Harkness Fellowship 2027–2028: Approximately $8,500 Monthly Stipend for International Health Policy Leaders

Harkness Fellowship 2027–2028: Approximately $8,500 Monthly Stipend for International Health Policy Leaders

The Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship is a funded, year-long research and leadership opportunity for experienced health policy and health care professionals from nine countries. The 2027–28 application is open from 1 June 2026 through 1 November 2026. Selected Fellows spend between 10 and 12 months in the United States conducting comparative research with support from a U.S. mentor and host institution.

This is not a general graduate scholarship. It is designed for people who already have a substantial record in health policy, health services research, clinical leadership, care delivery, government, management, or health journalism. The proposed project must matter in both the United States and the applicant’s home country, and it must aim at policy or system-level change. Applicants should therefore approach the opportunity as a focused professional research placement, not as a way to obtain an academic degree.

The award is unusually comprehensive. The Commonwealth Fund describes an approximate USD $8,500 monthly living stipend, dedicated research funding, round-trip airfare, relocation support, health insurance coverage, and payment of U.S. federal and state withholding taxes. Fellows accompanied by a partner or children under 18 can receive an additional family supplement. Exact terms vary by country, and the official program page should control any final budgeting decision.

Key details

What the Harkness Fellowship offers

The core benefit is time, funding, and access to conduct a substantial comparative project in the United States. Fellows are affiliated with a U.S. institution such as a university, think tank, health care organization, or government agency. The Commonwealth Fund works with selected Fellows to identify potential mentors whose expertise matches the proposed research. A mentor can provide technical guidance, help the Fellow navigate relevant data, and facilitate introductions to organizations and policy contacts.

The program also includes a leadership and learning component. Fellows participate in Commonwealth Fund seminars covering U.S. health policy, federal health policy in Washington, state-level health policy and innovation, public narrative and communications, and leadership conversations. The program describes orientation in New York City, meetings with policy actors, and recurring opportunities for the cohort to exchange ideas. The precise seminar schedule can change, but the purpose is consistent: connect research to the institutions and people who shape health care delivery.

Financial support is intended to make the placement workable rather than merely symbolic. The monthly living stipend is approximately $8,500 and is adjusted annually for cost of living. The award also includes dedicated research funding, round-trip airfare, relocation support, health insurance, and payment of U.S. federal and state withholding taxes. Fellows may receive a family supplement when accompanied by a partner or children under 18. A Fellow coming from a for-profit employer is encouraged to discuss salary support or paid leave with that employer; if the home institution provides partial salary support, the Commonwealth Fund says it can supplement that support to meet the monthly living stipend.

Who this opportunity fits

The best fit is an established professional whose work already touches health policy or the organization of care. The Commonwealth Fund lists government and policy professionals, health services researchers, clinicians, health care managers, executives, and journalists among the backgrounds represented in the program. A job title alone is not enough. Applicants must show a record of informing policy through research, analysis, care delivery, or clinical leadership and explain how the fellowship would extend that record.

The fellowship is especially relevant when the same policy question can be examined across two systems. Examples might include access to care, health insurance coverage, care quality, delivery efficiency, health equity, or a specific implementation problem that affects both the United States and the applicant’s home country. The project does not need to compare every aspect of two national systems. It does need a credible reason that observing and analyzing the U.S. system will produce a useful contribution at home.

This is a poor fit for someone seeking a master’s degree, doctorate, or ordinary classroom exchange. The Commonwealth Fund explicitly says the award cannot support study for an academic degree. It is also not intended to be combined with another program. Applicants should be able to take a professional research leave and spend at least 10 months in the United States during the 2027–28 fellowship year.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must be established residents of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, or the United Kingdom. They must also be eligible to receive a J-1 Research Scholar Visa and committed to continuing their career in the country from which they apply. Visa eligibility is a real condition, not an administrative detail to investigate after selection, so applicants with unusual citizenship, residence, or employment arrangements should contact the program before investing in a final proposal.

The official requirements describe a midcareer professional with significant promise as a policy-oriented health care leader. There is no age requirement or upper age limit. “Midcareer” is a description of the program’s intended stage, not a published age cutoff. A convincing application should make the career-stage case through responsibility, relevant work, and demonstrated influence rather than relying on years of experience alone.

The proposed research must be relevant to both the United States and the home country, focus on policy or system-level change, and be feasible for the applicant’s education and experience. The project should connect clearly to the Commonwealth Fund’s principal areas of interest: improving health insurance coverage, access to care, quality and efficiency of care delivery, and health equity. People from historically marginalized backgrounds and populations underrepresented in health policy and health care delivery are strongly encouraged to apply.

Designing the research proposal

The preliminary proposal may be up to five pages, excluding references. Within that limit, the reader should be able to identify the policy problem, the research question, the comparative value, the method, the data or participants, the likely U.S. placement, the timetable, and the intended policy contribution. A broad topic such as “health equity in two countries” is not a research plan. A narrower question tied to a decision, delivery model, payment mechanism, or access barrier gives reviewers something they can assess.

Quantitative proposals should address whether the necessary datasets exist and whether the applicant can access them. The Commonwealth Fund specifically advises candidates to explore data availability and accessibility. A proposal that depends on a restricted dataset, a long approval process, or an unconfirmed data-sharing agreement should explain that risk and offer a workable alternative. Qualitative proposals should describe how evidence will be collected, whether through document review, interviews, focus groups, observation, or another justified method. Naming a method without explaining who or what will be studied is not enough.

The comparative argument should do more than place two country descriptions side by side. Explain what the U.S. setting makes possible, what the home-country setting contributes, and what could reasonably transfer between them. The project should also identify who could use the results: a ministry, regulator, provider organization, health system leader, professional association, journalist, or other policy audience. That makes the system-change ambition concrete without promising that research alone will change policy.

Applicants do not need to have secured a U.S. mentor or host institution before applying. Commonwealth Fund staff help newly selected Fellows identify potential mentors and affiliations. If you already have a strong placement idea, include it in the proposal, but do not treat a speculative conversation as a confirmed commitment. A short, well-supported explanation of the expertise and setting needed may be more credible than an unverified claim that a particular institution has agreed to host you.

Application materials and process

The application is submitted through the Commonwealth Fund’s Harkness portal. A new applicant must register an account and select the Harkness Fellowship Applicant option. The official application page lists these required components:

• A statement of professional objectives.
• A curriculum vitae.
• A preliminary policy-oriented research proposal of up to five pages, excluding references.
• One institutional or organizational reference from a senior leader, department chair, institutional director, or supervisor.
• Two professional references who can discuss the applicant’s past work and the potential contribution of the proposed project.
• Three examples of work products, such as journal articles, reports, or other writing. Unpublished items may be submitted with a description of their purpose.

All reference letters must be requested through the application system, and the applicant is responsible for making sure they arrive. The Commonwealth Fund recommends requesting them early. Treat that instruction as part of the schedule: a complete proposal cannot compensate for a missing reference on the closing date.

The application window closes on 1 November 2026. The official page does not publish a specific hour in the current summary, so applicants should not assume that a submission made late on the date will be accepted. Create the portal account well before the deadline, confirm the current time zone and upload requirements inside the form, and retain a copy of the completed application and submission confirmation.

Selection, interviews, and fellowship timing

Applications are reviewed by Commonwealth Fund staff and panels of experts appointed in participating countries. A limited number of applicants are invited to interview, and interviews may be virtual or in person. If in-person interviews are used, the Fund lists locations including Sydney, Toronto, Paris, Berlin or The Hague, Auckland, Oslo, Singapore, and London, depending on the applicant’s country.

Shortlisting considers qualifications, leadership potential, commitment to improving health care, the quality and policy relevance of the research project, and the strength of the reference letters. This combination matters. A polished proposal from someone whose work record does not show policy engagement may be weaker than a simpler proposal from a professional whose past work demonstrates exactly why the question matters. Likewise, senior references are useful only if they can describe specific contributions rather than repeat general praise.

For the 2027–28 class, the Commonwealth Fund says Fellows can expect to arrive in the United States in mid-to-late August or early September 2027. The fellowship lasts 10 to 12 months from arrival. Fellows must disseminate their results. Possible products include a peer-reviewed article, a report for a high-level policy audience, issue or data briefs, op-eds, blogs, audio or video pieces, or outputs more directly useful to frontline delivery innovation. Build that dissemination plan into the research design from the beginning.

How to prepare a competitive application

Start with the policy decision, not the fellowship’s prestige. Write one sentence naming the problem, the population affected, the evidence gap, and the decision the research could inform. Then test whether the question genuinely crosses the U.S. and home-country contexts. If one country is only included to make the project sound international, the comparison will be difficult to defend.

Next, audit the evidence you can actually obtain. Make a small source map showing the datasets, documents, interview groups, institutional permissions, and host expertise the project needs. Mark each item as available, likely available, or unconfirmed. The proposal should acknowledge important access risks and show how the work would continue if one source becomes unavailable. This is more persuasive than claiming perfect access.

Use the CV and work samples to prove continuity. The reviewers should see a line from past work to the proposed question and then to the intended policy audience. Choose work products that demonstrate judgment, analysis, communication, or implementation, not simply the most prestigious items. For unpublished material, explain its purpose and status so the panel can evaluate it fairly.

Brief references with the actual selection logic. Give them the proposal, the professional objectives statement, the key examples you want them to discuss, and the submission date. Ask for evidence of your leadership and policy influence: a decision shaped, a service improved, a study used, a coalition organized, or a complex finding communicated to decision-makers. The official criteria reward specific evidence of potential, not generic endorsement.

Finally, budget the non-fellowship parts of the move. The award includes substantial support, but exact terms vary by country and the official page does not promise that every personal or family cost will be covered. Check employer leave, housing, dependent arrangements, visa documentation, and the practical implications of spending 10 to 12 months in the United States before submission.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most serious mistake is proposing a degree disguised as research. A Harkness Fellowship is not tuition funding for a master’s or doctoral program. Another is presenting a project that is interesting in only one country. The proposal must explain the U.S. and home-country relevance and the route to system-level change.

Avoid a method-free ambition. “Interview stakeholders and compare outcomes” leaves unanswered who will be interviewed, what outcomes will be compared, and how the findings will be interpreted. Avoid treating a potential mentor as already confirmed, or assuming that a famous institution will solve a weak research design. Do not submit references who barely know your work, and do not wait until the final days to request letters through the portal.

Also avoid hiding the output plan. The fellowship expects dissemination, and the Commonwealth Fund lists several forms that can reach professional and policy audiences. Decide which audience needs the work, what product they can use, and how the project will produce it within 10 to 12 months. A credible, bounded output is stronger than a promise to transform an entire health system.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Harkness Fellowship fully funded?

It provides substantial financial support, including an approximately USD $8,500 monthly living stipend, dedicated research funding, round-trip airfare, relocation support, health insurance, and payment of U.S. federal and state withholding taxes. A family supplement may be available for Fellows accompanied by a partner or children under 18. Exact terms vary by country, so applicants should confirm the current award terms with the Commonwealth Fund.

Is there an age limit?

No. The Commonwealth Fund states that there is no age requirement or limit. The program is intended for midcareer professionals, so applicants should demonstrate the relevant career stage and policy record through their work rather than assuming an age-based rule.

Do I need a U.S. mentor before applying?

No. Commonwealth Fund staff work with selected Fellows to identify potential mentors and a U.S. institutional affiliation. Applicants who have a well-supported placement idea may include it in the proposal, but an unconfirmed contact should not be presented as an agreement.

Can I use the fellowship for a degree?

No. The award cannot be used to support study for an academic degree and cannot be undertaken in conjunction with another program.

How long must I stay in the United States?

Fellows must spend between 10 and 12 months in the United States. The Commonwealth Fund says the 2027–28 class can expect to arrive in mid-to-late August or early September 2027.

Where can I ask questions?

The Commonwealth Fund lists Mat Kelley, Acting Director of the Harkness Fellowship, as the all-country contact. The application page also lists country-specific contacts. Use the official page and current portal for the appropriate email address and any updated instructions.

Official links and next steps

Read the official Harkness Fellowship application page first, then review the Harkness Fellowship overview and award details and the official FAQ. Register in the application portal early, confirm your J-1 Research Scholar Visa eligibility, choose references who can provide concrete evidence, and outline a five-page proposal around a policy question that matters on both sides of the comparison.

The application deadline for the 2027–28 cycle is 1 November 2026. Because the Fund expects selected Fellows to arrive in the United States in late summer or early autumn 2027, applicants should also discuss professional leave, employer support, family logistics, and the feasibility of a 10-to-12-month placement before pressing submit.