The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University invites applications from a broad range of researchers and practitioners who will work over the course of the year on pressing issues in ethics. Faculty in arts and sciences and professional schools, postdoctoral scholars, practitioners, and researchers from industry, government, and NGOs are eligible to apply.

For the 2023-24 academic year, the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics will continue its focus on the theme of “A New Social Compact?” Variations in national responses to the pandemic; disparate experiments with technology, economic, and health policies; and conflicts over foundational political institutions have thrown into stark relief different conceptions of the social compact (a phrase we use loosely to refer to shared understandings of what members of societies believe they owe to each other) around the world. Myriad challenges—including challenges relating to education, climate and the natural environment, migration, new technologies, public health, elections, racial justice, and economic well-being—call us to revisit and evaluate existing conceptions of the social compact at both national and global levels. We ask, is it time for a new social compact?

We invite applications connected to any dimension of this broad field of inquiry. We see the nature of the questions raised and the challenges to be addressed as so multifaceted as to make this theme not very restrictive; however, in our usual fashion, we will also consider applications that fall outside the parameters of this thematic description. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to early career scholars and practitioners.

Fellows-in-Residence will be expected to devote the majority of their time to their individual projects and to participate in regular work-in-progress seminars. In addition, Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in the Center’s programming, which includes public lectures, themed seminars and reading groups, conferences, workshops, and lunch discussions.

This Fellowship is intended to be residential. With the exception of travel to conferences and meetings, Fellows are expected to be in residence in the Boston area at least four working days per week during the term.

For the last few years, the Center has offered the possibility of joint fellowship opportunities with several other Centers at Harvard. We continue to offer that possibility, with specific potential affiliations to be worked out on a case-by-case basis:
Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University
Carr Center for Human Rights at the Harvard Kennedy School
Center for Bioethics at the Harvard Medical School
Center for Research on Computation and Society at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University
Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at the Harvard Law School

Applicants will be invited to indicate on the application form whether they wish to be considered for a joint fellowship position with one of these Centers. If selected, the joint fellowship will offer access to development opportunities and programming at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics and the partnering center.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must have a PhD, professional degree, or a minimum of 5 years of equivalent professional experience by the start of the fellowship year. Applicants from any discipline or professional field will be considered. Those who have previously held a yearlong residential Fellowship at the Center are not eligible; this limitation does not apply to former Undergraduate Fellows or former Graduate Fellows. The Fellows-in-Residence Program runs the course of the academic year, typically from the beginning of September through the end of May, and is open to all applicants who meet the above criteria, regardless of citizenship.

STIPEND

Faculty:
We offer a stipend of one-half of your base academic year salary, up to $75,000, and a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Post-Doc:
The stipend for post-doctoral fellows will be $60,000 for 2023-24. We also provide a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

Practitioner:
Practitioner stipends are determined on a case-by-case basis, commensurate with experience, up to a maximum of $75,000. We also provide a research allowance of up to $3,000 for approved expenses directly related to your work, such as travel, books, and research assistance.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Before beginning the application, you may wish to have the following information available:
The title of your research proposal
Names and contact information for 3 references (no letters are accepted at this stage)

To apply, complete an online application form, which will request the information noted above. You will also be asked to upload the following documents:
Cover letter stating your background and interest in the Fellows-in-Residence Program at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics
Curriculum Vitae
Research proposal
Recent writing sample

Please note: Name and contact information for three professional references will be requested, but no letters will be accepted at this stage.

The deadline to submit an application is November 15, 2022, with decisions likely to be announced in February 2023. Please note that the application form will be saved automatically while in progress, but no edits or alterations will be allowed once you have submitted the application. Please direct questions regarding this application process to EJSafraFellowships@fas.harvard.edu.