Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028 Opens: Join 6 Weeks Training
You may already lead a health programme, influence policy or manage services that communities depend on. But when did you last have space to develop your own leadership? The Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028 is now accepting applications from experienced global health professionals in low- and middle-income countries, combining personalized development with a funded six-week Harvard residency.
Offered by the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, LEAD stands for Learn, Engage, Advance, Disrupt. This is a professional leadership fellowship, rather than a master’s or PhD admission route.
Can you participate while continuing your career, and what must your employer support? Those questions matter as much as your qualifications. Here is how to judge your fit, prepare the required evidence and submit a focused application.
01 Who qualifies for the Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028?
You need a relevant master’s degree, full-time global health employment and at least ten years of professional experience beyond your education. Work undertaken as a university student does not count towards that experience requirement.
Candidates should currently be based or working in a low- or middle-income country and plan to return there after the fellowship. Harvard welcomes different disciplines and sectors, so your application can draw on research, advocacy, administration, policy or clinical leadership.
You must demonstrate substantial leadership experience, further leadership potential and the ability to obtain a J-1 visa for the US residency. Your employer’s full support is essential.
My recommendation is to frame your experience around decisions you have led and the people or systems those decisions affected. A list of senior job titles gives selectors less insight than a clear example of how you changed a programme, team or service.
02 What will Harvard LEAD help you develop—and what is funded?
Harvard LEAD offers a tailored leadership curriculum built around your goals. Fellows work with an executive coach and Harvard faculty mentors, alongside an executive education course, private masterclasses, speaking opportunities and a professional network.
That combination creates room to examine a leadership challenge from several angles: how you make decisions, communicate priorities, negotiate and support others. Your proposed project and development goals should explain what you intend to improve through that experience.
For the US residency, the fellowship covers visa fees, flights and housing, with a living stipend; the programme also supports course participation and daily food and transport costs. Harvard does not publish a fixed stipend amount in the call. Treat the funding as support for the fellowship experience rather than a promise of twelve months of replacement salary.
I would choose a development goal that your organisation can put to use after your return. For example, explain how stronger leadership could help you coordinate a service improvement or develop a mentoring pathway, rather than making “Harvard exposure” the outcome.
03 Which documents do you need, and where do you apply?
You nominate yourself through Harvard’s Reviewr application portal. Employer backing supports your candidacy; it does not replace your own submission.
Prepare the following materials before completing the form so that your letters, essays and career record support the same leadership plan.
| Required material | What it must establish |
|---|---|
| CV or résumé | Show your professional responsibilities and leadership record. |
| Letter of intent | Maximum 1.5 pages: your global health journey and the fellowship’s value to your organisation and country. |
| Four essays | Maximum 2,000 characters each: career development/training; project plan; mentoring plan; organisational, field and home-country impact. |
| Institutional commitment letter | Document employer support and permission for the residency leave. |
| Mentor commitment letter | From a champion of your development within your organisation or network. |
| Two additional references | At least one must come from your current or most recent professional engagement and be distinct from the mentor commitment letter. |
- Agree your participation with your employer. Use the official Harvard LEAD requirements to secure institutional commitment and identify your professional-development champion.
- Build a coherent application. Connect the challenge you want to address, the capabilities you need and the mentoring you will provide. I recommend giving each essay a distinct job instead of repeating your career story four times.
- Create your Reviewr account. Open the 2027–2028 Harvard LEAD application portal. Its URL retains “2025”, but the page identifies the current cohort. Choose an email you can keep using: Harvard warns that the account’s linked email cannot be changed once the application has started.
- Complete and submit the application. Follow the form’s instructions for all materials and supporting letters. Use the current Harvard call announcement as the reference for this round’s schedule, then monitor your registered email for communications.
04 Harvard LEAD eligibility and work-commitment questions
Is Harvard LEAD restricted to women?
No. Harvard explicitly welcomes all genders and gender identities. The programme’s mission includes developing leaders who will mentor future women leaders in global health.
Must I leave my job for the whole fellowship year?
No. Harvard describes the fall engagement as light and does not expect fellows to step away from work then. The residency requires dedicated leave, so your institution must commit to that release.
Does a recent fellowship affect eligibility?
Yes. The call excludes candidates who participated in a full-time fellowship lasting four months or longer in the two years before their Harvard fellowship. Review that restriction against your recent professional development history.
05 When is the Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028 deadline?
The last date to apply for the Harvard LEAD Fellowship 2027–2028 is 15 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST (UTC−5). All application materials are due by that time, and selected applicants will be notified in spring 2027.
The fellowship runs from 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2028, with the six-week Cambridge, Massachusetts residency expected in April 2028. Your institutional commitment should provide for the full residency, allowing you to participate without competing work responsibilities.