Fellow-in-Residence

The Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University invites applications from a broad range of researchers and practitioners who will work over the course of the year on pressing issues in ethics. Faculty in arts and sciences and professional schools, postdoctoral scholars, practitioners, and researchers from industry, government, and NGOs are eligible to apply.

For the 2022-23 academic year, the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics will continue its focus on the theme of “A New Social Compact?” Variations in national responses to the pandemic; disparate experiments with technology, economic, and health policies; and conflicts over foundational political institutions have thrown into stark relief different conceptions of the social compact (a phrase we use loosely to refer to shared understandings of what members of societies believe they owe to each other) around the world. Myriad challenges - including challenges relating to education, climate and the natural environment, migration, new technologies, public health, elections, racial justice, and economic well-being - call us to revisit and evaluate existing conceptions of the social compact at both national and global levels. We ask, is it time for a new social compact?

We invite applications connected to any dimension of this broad field of inquiry. We see the nature of the questions raised and the challenges to be addressed as so multifaceted as to make this theme not very restrictive; however, in our usual fashion, we will also consider applications that fall outside the parameters of this thematic description. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to early career scholars and practitioners.

Fellows-in-Residence will be expected to devote the majority of their time to their individual projects and to participate in regular work-in-progress seminars. In addition, Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in the Center's programming, which includes public lectures, themed seminars and reading groups, conferences, workshops, and lunch discussions.

This Fellowship is intended to be residential. With the exception of travel to conferences and meetings, Fellows are expected to be in residence in the Boston area at least four working days per week during the term. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in a waiver of this requirement for the 2020-21 academic year. 2021-22 will be a transitional year, and our hope is to resume in- person, fully residential programming for the 2022-23 academic year.

In addition, the Center offers the possibility of joint fellowship opportunities with the following centers; potential affiliations are arranged on a case-by-case basis:

• Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University
• Carr Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School
• Center for Bioethics at the Harvard Medical School
• Center for Research on Computation and Society at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University
• Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at the Harvard Law School

Applicants will be invited to indicate on the application form whether they wish to be considered for a joint fellowship position with one of these Centers. If selected, the joint fellowship will offer access to development opportunities and programming at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and the partnering center.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must have a PhD, professional degree, or a minimum of 5 years of equivalent professional experience. Applicants from any discipline or professional field will be considered. Those who have previously held a yearlong residential Fellowship at the Center are not eligible; this limitation does not apply to former Undergraduate Fellows or former Graduate Fellows. The Fellows-in-Residence Program runs the course of the academic year, typically from the beginning of September through the end of May, and is open to all applicants who meet the above criteria, regardless of citizenship.

STIPEND

Faculty:

We offer a stipend of one-half of your base academic year salary, up to $75,000, and a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Post-Doc:

The stipend for post-doctoral fellows will be $60,000 for 2022-23. We also provide a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Practitioner:

Practitioner stipends are determined on a case-by-case basis, commensurate with experience, up to a maximum of $75,000, and a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply, complete an online application form which includes submission of the following in .pdf, .doc, or .docx form:

• Cover letter stating your background and interest in the Fellows-in-Residence Program at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
• CV
• Research proposal
• Recent writing sample

Please note: Name and contact information for three professional references will be requested, but no letters will be accepted at this stage.

The deadline to submit an application is November 15, 2021, with decisions likely in February 2022. Please note that the application form will be saved automatically while in progress, but no edits or alterations will be allowed once you have submitted the application. Please direct questions regarding this application process to EJSafraFellowships@fas.harvard.edu.