Application due date for Summer 2025 is Friday, March 7, 2025.
The Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School offers fellowship grants to students at Harvard University, MIT, Tufts University and other Boston-area schools, who are doing internships or undertaking summer research projects in negotiation and dispute resolution in partnership with public, non-profit or academic organizations.
The Summer Fellowship Program’s emphasis is on advancing the links between scholarship and practice in negotiation and dispute resolution by supporting students interested in exploring career paths, either professional or academic, in this field. Through the Summer Fellowship Program, PON hopes to prepare students to assume leadership positions in the field of negotiation and dispute resolution, to forge new links between our academic community and worldwide organizations involved in the practice of negotiation and dispute resolution, and to encourage students to reach for opportunities that would otherwise not be available to them due to financial constraints.
Questions regarding the PON Summer Fellowships Program should be directed to Diane Long, at dlong@law.harvard.edu.
Eligibility
PON Summer Fellowship grants are open to all returning students enrolled at schools in the Boston area. Eligible internships and research projects must be unpaid, undertaken in partnership with a public, non-profit or academic organization, and a minimum of four weeks in duration. Fellowship applicants must have already secured or applied for the position/project for which they are seeking PON Summer Fellowship support. Grants will be dispersed once documentation confirming the internship or project is provided by the host organization or, in the case of research projects, by a supervising faculty member.
Funding
The amount of each grant is determined on a case-by-case basis taking into account the cost of travel to, and living expenses in, the student’s placement city and/or country. The maximum grant is $3500. Applicants are encouraged to seek supplementary financial assistance from other sources.
Note that successful candidates are wholly responsible for all arrangements regarding their placement, including travel arrangements, securing accommodations, obtaining travel visas (if necessary), obtaining appropriate medical insurance, and ensuring adequate safety and security. If there is a risk of travel to the region in which you intend to carry out your fellowship, PON is not in a position to give accurate and current information but can direct you to appropriate resources such as State Department reports and relevant NGO documents. PON is not in a position to evaluate and can take no responsibility for risks related to travel. Candidates will, as a condition of receiving a grant, be required to sign an acknowledgment of risk and general release.
Application Instructions
Final applications due date is coming soon.
Applications shall consist of the following:
- Cover page listing the following information:
- Full Name
- School and program
- Status in current academic program (i.e., year _ of _)
- E-mail address
- Mailing address
- Telephone number
- A 2-4 page, double spaced proposal addressing the following items:
- A description of the host organization and the nature of the work you will do for them.
- Any course work you have undertaken in negotiation and dispute resolution, especially courses directly relevant to your placement.
- A description of how the Fellowship will relate to your current academic program.
- A description of how the Fellowship will advance your career goals in the field of negotiation and dispute resolution.
- A list of all sources of funding you are applying for or have secured other than the PON Summer Fellowship.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- A letter of reference from a faculty member who knows your academic work well.
- A copy of a letter from your host organization accepting you as an intern, or if you are conducting a research project, a letter from your academic supervisor detailing her/his support for your project. If your application or project has not yet been accepted, you should include documentation sufficient to demonstrate your application, and a notification date (i.e., date by which you will know whether you were accepted).
- A budget detailing your estimated travel and living expenses for the term of your Fellowship.
Complete applications and questions regarding the PON Summer fellowship program should be directed via email to:
Diane Long
dlong@law.harvard.edu
Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
617-496-5541
Award Criteria
PON faculty and staff will review all applications and will announce awards by the first week of May. Applicants will be notified of decisions via email.
Due to the limited number of available grants, PON will select Fellows based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of the internship/project to negotiation and dispute resolution.
- Substantiveness and feasibility of the proposed internship or project.
- Strength of the faculty letter of reference.
- Applicability to student learning and career objectives.
- Applicant experience and commitment to the field of negotiation and dispute resolution.
- Depth of host/supervisor commitment.
- Demonstrated work to secure additional funding sources, where available.
Requirements for Fellowship Recipients
Confirmation of Arrival
Notify PON by letter, e-mail, phone or fax, to the attention of Diane Long (dlong@law.harvard.edu) upon arrival at your placement.
Completion of Placement
Barring unforeseen and serious complications, PON expects you to fulfill your Fellowship without major changes or interruptions. You must notify and obtain the permission of PON before making any material changes to your placement plans. If you discover upon arrival that your placement is not consistent with what your host organization promised you, you should contact PON immediately to discuss how to proceed. PON reserves the right to seek reimbursement of grant funds from Fellows who fail to complete their Fellowship as outlined in their application. PON will charge a minimum of 10% and up to a maximum of 100% of the grant for any unauthorized abandonment of or change to a Fellowship.
Written Report
Fellows must submit a 3-5 page written report about their internship or project to PON by TBD. The report should be a thorough reflection on your summer experience, including how your research or internship contributed to negotiation scholarship. Please also provide details about the nature of your work and its relevance to your academic and professional development.
