Harvard University Native American Program

Fellowship & Stipends

Faculty Research and Publication Grants

HUNAP is an interfaculty initiative dedicated to supporting Harvard faculty whose primary research interests center on Native American and indigenous studies and issues. To that end, HUNAP offers faculty grants that focus on developing and strengthening Native teaching, research, and publishing efforts within all of Harvard's schools and programs.

HUNAP is also committed to partnering with Harvard's schools and departments to facilitate, seed, and grow visiting, junior, and senior faculty whose research focuses on Native studies and issues.

Please contact HUNAP's Faculty Chair, Dr. Dennis Norman, about partnering with HUNAP.

Undergraduate Senior Thesis, Graduate Research Grant, and Nation Building Fellowships

Eligibility and Requirements: Throughout Indian Country, Native peoples are addressing the challenges of building self-determined nations and communities. HUNAP's senior thesis, graduate research grant, and Nation Building fellowships provide financial assistance to the work of enrolled Harvard students pursuing an undergraduate, professional, or graduate degree as well as qualified pre-candidacy doctoral students. Students must be in residence at Harvard. Harvard undergraduates are eligible to apply in their junior year and must be completing a senior thesis. Grants are made to support the direct expense of research, fieldwork, travel, and practicum, leading to fulfillment of course work, research papers, or related degree requirements and/or advancement to doctoral candidacy. A research paper must be completed for a course. As conditions of the award, the fellowship/grant recipients must present their research as a part of the HUNAP Colloquium Series.

Grant Amount: Grants are awarded on a project specific basis (one award per academic year) and do not exceed $2,000/year. Grant awards are subject to available funding.

Deadline: Students can apply beginning July 1 for the given academic year through April, but presentations of research must be completed by April of every year.

Application Materials: Please provide a hard copy of the following materials: 1) Statement of purpose indicating how scholarly work will contribute to Native communities and academia; 2) Written description of research topic and plan and how fellowship will lead to fulfillment of course/degree requirements (provide copy of course syllabus); 3) Letter of support from course instructor, (thesis advisor for senior thesis applicants); 4) Itemized proposed budget and budget justification; 5) Copy of academic transcript; 6) Resume or curriculum vita and brief biography (one to two paragraphs to be used on the HUNAP website and for publication). Submit all materials to the attention of the Executive Director of HUNAP.

1665 Caleb Cheeshahteamuck Fellowship Program

Purpose: The 1665 Fellowship commemorates the graduation in 1665 of Harvard's first American Indian graduate, Caleb Cheeshahteamuck of the Wampanoag Tribe. This fellowship supports and facilitates work contributing to a body of knowledge specifically useful to the development of Native people, nations, tribes, and communities. The fellowship also encourages and enables scholars to conduct the types of research and produce the types of work that are culturally appropriate, relevant, and accessible to the communities that will benefit from them. This fellowship is open to Native and non-Native scholars with an emphasis on fostering Native American scholars to careers in academia.

Eligibility & Requirements: The 1665 fellowship promotes dissertation completion by enrolled Harvard students, in residence, who have been advanced to doctoral candidacy by the time of the commencement of the fellowship (generally core course requirements and qualifying paper proposal must be completed). Priority is given to students showing promise of near-term completion of their doctoral requirements and are in the research-gathering or dissertation-writing phase. As conditions of their awards, 1665 fellows must produce and present a major research paper during their award period, guest lecture in the HUNAP Nation Building course, and present their research at the HUNAP Colloquium Series.

Stipend Amount: The 1665 fellows are provided financial support via stipend and/or tuition assistance and also have dedicated carrel space within the HUNAP suite. The fellows have access to direct thesis-related research support, including expenses for computing and travel as well as data and source collection. Awards reflect student need and do not exceed $10,000/year for up to two years (subject to re-application and approval each year).

Deadline: The deadline for application is May 1 for the following academic year, with awards being disbursed as early as Sept 1.

Application Instructions: Please provide a hard copy of the following materials: 1) Statement of purpose indicating how scholarly work and career goals will contribute to Native communities and academia; 2) Written description of dissertation topic, research plan, and timeline; 3) Names and contact information of dissertation advisor and committee members; 4) Sample of research writing (qualifying paper is acceptable); 5) Curriculum vita and biography (one to two paragraphs to be used on the HUNAP website and for publication); 6) Official Harvard academic transcript; 7) Letter of support from advisor with comments on dissertation standing and progress; 8) Statement of financial need, including a copy of official financial aid statement that indicates existing and pending financial aid, grants, teaching, and other employment. Submit all materials to the attention of the Executive Director of HUNAP.

Conference Presentation Grant Program

Purpose: The Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP) brings together Native American students and interested individuals from the Harvard community for the purpose of advancing the well being of indigenous peoples through self-determination, academic achievement, and community service.  HUNAP is dedicated promoting scholarly work at Harvard on issues relevant to Native Americans.  To support a vibrant community of scholars with interests in Native affairs and to enhance the opportunities for students at Harvard to pursue commitments and careers consistent with HUNAP's mission, HUNAP offers grants to facilitate student research presentations, participation in academic panels, and showing of research.

Grants: Grants are awarded on a project specific basis (students are only eligible for one award per academic year) and do not exceed $500/year.  Grant awards are subject to available funding.

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but must be received at least one month before the travel will take place.

Application: Click here to download an application.

For additional information about the grant program, please contact Shelly C. Lowe, HUNAP's Executive Director.