The Zuckerman fellowship, established by Mort Zuckerman in 2004, is one of the most prestigious fellowships HKS offers. If you want to find out more about Mort Zuckerman, click here for his wiki-bio.

We’ve compiled a bunch of things from the Zuckerman Fellows Program page for you below, and as always, double check the site itself for changes or updates (don’t use us as your only source). Happy reading!

If you want to take a look at the recipients of the fellowship, please look at pages 74 – 91 in the 2014 – 2015 profile book for Harvard.

Zuckerman Fellows Program

For study at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, or Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The challenges we face in our public schools and public health systems, as well as in government at all levels, are too complicated to be solved without the insight and commitment of leaders with the highest-quality professional training. But for many who have a strong aptitude for public service, the opportunity costs associated with acquiring the necessary training are too high. In response to this problem, the Zuckerman Fellows Program equips people from the fields of medicine, law, and business to provide leadership for the common good by making it possible for them to pursue public service degrees at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, or Harvard Kennedy School. The Zuckerman Fellowship provides recipients with full tuition and health insurance fees plus a stipend of $17,000 for one year.

Application

Step 1: Apply to Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, or Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Please see respective school websites for deadline information. Step 2: Apply for the Fellowship: Application deadline for the 2016-17 Zuckerman Fellowship is January 4, 2016. The fellowship application requires the following materials, and must be submitted to the Committee on General Scholarships (please see submission information below).

• A completed and signed Fellowship Application Form
• A résumé or curriculum vitae,
• A statement of purpose, and
• Two letters of recommendation.

Please review the guidelines document for important details about preparing and submitting your fellowship application. The Fellowship application and guidelines are in PDF format. Fellowship applications may be submitted via email to: zuckermanfellows@harvard.edu. If application materials are sent via email, they should be sent as one attachment and include the application form, resume or curriculum vitae, and the statement of purpose. Letters of recommendation should be sent separately by the recommenders.  Applications may also be submitted via regular/express mail or in person to: Committee on General Scholarships Harvard University 14 Story Street, 3rd floor Cambridge, MA 02138

Interviews

Finalists for the Zuckerman Fellowship will be required to come to Harvard University for an interview with members of the Zuckerman Fellowship Selection Committee in March 2016. Detailed information, including interview dates, will be posted in the coming months. For those living outside of the Boston/Cambridge area, hotel and travel expenses to and from Cambridge will be paid by Harvard.

Program Information

Zuckerman Fellows are selected on the basis of:

• Leadership abilities,
• Intellectual and academic achievement, and
• Commitment to public service.

In addition to their formal coursework, Zuckerman Fellows participate in a yearlong co-curricular program that includes small-group discussions with members of the Harvard faculty as well as other leading academics and practitioners, personal and professional skill-building workshops, and a field trip. Taken together, these interdisciplinary activities help the Fellows integrate the classroom learning with their individual career plans and interests. While they are pursuing a degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, or Harvard Kennedy School, Zuckerman Fellows also participate in a yearlong co-curricular program designed by the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. This not-for-credit program is intended to inspire, to provide concrete opportunities for leadership skill-building, and to connect fellows with a network of like-minded individuals across multiple fields. Not only does it enable the Fellows integrate their various activities and experiences while they are at Harvard, it also helps them build a network of colleagues that will last a lifetime.

The co-curricular program includes:

• Welcome Retreat: CPL Fellows interact with and get to know one another and begin the process of supporting one another’s aspirations as leaders.
• Leadership Discussion Series: On a weekly basis, the Fellows engage one another as well as eminent practitioners and local and national leaders on topics of service and leadership.
• Field Experience: Fellows, along with selected students from the broader Kennedy School community, take a multi-day trip to a major U.S. city and meet with area leaders in order to gain an understanding of the deep rooted problems of society and innovative approaches to resolving them.
• Connection with CPL and Zuckerman Fellows Network: Fellows engage with these other emerging leaders as they begin their careers through opportunities like roundtable discussions, mentoring experiences with fellowship alumni, leadership skills workshops, and networking events.

Candidates for the Zuckerman Fellowship must have, or be working toward, a professional graduate degree in business, medicine, or law, and must also be interested in pursuing an additional degree in education, government, or public health at Harvard University.

About Mort Zuckerman

Mort Zuckerman, the fellowship’s donor, is himself a testament to the value of such a multidisciplinary approach. After earning degrees in law and business, Zuckerman taught city and regional planning at both Harvard and Yale. After working at the real estate firm Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, he cofounded Boston Properties in 1970. Today this real estate investment trust, which owns, manages, and develops first-class properties, is one of the largest and most respected firms in the sector.

Zuckerman is also the chairman and editor-in-chief of U.S. News & World Report and chairman and publisher of the New York Daily News. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Washington Institute for Near East Policies, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He serves as a trustee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, the Aspen Institute, New York University, the Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, and the Center for Communications.

Zuckerman’s career demonstrates that it is quite possible to achieve professional and business success while being deeply engaged in the most pressing issues our society faces. The fellowship he has established will help ensure that future generations of professionals will be able to explore and be enriched by the challenges of public service leadership.

FAQ from the Webpage

Are applicants to the joint or concurrent degree program eligible? Joint and concurrent degree students at Harvard are eligible to apply for a Zuckerman Fellowship. However, the timing of the Fellowship application should be discussed with the Committee on General Scholarships. Applicants who plan to pursue joint or concurrent degrees should contact the Committee on General Scholarships at 617.496.5042 or zuckermanfellows@harvard.edu. What is required of the fellows? Fellows are required to be in full-time residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard School of Public Health, or Harvard Kennedy School during their fellowship year. A Zuckerman Fellowship is awarded for one year only, even though some master’s degree programs last for more than one year. Fellows are expected to participate fully in the cocurricular program organized by the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School during their fellowship year. How do I check the status of my application? Candidates may email the Program Office to confirm receipt of their fellowship application at zuckermanfellows@harvard.edu. The office will not release any information about the selection of Zuckerman Fellows until the Fellows are selected in April. At that time, all applicants will receive written notice of the outcome of their applications. The Zuckerman Program Office does not have any information about the status of applications for admission to Harvard graduate or professional schools. For questions about the fellowship application, guidelines, or eligibility requirements of the Zuckerman Fellowship, please contact the Committee on General Scholarships at 617.496.5042 or zuckermanfellows@harvard.edu. For questions about the cocurricular program, please contact the Center of Public Leadership at barbara_best@hks.harvard.edu or zuckermanfellows@harvard.edu.