Harvard LEAD Fellowship for Promoting Women in Global Health

If you work full-time in global health in Nigeria and have at least 10 years of professional experience, the Harvard LEAD Fellowship could support your next stage of leadership development. The 2027–2028 programme combines virtual engagement with a Harvard residency expected in April 2028 for six weeks.

Applications are open until 15 November 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Despite its focus on promoting women in global health, the fellowship welcomes applicants of all genders and gender identities. You nominate yourself by applying; employer support is nevertheless required.

Opportunity Summary

About the Opportunity

The Harvard Global Health Institute and the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health jointly offer the LEAD Fellowship. It develops leaders based or working in low- and middle-income countries who will, in turn, mentor future female leaders in global health.

During the autumn semester, engagement is light and fellows are not expected to leave their jobs. You begin developing a personal leadership plan through virtual activities and executive coaching. The spring residency includes executive education, workshops, mentorship and speaking opportunities. This is a professional development fellowship, not an advertised degree programme or salaried job.

Funding and Benefits

• The in-residence component includes coverage for visa fees, housing, flights to and from Cambridge, course fees, and a living stipend or daily allowance for food and transportation. No stipend amount or year-long living allowance is stated.
• You receive individual executive leadership coaching and access to Harvard faculty mentorship. Monthly mentor meetings are encouraged throughout the 12-month fellowship.
• The curriculum includes an executive education course, leadership masterclasses and opportunities to develop public speaking and professional connections. A course offered to previous cohorts should not be treated as a confirmed course for 2027–2028.

Who Can Apply?

• You must hold at least a master’s degree in a relevant field.
• You must work full-time in global health and have at least 10 years of professional experience. Work completed as a university student does not count.
• You must have full employer support and a champion within your organisation who serves as a reference.
• You must be able to take six weeks’ leave, or its equivalent, for the residency expected in April 2028.
• You must be able to obtain a J-1 visa and reside in Boston, Massachusetts.
• You should currently be based or working in a low- or middle-income country and plan to return there after the fellowship.
• You must not have participated in a full-time fellowship lasting four months or longer during the two years before arrival at Harvard.
• Applicants from all continents, regions, disciplines, sectors, genders and gender identities are welcome, subject to the other requirements.

What Nigerian Applicants Should Know

• Nigeria-based applicants can consider this fellowship, and a previous Nigerian fellow is listed. Eligibility is not based on Nigerian citizenship alone: your current work or base in a low- or middle-income country and your intention to return matter. No current eligible-country list is supplied.
• The virtual phase allows continued employment, but this is not a wholly remote fellowship. You must be available for the US residency; detailed virtual attendance times and location restrictions are not stated.
• J-1 visa eligibility is required. Visa-fee coverage does not establish explicit visa sponsorship, guarantee approval or confirm permission for other US work. Verify the programme’s visa arrangements before making travel commitments.
• No Nigerian professional-registration requirement or recognition outcome is stated. Do not assume the fellowship grants a clinical licence or changes your professional registration.
• The funding description refers to an in-residence month, while the attendance requirement specifies six weeks. Confirm the exact residency dates and whether all six weeks are covered before budgeting or agreeing leave.

Required Documents

• CV or résumé.
• Letter of intent of no more than 1.5 pages, explaining your global health journey and how the fellowship would benefit your organisation and country.
• Four essays, each limited to 2,000 characters: career development and training activities; project plan; mentoring plan; and impact on your organisation, field and home country.
• Letter of Institutional Commitment supporting your participation and documenting leave during April for the in-residence curriculum.
• Letter of Mentor Commitment from someone within your organisation or network who champions your professional development.
• Two additional reference letters. At least one must come from your current or most recent professional engagement and be different from the mentor commitment letter.

How to Apply

1. 1. Check your eligibility before drafting. Map your relevant qualification, full-time role, qualifying experience and previous fellowship dates against the requirements. If your circumstances are unclear, seek clarification before investing in a complete application.
2. 2. Secure institutional support early. Discuss the six-week absence with your employer and identify the required organisational champion. Your institutional commitment should address the leave requirement, not simply offer general encouragement.
3. 3. Prepare the written components and coordinate letters. Give your referees enough context about your work and fellowship plans to write specific letters. Check the distinct mentor and additional-reference requirements so that the same letter is not incorrectly used to satisfy separate components.
4. 4. Verify the application destination. The advertised cohort is 2027–2028, but the supplied application destination contains a 2025 label. Its current cohort has not been verified. Confirm that it accepts 2027–2028 applications before entering information or submitting materials.
5. 5. Follow the confirmed application instructions and submit before 15 November 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Check how documents and references must be provided; the available details do not establish upload formats or whether referees submit letters separately. Plan to finish early rather than relying on a last-minute submission.

Visit the official application page

Application Tips

Optional preparation: build your application around one leadership challenge rather than a broad wish to gain international exposure. Explain what you need to learn, how you would use it and who would benefit when you return.

Hypothetical example: a Nigerian HIV programme manager could connect a need for stronger team leadership to a practical project and a mentoring plan for women moving into supervisory roles. This illustrates how the application components can fit together; it is not a prescribed project topic.

For your letter of intent, show the progression of your global health career and explain the expected benefit to your organisation and country. Use the four essays to develop distinct parts of that case rather than repeating the letter. Check characters, not words, against each essay limit.

Final submission check: confirm the cohort, review every length limit, check that your employment dates support the experience requirement and ensure your institutional letter covers the residency leave. Verify the current submission and reference-letter arrangements before the deadline; these mechanics are not supplied.

Information checked 9 November 2026.