Harris Social Impact Fellowship: $75K Stipend for US-Based Data Talent

The Harris Social Impact Fellowship is an 11-month, full-time, in-person programme run by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy for technically trained early-career graduates. Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort close on 19 October 2026 at 11:59 PM Central Time. It is a US-eligibility opportunity: applicants must be authorised to work in the United States, so most readers in MENA and Africa cannot apply.

If you are a US-based data scientist, engineer, statistician or applied mathematician who wants to point those skills at social problems, this is a funded way to do it.

At a glance

Who can apply to the Harris Social Impact Fellowship?

The organizer lists these requirements for the 2027-2028 cohort:

• A recent college graduate or early-career professional. The bachelor’s degree must be conferred before the fellowship starts.
• Strong technical, quantitative or analytical skills, with a demonstrated capacity for serious work of that kind.
• Authorisation to work in the United States.

The University of Chicago states that it cannot sponsor visas for this programme. Visa holders are responsible for checking whether participation fits their current status. The fellowship is in person, so remote participation is not an option.

What you get

For the 2027-2028 cohort, the programme page lists a $75K stipend for living and healthcare expenses and $21K that fully covers the fellowship academic credential. Fellows also receive mentorship from policy leaders, professional development coaching and access to a network of faculty, alumni and practitioners.

The year starts with 8 weeks of intensive, faculty-led coursework. It continues with a 9-month applied placement with research centres and policy institutes, and ends with a capstone project.

How to apply

1. Read the official programme page and confirm you meet the work authorisation requirement.
2. Prepare a motivation statement of about 300 words and a one-page technical experience statement.
3. Gather your resume, your transcripts and one letter of recommendation.
4. Submit everything on the application portal by 19 October 2026, 11:59 PM Central Time.

Selection runs in phases, starting with a take-home technical assessment and including lab matching interviews. Information sessions are listed for 7 October 2026 and 16 October 2026, 12 to 1 PM Central Daylight Time. Questions go to SocialImpactFellowship@uchicago.edu.

Advice from the Impact DOTS team

• Check work authorisation before anything else. It is a hard requirement and the university will not sponsor a visa.
• Make the technical experience statement concrete. The organizer asks for demonstrated capacity for serious analytical work, so name the methods, data and results you handled.
• Connect your skills to a social problem in the motivation statement. The programme is built around applying technical work to public policy and social impact.
• Plan for the take-home technical assessment. Practise working on an unfamiliar dataset under a time limit.
• Treat 19 October as a hard stop. Ask your recommender early, since the application needs a letter.

FAQ

Can applicants from outside the United States apply?

Only if they are already authorised to work in the United States. The programme does not sponsor visas and runs in person in Chicago.

Is there an application fee?

The programme page does not mention a fee. Confirm any cost with the organizer before you apply.

How much does the fellowship pay?

The 2027-2028 cohort page lists a $75K stipend for living and healthcare expenses. A further $21K fully covers the fellowship academic credential.

Which time zone does the deadline use?

Central Time. The deadline is 19 October 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.

Sources

• Harris Social Impact Fellowship programme page
• Harris application portal