The HSI Doctoral Fellowship
The Founding HSI Doctoral Fellowship.
A merit-based scholarship grant awarded in support of a Fellow's doctoral work. It recognizes prior achievement and provides the financial conditions under which exceptional scholars can pursue their research without distraction. No specific deliverables are required as a condition of the award.
Funding status. The Founding Fellowship is the Institute's inaugural award. A future application cycle is planned, subject to funding and approval by the Institute's Board. Terms below describe the current award.
About the program
The Founding HSI Doctoral Fellowship recognizes exceptional scholars whose work advances HSI's mission across four research pillars: Responsible AI, Human Performance, Planetary Futures, and Governance and Diplomacy. The Fellowship is structured as a scholarship grant in support of the Fellow's qualifying academic program. The award recognizes prior achievement and provides the financial conditions under which exceptional scholars can pursue their doctoral work with focus and seriousness.
No specific research outputs, public engagements, or other deliverables are required of the Fellow as a condition of the award. Continuation is contingent solely on the Fellow remaining in good standing in their qualifying academic program.
Eligibility
Applicants of all nationalities are eligible. The Fellowship is awarded only to individuals enrolled in, or admitted to, a doctoral program (or comparable terminal academic program) at the time of award and continuation, whose academic and professional work demonstrates clear alignment with at least one of HSI's four pillars.
International students are eligible. The Fellowship is structured as a scholarship grant that does not require services in exchange, and is therefore intended to be compatible with student visa categories that prohibit unauthorized employment. Recipients are responsible for confirming with their institution's Designated School Official, or equivalent, that acceptance of the grant is consistent with their visa status.
Selection criteria
Fellows are selected on the basis of the following criteria, evaluated in aggregate rather than individually.
- Scholarly and Professional ExcellenceA demonstrated record of high-caliber academic work, professional achievement, or both. Evidence may include peer-reviewed publications, awards, executive or policy roles, original research, or comparable indicators of distinction.
- Pillar AlignmentSubstantive alignment between the candidate's research, writing, or professional focus and at least one of HSI's four pillars. Candidates whose work bridges pillars or operates at their intersections are of particular interest.
- Leadership and Public ImpactEvidence of leadership in academic, professional, or civic contexts, and a demonstrated ability to translate ideas into impact beyond the academy.
- Cross-Cultural and International EngagementCapacity to work across cultural, regional, and institutional boundaries, a defining characteristic of HSI's networked, transnational orientation.
- Character and Commitment to the Public GoodIntegrity, intellectual seriousness, and a track record of constructive engagement with difficult questions.
- TrajectoryA clear path forward in which Fellowship support meaningfully accelerates the candidate's contribution to their field.
Visa, tax, and code of conduct
The Fellowship is structured as a scholarship grant for the support of academic study. It is not compensation for services, and the Fellow is not an employee, contractor, or agent of HSI. International Fellows are responsible for confirming with their institution's Designated School Official, and where applicable with qualified tax or immigration counsel, that acceptance of the grant is consistent with their visa status.
To ensure compliance with both the recipient institution's financial aid policies and applicable visa restrictions, the allocation of the Annual Award between monthly stipend and approved non-stipend categories is determined in coordination with the Fellow's institution at the start of each Fellowship year and documented for internal record.
Disbursements to non-U.S. recipients are reported to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Form 1042-S, with withholding applied at the rate applicable to scholarship and fellowship grants paid to non-resident aliens, subject to any applicable benefits under bilateral income tax treaties. Fellows are responsible for their own personal tax compliance.
Fellows agree to represent themselves with integrity in scholarly and public settings, to comply with the academic and ethical standards of their home institutions, and, where they choose to acknowledge HSI affiliation in published work, to do so accurately. Fellows are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with HSI's mission and values.
