Jun 29, 2016 · Oregon State University, PhD in Public Health (Corvallis, OR): Most public health doctoral students are funded through teaching or graduate research assistantships, which include tuition remission and a stipend. Others are funded through scholarships and fellowships. University of Florida Health, PhD in Public Health ... Graduate Students. Graduate student salaries do not have an associated fringe rate. Instead, tuition, is usually budgeted with a commensurate tuition amount. Tuition must be listed in the “other direct costs” category. Equipment. The University defines equipment as items that cost at least $5,000. ... Oct 3, 2022 · This funding allowed me to make my school and research my full-time job, for the first time in a long time.” Her main source of financial support was the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health–Dana-Farber Cancer Prevention Fellowship, funded through a National Cancer Institute T32 program. ... Harvard Chan School offers fellowships and training programs for public health leaders at every stage of their careers. Undergraduate and High School Programs These programs impart essential skills and provide powerful mentorship and networking opportunities to propel successful public health careers. ... As a fellowship recipient, your tuition will be covered for four years and you’ll receive a stipend for your first and second years. You are guaranteed funding during your final year so you can focus on finishing your dissertation. We encourage you to pursue external fellowships and explore research funding opportunities beyond Harvard. ... ">

Financial Support for PhD Students

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PhD Students in the Natural Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Medical Sciences

Phd students in the humanities and social sciences programs of the faculty of arts and sciences, phd students in humanities and social sciences programs offered in partnership with other harvard schools, acceptance of financial support.

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) offers incoming PhD students full financial support—including tuition, health insurance fees, and basic living expenses—for a minimum of five years (typically the first four years of study and the completion year). This funding package includes a combination of tuition grants, stipends, traineeships, teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and other academic appointments.

Each student is provided a Notice of Financial Support at the time of admission and is assigned a financial aid officer who administers this funding and is available to assist with financial concerns. Each spring, continuing students supported by Harvard Griffin GSAS-administered funding sources are required to activate their funding for the upcoming academic year using the Student Aid Portal, an online financial aid management system.

A typical funding package* includes:

  • grants toward tuition and the Harvard University Student Health Program  paid in full for years G1 through G4 and the dissertation completion year
  • a combination of stipend, teaching fellowships, and/or research assistantships during years G1 through G4
  • summer research support from Harvard Griffin GSAS or faculty grants following the first four academic years.
  • subsidy payments to defray dental insurance and transportation costs.

*In some programs, the timing and structure of living expense support may vary from this pattern.

The initial Notice of Financial Support assumes continuous enrollment as a full-time resident student; students not enrolled are not eligible for Harvard Griffin GSAS financial aid programs. Students may find that their actual enrollment patterns necessitate adjustments to the timing of their funding. Students wishing to defer Harvard Griffin GSAS-administered funding indicate this in the Student Aid Portal during the annual financial aid acceptance process. The options for deferring financial support vary by type of aid; please refer to the applicable sections of the financial aid policy web pages for details. Students who are considering deferring financial support are strongly encouraged to contact their financial aid officer to review how such actions may impact their funding in future years.

While funding packages vary by program, PhD students in the sciences typically receive full funding until they complete their programs of study. Contact your department administrator or financial aid officer for details.

See more detailed information about funding for students in humanities and social sciences programs of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Humanities and Social Sciences Programs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences

  • Celtic Literatures and Languages
  • Comparative Literature
  • East Asian Languages and Civilizations
  • Film and Visual Studies
  • Germanic Languages and Literatures
  • History of Art and Architecture
  • Inner Asian and Altaic Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
  • Romance Languages and Literatures
  • Slavic Languages and Literatures
  • South Asian Studies

Social Sciences

  • African and African American Studies
  • American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • History of Science
  • Human Evolutionary Biology
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Social Policy

A number of humanities and social sciences PhD programs are offered in partnership with Harvard's professional schools. While funding packages vary by program, PhD students in these interfaculty programs generally receive at least four years of financial support for tuition, health fees, and living expenses; most programs provide dissertation completion fellowships as well. For more information, refer to your Notice of Financial Support or contact your financial aid officer .

Interfaculty Programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences

  • Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning
  • Business Administration
  • Business Economics
  • Health Policy
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Political Economy and Government
  • Public Policy

Each student is provided a Notice of Financial Support at the time of admission and is assigned a financial aid officer who administers this funding and is available to assist with financial concerns. Students are required to formally accept their financial aid offers and acknowledge their understanding of financial aid policies. Students should also consult their academic programs to determine whether program-specific conditions apply.

Each spring, continuing students supported by Harvard Griffin GSAS-administered funding sources are required to activate their funding for the upcoming academic year using the Student Aid Portal, an online financial aid management system. Continued eligibility for financial aid is contingent upon an annual report by the faculty that the student is making  satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Financial Aid

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Developing a Budget

A budget provides details of the expenses necessary to complete the proposed work in the research plan.  Carefully read  the sponsor guidelines, Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), and/or the Request For Proposal (RFP) when putting together a budget, as each sponsor has their own set of budgetary requirements and templates.  Note: Whether a sponsor requires a formal budget or not, Harvard Chan School requires that an internal excel budget and budget justification to be uploaded in GMAS request at the time of SPA proposal review. 

Considerations

As you begin to develop a budget and put all of the relevant costs down on paper, there are considerations :

  • What should be considered a direct cost or indirect cost?
  • What is the fringe benefit rate?
  • What is the graduate student stipend rate?
  • What Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs rate should I use?

Below are some additional tips and reminders we have found to be helpful for preparing a research grant application, mainly geared towards the SF424 (R&R) application. (Note: these tips do not supersede the budget instructions found in the relevant application instruction guide found on the  How to Apply - Application Guide  page.

Direct Costs

Source: OSP Website

An expense is a “direct cost” if that expense can be identified specifically with a particular sponsored project or other activity with a high degree of accuracy.  Direct costs include categories such as salaries, fringe benefits, tuition, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel, subagreements, other costs.

  • Cost Principles for Sponsored Agreements  (Contracts and Grants)

Required information to complete a budget:

  • Project role
  • Number of calendar months or percent effort per year
  • Base salary
  • Total salary requested
  • Cost of living increases

Note: be aware of the  NIH salary cap  and the  NSF two month salary limitation  (section 2.C.2.g)

Fringe Benefits

Fringe benefits are the associated employee costs such as health plan expenses, pension plan expenses and workman's compensation expenses, among others.  The University has negotiated fringe benefit rates with its cognizant federal agency (DHHS).

  • University Fringe Benefits Rates

Graduate Students

Graduate student salaries do not have an associated fringe rate.  Instead, tuition, is usually budgeted with a commensurate tuition amount.  Tuition must be listed in the “other direct costs” category.

The University defines equipment as items that cost at least $5,000.  These items should be included as equipment in the budget and excluded from [MTDC].

  • List each piece of equipment individually
  • Describe the equipment and the application to the project
  • Provide prices and vendor quotes for each piece of equipment
  • If equipment is to be fabricated, itemize the individual component parts and labor costs, explain the basis for calculations, and file supporting documentation.  

 Resources  

Outline details for each trip:

  • List the number of individuals who will be traveling
  • Names of travelers
  • Purpose of the trip
  • Destination
  • Per diem rates for meals and number of days needed
  • Per diem rates for lodging and number of days needed
  • Ground transportation
  • Sponsored Travel Guidance  
  • Travel & Expense Reporting

Participant/Trainee Support Costs

Participant support costs cannot be budgeted if they are for Harvard employees.  This section is only for budgeting costs for trainees or conference/workshop participants from outside the University.

  • Tuition/Fees/Health Insurance
  • Subsistence
  • Number of Participants/Trainees

Materials and Supplies

Supplies are items priced under $5,000 (the equipment threshold).   

  • List each item  
  • Provide an estimated cost of each item

Publication Costs

Publication costs may include:

  • Costs of documenting, preparing, publishing
  • Making publications available to others
  • Findings and products of the work conducted under the award

Consultants

Consultants are paid only to individuals who are not employed by Harvard University or have any other institutional affiliation.  

  • Daily rate of pay
  • Number of days each consultant is intended to be paid
  •     Collaborators

Computer Services

Include any computer based costs and internal computer service rates

Subagreements  

Each subrecipient should appear in the Harvard proposal budget as a separate line item that includes both the subrecipient’s direct and indirect costs.  

  • Subaward vs Vendor
  • Subrecipient vs Contractor Guidance

Equipment or Facility Rental/User Fees

List the total funds requested for equipment or facility rental/user fee

  • Describe user fee
  • Justify the use of the facility and/or equipment

Alterations and Renovations

  • Itemize by category  
  • Justify the costs of alterations and renovations, including repairs, painting, and removal or installation of partitions, shielding, or air conditioning
  • Where applicable, provide the square footage and costs

 Other Direct Costs

  • Publication costs. This category includes expenses for publication in established journals. Costs for publication of a book, monograph, or other publication usually cannot be charged without prior approval from the sponsor.
  • Communication fees
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Rental costs
  • Tuition remission

Indirect Costs

These are also commonly referred to as Overhead, Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A), IDC, or Indirects. Overhead rates are typically negotiated with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) every 4-5 years.  The indirect cost rates are applied to either a Total direct cost or a modified total direct cost amount.

Total Direct Cost (TDC)

Total direct cost is the sum of all direct costs listed in the budget.  When applying to a non-federal sponsor, use the total direct cost base unless the RFA or sponsor guidance do not permit.

Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)

Modified total direct cost is used for all federal proposals.  MTDC is the sum of all direct costs excluding the following line items:

  • Subaward budgets (inclusive of direct and indirect costs) in excess of the first $25,000
  • Hospitalization and other fees associated with patient care whether the services are obtained from an owned, related or third party hospital or other medical facility
  • Rental/maintenance of off-site activities; student tuition remission and student support costs (e.g. student aid, stipends, dependency allowances, scholarships, fellowships.)  
  • Capital expenditures (buildings, individual items of equipment; alterations and renovations)
  • IDC Rate Agreement

Other Resources

  • NIH's Budget Building Blocks for Investigators presentation: PowerPoint  and accompanying YouTube video  and Case Study
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  • Proposal Deadlines
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  • Limited Submissions
  • Budget Justification
  • Letters of Support
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Exploring what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Cristina Gago stands outside in New York City, wearing a black t-shirt and tan pants. Her arms are folded and she's looking to her right. Cars and people are blurred in the background.

Philanthropic impact

Finding public health programs that work

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Food keeps Cristina Gago up at night. Not because of cravings or indigestion—Gago, who received her PhD from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in May, stays up late thinking about nutrition and public health. “It’s not something that I can just put down when I’m done with work for the day,” she says. Gago, now a postdoc at New York University Langone’s Center for Healthful Behavior Chang e, says “nutrition is part of every piece of our lives. There are huge, obvious disparities in access to food, the way we’re able to interact with it, and what that means for our present selves and our future health.”

She first became aware of these disparities as an undergraduate biology student at the University of Southern California, where she taught anatomy lessons to local fifth graders as a volunteer. While discussing the digestive tract, she brought in fruits and vegetables to help illustrate how it worked. “A lot of kids just didn’t recognize what some of them were,” she says. “I thought, ‘how is that even possible?’”

The experience set her on a career path focused on improving access to health-promoting resources among traditionally underserved populations. She developed a passion for evaluating the impact of nutrition interventions as an MPH student at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine . When she came to Harvard Chan School for her PhD, she focused on project evaluation. While a student, she implemented and evaluated multiple public health projects—from culturally tailored healthy eating programs for Latino adults to family-based nutrition programs with the Massachusetts offices of WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and Head Start.

Project evaluation, she says, informs everything in public health. “You need to be able to look up prior studies and learn what’s worked and what hasn’t,” says Gago. “It’s also a really respectful practice: asking participants to reflect, and communicating to the larger world what they had to say and why it’s important. A lot of the time they’re really excited to help you make it better.”

Public health PhD programs at the Harvard Chan School are offered through the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , in a partnership which includes full financial aid. Gago says that having this support was a welcome change from working multiple jobs while getting her combined bachelor’s and master’s at USC. “It was school and then work and then homework late at night. This funding allowed me to make my school and research my full-time job, for the first time in a long time.”

Her main source of financial support was the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health–Dana-Farber Cancer Prevention Fellowship, funded through a National Cancer Institute T32 program. In addition, she received support through the Irene M. and Fredrick J. Stare Nutrition Education Fund. This fund, which—unlike some other PhD funding streams—isn’t tied to specific projects, gave her academic freedom and flexibility. “The Stare funding allowed me to work with five different mentors, work on multiple projects, and follow whatever opportunities met my learning goals.”

She drew across her experiences in working on her doctoral dissertation, a multilayered analysis of nutrition interventions for diverse, low-income families with young children. She hopes her findings will help shape future interventions to improve child and adult health.

Ultimately, Gago hopes to become a professor of population health. “I really value the collaborative nature of universities and the independence to ask questions that are urgent, novel, and important for the world,” she says.  Wherever she goes, Gago plans to keep using her love for evaluation science to improve how public health works.

“I really value the collaborative nature of universities and the independence to ask questions that are urgent, novel, and important for the world.”

Nurtured by a strong legacy

harvard public health phd funding

The push to improve health through nutrition science has animated generations of students and faculty at Harvard Chan School since Fredrick J. Stare founded the Department of Nutrition in 1942 with a staff of three. Stare was among the first to research the influence of diet on heart disease, and his high-profile advocacy for better nutrition has helped shape the course of public health. The department he founded has grown to include more than 100 faculty and staff members and has trained hundreds of master’s and doctoral students.

Stare’s impact also continues through the Irene M. and Fredrick J. Stare Nutrition Education Fund, named in honor of Stare and his wife. The fund was established in 1976, when members of the Department of Nutrition voted to apportion part of a general fund, and it has been generously supported by the Stare family. In the 2021–2022 academic year, the Irene M. and Fredrick J. Stare Nutrition Education Fund provided financial support to six PhD students, including Cristina Gago.

Frank Hu , who is the Fredrick J. Stare Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology and Nutrition Department chair, says the Stare Fund is meant to support the development of high-impact leaders in nutrition research and policy. “Cristina’s research is a great example, allowing the translation of cutting-edge nutritional science into public health practice and policy to improve the health of low-income families.”

Magazine Cover: Harvard Public Health (magazine name). Headline reads: Sick from the system and getting worse" in white text on a bright red background. Subhead reads:How structural racism affects health—and what people are doing about it.

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“Nothing about us without us”

Degrees & Programs

In addition to our acclaimed degree programs, Harvard Chan School offers a wide range of courses for everyone from high school students to corporate CEOs. We aim to support lifelong learning across all dimensions of public health.

Degree Programs

Degree program finder, master’s degrees.

Explore our Master of Public Health, Master of Science, and Master of Health Care Management degrees.

Doctoral Degrees

Learn about our DrPH program and the public health PhD programs offered through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).

Joint and Combined Degrees

Learn about programs that enable you to earn multiple graduate degrees from different Harvard schools.

Interdisciplinary Concentrations

Explore interdisciplinary concentrations that allow degree students to dive deep into areas of interest, from climate change to humanitarian studies to epidemiology of infectious disease.

Executive and Continuing Education

Non-degree programs, fellowships and special programs.

Harvard Chan School offers fellowships and training programs for public health leaders at every stage of their careers.

Undergraduate and High School Programs

These programs impart essential skills and provide powerful mentorship and networking opportunities to propel successful public health careers.

  • Funding Your Doctoral Education

In This Section

  • Funding Your Master’s Education
  • Funding Your Executive Education Progam

Felix Owusu PPOL PhD candidate 2020

My experience as a teaching fellow at HKS has helped me prepare by providing ample opportunities to learn from some of the best scholars in my field while giving me the latitude and resources to pursue my own research agenda.

Felix owusu ppol phd candidate 2020.

Our doctoral program is jointly managed by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences  and Harvard Kennedy School.

As you consider applying to our  PPOL PhD program , keep in mind that:

  • You must be officially registered from the time you enroll at Harvard until you are awarded your degree.
  • Fellowships  are merit based. You will automatically be considered for available fellowships when your application is reviewed by our admissions committee. As a fellowship recipient, your tuition will be covered for four years and you’ll receive a stipend for your first and second years. You are guaranteed funding during your final year so you can focus on finishing your dissertation.
  • We encourage you to pursue external fellowships and explore research funding opportunities beyond Harvard. Many of our PPOL students have received funding from the  National Science Foundation ,  Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program ,  Fulbright Program , and the  Ford Foundation .

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COMMENTS

  1. Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions - Harvard T.H. Chan ...

    Master of Public Health (MPH) 45 Generalist (on-line program) About 50% of our MPH-Generalist students receive school grants. Most cover a quarter of tuition costs. Master of Public Health – Epidemiology (online/on-campus) 50% of students receive support; Awards range from $5,000-$20,000: Master of Science (SM) 42.5, 60, & 60 credit program

  2. Funding Sources | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health ...

    Sponsored Funding Much of the research conducted at The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is supported through funding from departments/ agencies that sponsor research, training, and/or service activities through various types of agreements. Harvard Principal Investigators (PIs), submit proposals for funding to sponsors, through our Sponsored Programs Administration Offices.

  3. Financial Support for PhD Students | The Harvard Kenneth C ...

    A number of humanities and social sciences PhD programs are offered in partnership with Harvard's professional schools. While funding packages vary by program, PhD students in these interfaculty programs generally receive at least four years of financial support for tuition, health fees, and living expenses; most programs provide dissertation ...

  4. Tuition and Financial Aid | Harvard T.H. Chan School of ...

    A Harvard Chan education is an investment in your future — and in the change you hope to make in the world. Many of our master’s and DrPH programs are eligible for school-funded scholarships. Loans, external grants, and student employment can also help you cover your costs.

  5. Find Funding | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health ...

    This section has been designed exclusively for assistance in identifying funding opportunities and grants. Note: While this list includes recent announcements from HSPH’s major funders, it is not an exhaustive list. View ORSD's weekly funding announcements; View Harvard Chan School's internal funding opportunities

  6. Fully Funded PhD Programs in Public Health - ProFellow

    Jun 29, 2016 · Oregon State University, PhD in Public Health (Corvallis, OR): Most public health doctoral students are funded through teaching or graduate research assistantships, which include tuition remission and a stipend. Others are funded through scholarships and fellowships. University of Florida Health, PhD in Public Health

  7. Budget | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Research ...

    Graduate Students. Graduate student salaries do not have an associated fringe rate. Instead, tuition, is usually budgeted with a commensurate tuition amount. Tuition must be listed in the “other direct costs” category. Equipment. The University defines equipment as items that cost at least $5,000.

  8. Finding public health programs that work - Harvard Public ...

    Oct 3, 2022 · This funding allowed me to make my school and research my full-time job, for the first time in a long time.” Her main source of financial support was the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health–Dana-Farber Cancer Prevention Fellowship, funded through a National Cancer Institute T32 program.

  9. Degrees & Programs | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

    Harvard Chan School offers fellowships and training programs for public health leaders at every stage of their careers. Undergraduate and High School Programs These programs impart essential skills and provide powerful mentorship and networking opportunities to propel successful public health careers.

  10. Funding Your Doctoral Education - Harvard Kennedy School

    As a fellowship recipient, your tuition will be covered for four years and you’ll receive a stipend for your first and second years. You are guaranteed funding during your final year so you can focus on finishing your dissertation. We encourage you to pursue external fellowships and explore research funding opportunities beyond Harvard.