Deadline: November 30, 2025
Applications are open for the Harvard LEAD Fellowship for Promoting Women in Global Health 2026-2027. To equip and empower more leaders in global health, the Harvard Global Health Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, offers a transformational 1-year fellowship specifically designed to promote leadership skills in individuals from low- and middle-income countries who will, in turn, mentor future female leaders in global health.
The fellowship experience provides global health leaders time to reflect, recalibrate, and explore uncharted territories. To date, fellows have come from 18 different countries, with representation from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. Their areas of focus have ranged from HIV/AIDS and healthcare to health policy at the highest levels of government. Past fellows’ areas of expertise span disciplines including research, advocacy, administration, and policy.
Curriculum Components
A Harvard LEAD fellowship is a transformative experience designed to empower and promote emerging leaders in global health. A highly personalized program, the fellowship is tailored to fit the unique goals and aspirations of each of our fellows. While in residence, fellows will have access to world-class faculty, classes, and executive education programs that will encourage and challenge them in new, inspiring ways. The curriculum includes:
- Executive Leadership Training: LEAD Fellows work with an executive coach to maximize the program curriculum. Through the 1:1 coaching sessions, LEAD Fellows will understand their leadership style, integrate their learnings from Harvard course work, and help to develop more effective leadership skills and approaches. The coaching includes individual and group meetings with all Fellows to review and align on timeline, objectives, assessment process, etc. TypeCoach leadership style assessment Implementation and individual debriefs of the Leadership Versatility Index (LVI) 360 representing a cross-section of stakeholders. Coaching sessions take place virtually during the first few months of the fellows and resume after classes are complete to assist in re-entry, integration of material, and eventually the program close-out.
- 1:1 Mentorship: Each fellow will be introduced to Harvard faculty mentors with aligned interests. Fellows are encouraged to meet monthly with their mentors throughout the 12-month fellowship period. These meetings will serve as an opportunity for fellows to receive formal career advising, expand their networks and spark collaboration opportunities. Mentors that have been assigned to the previous cohorts of LEAD fellows have included Dr. Ana Langer, Dr. Rifat Atun, Dr. Kathryn Rexrode, Dr. Megan Murray, Dr. Adeline Boatin, Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Dr. Margaret Kruk and Professor Alicia Yamin.
- Speaking Opportunities: Fellows will have the opportunity to speak at global health events throughout the fellowship period and beyond. In previous years, fellows have served as panelists, speakers, topic experts and directed and organized in executing LEAD fellowship events. Speaking opportunities will allow the fellow to build networks, showcase their work and enhance their public speaking skills as a leader.
- An Executive Education Course: As a core course, LEAD Fellows will participate in an executive education course during their time in-person in Cambridge, MA. In the past, Fellows have participated in the Women and Power course offered by the Harvard Kennedy School.
- Private Leadership Masterclasses led by Harvard Faculty on various leadership topics (negotiation, public speaking, communication, decision-making): Fellows will attend leadership masterclasses exclusively designed for the LEAD fellows. These small, highly interactive sessions address key leadership skills and are led by experts from Harvard and the global health community. In previous years, the workshop program covered topics including:
- Self Promotion
- Public Speaking and Effective Communication
- Negotiation
- Crisis Management and Leadership
- Writing and Analysis for Persuasive Communication
- Navigating Bias and Designing Equitable Organizations as a Women Leader
- Leadership Decision Making
- Conflict Resolution
Benefits
- Fellows are only required to take a leave of absence from their work responsibilities during their time in residence on campus, which is expected in April of 2027 for 6 weeks. The in-residence month on campus is financially covered through the fellowship award and fellows will be provided a stipend for logistical expenses (i.e. housing, flights to and from Cambridge, MA, course fees and daily per diem for food and transportation).
Eligibility
- They welcome applicants from all continents, regions, disciplines, sectors, genders, and gender identities. Candidates nominate themselves by submitting an application for the fellowship.
- Applicants must have a minimum of a master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Applicants must work full-time in the field of global health and have at least 10 years of professional experience. Work completed as a university student does not count as professional experience.
- Applicants must have the full support of their employer and a champion in their organization who serves as a reference.
- Applicants must take a leave of absence (or equivalent) from their home institution during their in-residence experience for 6 weeks in April 2027.
- Applicants must be able to obtain a J-1 visa for travel to the United States and must be able to reside in Boston, MA. NOTE: Visa fees, housing, and flights will be covered under the fellowship and a living stipend will be provided for the weeks in residence.
- During the two years prior to arrival at Harvard, the fellows should not have participated in a full-time fellowship that lasted 4 months or longer.
Application
Your application requires:
- CV/Resume
- A Letter of Intent (no more than 1.5 pages in length) The letter of intent should describe your professional journey in global health and why/how the LEAD fellowship would be transformative for your organization and your country.
- Four essays (no more than 2000 characters each)
- Essay 1: Plan for Career Development/Training Activities
- Essay 2: Project Plan
- Essay 3: Candidate’s Plan to Provide Mentoring
- Essay 4: Fellowship Impact on Candidate’s Organization, Field, and Home Country
- A Letter of Institutional Commitment from their home institution that supports their proposal to join the fellowship program. It is also essential to document the institution’s commitment to allow the candidate a leave of absence during April to focus exclusively on the LEAD fellowship curriculum activities in residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- A Letter of Mentor Commitment from someone within your organization or network that is a champion of your professional development.
- Two additional letters of reference. At least one reference must be from your current/most recent professional engagement and must be different from the Letter of Mentor Commitment.
For more information, visit Harvard LEAD Fellowship.
