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Press Release

2021-2022 Managing the Atom Fellowships: Application Open Until Jan. 15

Published:

The Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs welcomes fellowship applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. MTA is Harvard's principal research group focusing on nuclear weapons and nuclear energy policies.  For additional information about the project, click here.

Fellowships are open to pre-doc and post-doctoral scholars, mid-career professionals. Post-doctoral scholars and junior faculty members may also apply for Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships at the Belfer Center. (These two categories of fellowships are similar, but have somewhat different requirements and stipends.) The online application for fellowships for the 2021-2022 academic year is now open. The application deadline is January 15, 2021. All recommendation letters will be due on February 3, 2021. Decisions will be announced by March 30, 2021.

MTA fellows are expected to pursue research with a nuclear policy focus.  Priority will be given to applicants pursuing research on:  

  • Reducing the dangers posed by existing nuclear stockpiles, including (but not limited to) explorations of the future of nuclear arms control and the impact of emerging non-nuclear technologies on dangers of nuclear escalation;
  • Halting the spread of nuclear weapons to additional states;
  • Preventing, and preparing to respond to, nuclear and radiological terrorism, including next steps in ensuring effective security for nuclear stockpiles and facilities;
  • Exploring the potential for nuclear energy to contribute to mitigating climate change, including how the obstacles to and risks of nuclear energy expansion can best be addressed and how the nuclear fuel cycle can best be managed.
  • Strengthening regional and global cooperation and governance in managing nuclear technologies.

Scholars pursuing any of these issues in regional contexts, and scholars pursuing interdisciplinary approaches, are particularly encouraged to apply.  MTA is, by design, both an international and interdisciplinary research group, as the nuclear challenges the world faces cannot be resolved with insights from only one country or only one discipline.

MTA is committed to building a diverse and inclusive research community. Hence, we welcome applicants from all over the world and we strongly encourage women and scholars from underrepresented communities to apply.

The Belfer Center has nuclear fellowships sponsored by both the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Stanton Foundation. Applicants will be considered for both categories of fellowship. Those fellows working on topics related to nuclear weapons often receive fellowships that are shared between MTA and the International Security Program.  MTA is grateful to both of these foundations, and to the Carnegie Corporation of New York and individual donors for support of our programs.

To apply

The online application for 2021-2022 fellowships is now open. The deadline for application is January 15, 2021.

Each applicant must provide:

  • Research Proposal (3-5 double-spaced pages).  The proposal should include a statement that describes the policy relevance of at least one component of the proposed research. This statement should articulate the intended audience, as well as the problem or problems that the research will help the intended audience address. 
  • CV/Resume
  • Unofficial transcript (pre-doctoral fellow applicants only)
  • Writing sample (less than 50 double-spaced pages)
  • Three letters of recommendation

Application mentorship program

The MTA application mentorship program is intended for applicants from communities that have historically been underrepresented in the nuclear field. This includes, but is not limited to: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), non-cisgender individuals, members of the LGBTQIA+/queer community, individuals from low-income backgrounds, and individuals from developing countries. If you think you fall into one of these groups but are not sure, we still encourage you to sign up. Applicants will be paired with current MTA fellows who can answer questions about MTA and help you prepare a quality application.  Participating in this program is completely voluntary and will not affect our decision about your application.  If you are interested, contact atom@hks.harvard.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here to view answers to frequently asked questions about applying to Belfer Center fellowships.