2027

Deadline: October 28, 2026

Applications are open for the Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program 2027. The Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program supports rigorous, policy-relevant research on urban problem-solving and city leadership. The program selects a cohort of researchers whose work has the potential to make meaningful contributions both to scholarship and to real-world challenges. Individuals selected through the application process are appointed as Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars.

Scholars may spend either one semester or one full academic year in residence at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. During their residency, scholars focus primarily on advancing their research while engaging with the Center’s intellectual community. This is the inaugural year of the Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program. The Center’s goal is to build a lasting and collaborative community of scholars whose work informs the practice of urban problem-solving and city leadership.

Benefits

The program provides housing near Harvard University. Financial assistance is available to enable scholars to dedicate sustained time to their proposed research project. Depending on individual circumstances, this support may be used to facilitate course buyout or other arrangements that allow scholars to step back from regular academic obligations during the residency period.

Eligibility

The program invites applications from researchers whose work aligns with the mission of the Bloomberg Center for Cities.

Applicants may come from a range of disciplinary backgrounds and be at different career stages.

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or comparable terminal research degree) and, at the time of application, hold a current faculty or research appointment at a degree-granting university or recognized research institution.

Applicants should submit a proposal describing a specific research project that they will pursue during the residency. Proposals should clearly articulate:

The urban problem or city leadership challenge that the research addresses

The research question(s) that the project examines and the theorey/theories underpinning the work

The research design and methodological approach

The significance of the project for the fields of research and practice

The type(s) of outputs envisioned and potential impacts

Applicants may be invited to participate in an interview with members of a selection committee. Following this process, selected applicants will be formally appointed as Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on

Clarity and significance of the research problem

Strength of the research design

Potential contribution to scholarship and to the practice of urban problem-solving

Alignment with the mission and thematic interests of the Bloomberg Center for Cities

Application

Application deadline is October 28, 2026. Notice of selection will be sent out in February 2027.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program.

Applicants should submit a proposal describing a specific research project that they will pursue during the residency.

The program invites applications from researchers whose work aligns with the mission of the Bloomberg Center for Cities. Applicants may come from a range of disciplinary backgrounds and be at different career stages. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or comparable terminal research degree) and, at the time of application, hold a current faculty or research appointment at a degree-granting university or recognized research institution. Applicants should submit a proposal describing a specific research project that they will pursue during the residency. Proposals should clearly articulate:

The urban problem or city leadership challenge that the research addresses

The research question(s) that the project examines and the theorey/theories underpinning the work

The research design and methodological approach

The significance of the project for the fields of research and practice

The type(s) of outputs envisioned and potential impacts

Applicants may be invited to participate in an interview with members of a selection committee. Following this process, selected applicants will be formally appointed as Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on

Clarity and significance of the research problem

Strength of the research design

Potential contribution to scholarship and to the practice of urban problem-solving

Alignment with the mission and thematic interests of the Bloomberg Center for Cities

Application

Application deadline is October 28, 2026. Notice of selection will be sent out in February 2027.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Bloomberg Harvard Visiting Scholars Program.

The program provides housing near Harvard University. Financial assistance is available to enable scholars to dedicate sustained time to their proposed research project. Depending on individual circumstances, this support may be used to facilitate course buyout or other arrangements that allow scholars to step back from regular academic obligations during the residency period.

Proposals should clearly articulate: The urban problem or city leadership challenge that the research addresses The research question(s) that the project examines and the theorey/theories underpinning the work The research design and methodological approach The significance of the project for the fields of research and practice The type(s) of outputs envisioned and potential impacts