Offered by the Cora Du Bois Charitable Trust and Harvard University's Tozzer Library, the Cora Du Bois Fellowship Program is for advanced Ph.D. candidates in anthropology or a field related to anthropology.
Fellowships are intended for Ph.D. candidates in good standing who have completed all requirements for a Ph.D. except for writing their dissertation and whose research would be enhanced by the facilities of the Tozzer Library at Harvard University.
2026 fellowships will be offered for 2-month (summer) funding, 6-month funding, or 12-month funding. This fellowship is open to Harvard and non-Harvard students.
How to Apply
The deadline to apply for the 2026 Cora Du Bois Fellowship is March 31, 2026.
Applications must be submitted through the CARAT database for Grants and Fellowships. To apply, log in with your HarvardKey or, for non-Harvard affiliates, create a free Harvard Guest Account from the CARAT homepage.
Required Applications Materials
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Required application materials include the following:
- A two-paragraph library usage statement that addresses how you will utilize Tozzer Library resources to complete your work.
- A two-page statement for the proposed research project.
- A table of contents for the research project.
- The table of contents should indicate which sections are completed or in draft form.
- Please include approximate dates for the completion of each section.
- A 5-page writing sample related to your research topic.
- Two letters of recommendation from faculty members.
- A financial statement.
- The financial statement should include a brief description of how you plan to use the fellowship funds. You do not have to provide exact cost breakdowns.
- Details of any additional funding received and/or expected for the same time period, including amounts.
- Note: Fellowship funds are meant to cover living costs not costs associated with research (ex: travel, lab expenses, research assistants, data collection, translation services, etc.)
All grant recipients will be notified of the award by April 30, 2026.
Eligibility, Selection Process, And More
Eligibility
- The fellowship is meant to support students at the writing stage of their dissertation. Preference will be given to applicants who have a reasonable expectation of completing their dissertation during the academic year their fellowship is awarded.
- The fellowship is intended to provide sufficient financial support such that recipients will not undertake employment during the tenure of the fellowship.
- Recipients are expected to utilize library resources in person while completing their fellowship.
- Applications are welcome from all qualified students without regard to race, color, sex, creed, age or national origin.
- This fellowship is open to Harvard and non-Harvard students.
- Fellows may only receive money from the Cora Du Bois Fellowship one time. If you applied in the past and did not receive funding, you are eligible to apply again. However, please note that these fellowships are meant to be awarded in the final year of your program. Repeat applicants are asked to address the reason they are applying for a second time in their Research Proposal.
Selection Process
- The strongest applications will demonstrate a need to use Tozzer Library resources to complete their dissertation writing. In addition to the use of Tozzer Library resources, selection of grant recipients will be based on the merit of the proposal and writing sample, financial need, and letters of recommendation from faculty.
- Final selection of fellowship recipients will be made by a Board appointed by the Trustees of the Cora Du Bois Charitable Trust, consisting of the Head Librarian of the Tozzer Library, and representatives from the Harvard Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Harvard Department of Anthropology, and the Harvard Department of Human Evolutionary Biology.
- Preference will be given to applicants who have not received Dissertation Completion Funding or equivalent.
Funding Distribution and Use
- All grant recipients will be notified of the Board's decision by April 30, 2026.
- Payment of the stipend will be distributed the month prior to the beginning of the fellowship. Dispersal dates may be adjustable depending on financial needs.
- Fellowship funds are meant to cover living expenses and are not meant to cover costs associated with research (ex: travel, lab expenses, research assistants, data collection, translation services, etc.).
The amounts that we award vary from year to year due to different factors. In general, we strive to award the following amounts as a basline:
2-month fellowships: $6,000
6-month fellowships: $18,000
1-year fellowships: $36,000
Library Access for Fellows
Recipients will be provided with a Harvard Library card (if needed) and a study carrel in Tozzer Library.
Fellowship Completion
Upon completion of the fellowship, fellows will be asked to record a short video (10-15 minutes) detailing their research and experience with the fellowship. These videos will be made available to the general public.
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