Sarah Rugheimer

We are forging a community of students, young researchers, and faculty actively engaged in a new scientific field: origins of life in the universe. At the graduate and post-graduate level, we provide each generation of Harvard-educated researchers the comprehensive interdisciplinary education required to study and teach in this dynamic new field.

The Harvard Origins of Life Initiative administers the following programs:

Postdoctoral Fellowships - Now Reviewing Applications

The Origins Postdoctoral Fellows pursue research on topics related to origins of life in the universe. The fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis. Candidates propose a research program and secure a commitment from one or more Harvard faculty members to host the candidate's work. Candidates with a doctorate or equivalent in any field are eligible, and they may propose research projects in any related discipline. Candidates who received terminal degrees from Harvard and postdoctoral fellows currently working at Harvard are also eligible for the fellowship.

Graduate Fellowships

The Origins Graduate Fellowship Program is directed to current Harvard graduate students pursuing thesis research on topics related to origins of life in the universe; non-Harvard graduate students are also eligible, as long as they work at Harvard and have a Harvard visiting fellow status. The fellowships will provide full support (tuition and salary) for 1 year, renewable for up to 3 years.

Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Individual awards of up to $2,000 are available for Harvard undergraduates for research during the academic year.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Summer Undergraduate Research Grants of up to $5,000 are available for undergraduates working in Origins team member labs on Origins-related projects. Click here for more details.

List of 2012 Summer Undergraduate Researchers

For more information on any of these programs, please contact Carol Knell, Origins Program Coordinator, at cknell@cfa.harvard.edu.