The Harris Social Impact Fellowship at the University of Chicago pays early-career people with strong quantitative skills to spend 11 months working on real policy problems in Chicago. The package is worth about $96,000, only 15 fellows are chosen, and applications for the 2027-28 cohort close on 19 October 2026 at 11:59 pm CT. Note one thing before you read on: this is a paid, full-time fellowship, not a degree scholarship. It will not fund a Master’s, and it has a strict US work authorization requirement that we explain below.
Harris Social Impact Fellowship at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Awarding body | University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy |
| Type | Paid, full-time, in-person fellowship (not a degree) |
| Length | 11 months, July 2027 to June 2028 |
| Location | Hyde Park campus, Chicago, USA |
| Package | $75,000 stipend plus $21,000 for the academic credential (about $96,000 total) |
| Cohort size | 15 fellows |
| Deadline | 19 October 2026, 11:59 pm CT |
| Key restriction | Must be legally authorized to work in the US |
Table of Contents
What the 11 Months Look Like
The fellowship is built around three stages: learn, work, deliver.
1. Eight weeks of coursework. Faculty-led classes cover research methods, data analytics and economic analysis, so every fellow starts the placement with the same analytical toolkit.
2. Nine months of immersive placement. You then work full-time at a research center or policy institute. This is the core of the fellowship: you spend most of the year doing real work, not sitting in a classroom.
3. A capstone project. The year ends with a capstone that pulls together what you learned and produced.
The work is organized around five themes: education equity, climate action, crime reduction, health equity and government efficiency. If your skills are in data, statistics, economics or programming and you want them applied to public problems, this is the point of the programme.
What You Get Paid
The headline figure is about $96,000, made up of two parts:
- $75,000 stipend to cover your living and healthcare expenses during the 11 months
- $21,000 to cover the fellowship’s academic credential
The stipend is the part intended for day-to-day costs, so judge the offer by that number when you plan your budget in Chicago.
What this is not: it is not a tuition waiver and not Master’s funding. It also does not come with visa sponsorship (see the next section). The official pages do not list extras such as relocation help, so if that matters to you, ask the programme before you accept.
Who Can Apply
The official eligibility rules are short:
- You have a demonstrated capacity for technical, quantitative or analytical work.
- You are a recent college graduate or an early-career professional.
- Your bachelor’s degree is conferred before the fellowship starts in July 2027.
US Work Authorization: Read This First
Participants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The University of Chicago cannot sponsor visas for this programme. If you already hold a US visa, you must confirm with your visa sponsor that taking part fits your status.
In plain terms: if you live outside the US and do not already have the right to work there, you cannot use this fellowship to get it. Readers from Pakistan, India, Nigeria and other countries who do not have US work authorization should not spend time on this application. If that is you, use the guides in the last section for options that do accept international applicants.
Application and Selection Timeline
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | 19 October 2026, 11:59 pm CT |
| Selection Phase 1 | November 2026 |
| Selection Phase 2 | Virtual interviews |
| Fellowship runs | July 2027 to June 2028 |
The deadline is in Central Time. If you are applying from another time zone, convert it carefully. For example, 11:59 pm CT on 19 October falls in the morning of 20 October in Pakistan. Submit well before the cutoff rather than testing the last minute.
Suggestions for a stronger application (our tips, not official requirements):
- Show quantitative work you have actually done, such as a data project, thesis analysis or published code.
- Connect your skills to one or two of the five themes so your motivation is specific.
- Be ready to talk about methods in your virtual interview, since the programme is built on analytical skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Harris Social Impact Fellowship a degree? No. It is an 11-month paid fellowship with coursework, a placement and a capstone. It includes an academic credential, so check the official Harris page for exactly what you receive.
Can international students apply? Only if they are legally authorized to work in the US. UChicago cannot sponsor visas for this programme, and people on US visas must confirm with their visa sponsor that participation fits their status.
What background do I need? The official requirement is a demonstrated capacity for technical, quantitative or analytical work, plus a bachelor’s degree conferred before July 2027. Early-career professionals and recent graduates are both eligible.
How much does the fellowship pay? About $96,000 in total: a $75,000 stipend for living and healthcare expenses and $21,000 to cover the fellowship’s academic credential.
How many fellows are selected? The 2027-28 cohort has 15 fellows, so the programme is highly selective.
Is the fellowship remote? No. It is a full-time, in-person programme based on the Hyde Park campus in Chicago.
When is the deadline? 19 October 2026 at 11:59 pm Central Time.
Apply Before 19 October
If you are authorized to work in the US and have strong quantitative skills, the Harris Social Impact Fellowship is a rare paid route into policy work with a research placement. Apply through the official Harris Social Impact Fellowship page, and use the UChicagoGRAD listing to double-check the funding details.
If you do not have US work authorization, browse our guide to USA scholarships for international students and our list of graduate scholarships for international students. For more options, see fully funded scholarships in 2026 and our scholarship deadlines hub for other October to December awards.