Applications open for Harvard's LEAD fellowship, with six weeks of training in Cambridge among the benefits

Harvard University has invited applications for its prestigious LEAD fellowship programme for the 2027-28 academic year. LEAD stands for Learn, Engage, Advance and Disrupt, and the fellowship aims to develop and ensure women's leadership and empowerment in the global health sector.

The one-year fellowship is organised by the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The programme is mainly open to professionals from low- and middle-income countries, and alongside online training it offers six weeks of in-person participation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States.

The fellowship will begin on 1 September 2027 and end on 31 August 2028. A 12-month online curriculum will run during that period, and a six-week residential programme will be held in the United States in April 2028. Participants will receive training in personal leadership development and mentoring from experienced figures, and will be able to join special courses and masterclasses led by Harvard faculty.

The benefits include airfare to and from the United States, accommodation during the programme, the J-1 visa fee, and an allowance to cover living expenses while in the United States.

Eligibility requires a master's degree in a relevant subject and at least 10 years of experience in a relevant profession after completing formal education; work done while still a student does not count. Applicants must also show significant leadership experience and the potential to develop their leadership skills further.

Further conditions include eligibility for a U.S. J-1 visa and the ability to spend six weeks in Cambridge in April 2028, leave or an equivalent break from the applicant's own institution to join the residential programme, and not taking part in any other full-time fellowship during the fellowship period.

Candidates from different regions, professions, academic disciplines and sectors may apply. Applications are open to candidates of all gender identities, but candidates must apply themselves.

Interested and eligible candidates should first read the eligibility criteria and instructions carefully on the Harvard Global Health Institute's official website, then complete the prescribed form and submit it with the necessary documents in time. The application deadline is 15 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time.