The Middle East Initiative (MEI): Empowering Policy-Oriented Scholars

The Middle East Initiative (MEI) at Harvard University invites purposes for the Emirates Leadership Initiative Research Fellowship, which offers junior and mid-career students with a ten-month stipend to pursue unbiased analysis on essential public coverage points related to the UAE, the Gulf area, and the broader Arab world. This fellowship is particularly designed for students who’re from and intend to return to the UAE, Gulf, and Arab international locations.

Key Details:

• Fellowship Duration: Ten months (Academic Year, September 1st – June thirtieth)
• Stipend:
  • $50,000 for predoctoral fellows
  • $65,000 for postdoctoral fellows (for many who have graduated inside the final 5 years)
  • $75,000 for many who obtained their doctoral levels greater than 5 years in the past
• Location: Fellows have to be bodily current at Harvard in the course of the fellowship interval and are anticipated to contribute to the MEI’s public occasions, reminiscent of talking engagements or organizing public discussions.

Eligibility:

This fellowship is open to junior and mid-career students, school, coverage analysts, public servants, and social scientists who’ve a demonstrated capability for impactful coverage analysis. Applicants ought to be dedicated to returning to their home international locations within the UAE, Gulf, or the broader Arab world to apply their analysis findings.

Priority Research Areas:

Applicants are inspired to deal with one of many 4 analysis priorities central to MEI’s mission:

1. Optimizing Governance: Improving native governance, managing new applied sciences, and enhancing service supply.
2. Increasing Economic Dynamism: Diversifying economies, fostering personal sector improvement, and managing financial openness.
3. Strengthening Human Capital: Reforming schooling techniques, creating workforce expertise, and balancing international expertise with native capacities.
4. Improving Public Policy Design and Delivery: Promoting evidence-based policy-making and rigorous analysis of public insurance policies.

Expectations:

• Research Project: Fellows are anticipated to advance their analysis challenge and produce a deliverable reminiscent of a working paper, coverage transient, or journal article.
• Public Engagement: Fellows may be requested to contribute to public discussions or occasions hosted by the MEI, additional contributing to the mental lifetime of the establishment.

Application Requirements:

• CV/Resume: Include instructional historical past and diploma completion dates.
• Research Proposal: 3-5 pages outlining the proposed challenge.
• Unofficial Transcript: For candidates with no PhD.
• Recommendation Letters: Three letters of advice, with a transparent indication of the deadline.
• Writing Sample: A writing pattern (underneath 50 pages), together with an summary (300 phrases or much less). It ought to ideally be single-authored and could be unpublished or printed (e.g., coverage transient, journal article, e book chapter, dissertation chapter).

Important Dates:

• Application Deadline: Sunday, March 23, at 11:59 PM EST.
• Recommendation Letters Due: Thursday, March 27, at 11:59 PM EST.
• Decision Announcement: May 2025.

This fellowship presents an distinctive alternative to additional analysis on essential coverage points whereas leveraging Harvard’s sources to make a big influence on the governance and improvement of the Gulf and Arab world.

For extra particulars and to apply, visit the Middle East Initiative’s website.

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