Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice

Alongside their research, Fellows engage in a series of leadership development activities, gain an in-depth understanding of the U.S. health care system and policy landscape, and build a robust network for cross-national exchange and collaboration.

Areas of Interest

• Commonwealth Fund’s principal areas of interest:
  • improving health insurance coverage,
  • access to care,
  • the quality and efficiency of care delivery, and
  • advancing health equity.

Funding Information

• The fellowship award provides dedicated research funding and a monthly living stipend (approx. USD 8, 000), plus round-trip airfare, support for relocation, health insurance coverage, and payment of U.S. federal and state withholding taxes. An additional family supplement is provided to Fellows accompanied by a partner and/or children under the age of 18. Exact terms of the award may vary by country.
• Fellows are encouraged to seek salary support from their home-country employer, particularly if they are coming from a for-profit organization. In some cases, Fellows may opt to arrange paid leave from their home institution (in lieu of receiving the monthly living stipend) to maintain their current income. If partial salary support is provided by a Fellow’s home institution, it will be supplemented by the Commonwealth Fund to meet the amount of the monthly living stipend.

Eligibility Criteria

• Harkness Fellowships are designed for midcareer professionals.
• All applicants must:
  • Be established residents of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, or the United Kingdom and eligible to receive a J1 Research Scholar Visa. In addition, applicants must be committed to continuing their career in the country from which they are applying.
  • Show significant promise as a policy-oriented health care leader. Fellows come from a variety of backgrounds: government/policy, health services research, clinical practice, health care management, and journalism, among others.
  • Have a demonstrated expertise in health policy issues and a track record of informing health policy through research, policy analysis, care delivery, or clinical leadership.
  • Propose a research project that is relevant to both the U.S. and their home country and is focused on creating policy or system-level change.
  • Have the relevant education and work experience to carry out the proposed research and take full advantage of the fellowship experience.
  • People from historically marginalized backgrounds and/or populations underrepresented in health policy and health care delivery are strongly encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit The Commonwealth Fund.