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U.S. Health Equity Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Position: U.S. Health Equity Postdoctoral Research Fellow

School: Harvard Medical School

Department/Area: Global Health and Social Medicine

Position Description: The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine stands out for its unique biosocial, interdisciplinary approach to research and training and its unique focus on improving global health delivery and promoting health equity worldwide. Problems of health equity are biosocial phenomena and addressing them requires insights from both the biological and social sciences.

Our department faculty are trained in disciplines including anthropology, history, sociology, economics, ecology, epidemiology, implementation science, and bioethics. Department faculty use tools and insights from these disciplines to understand how poverty and inequality affect health care access and outcomes. In collaboration with community-based and other clinical organizations, department faculty apply these understandings to develop and evaluate interventions that improve health care delivery and close gaps in health equity.

In memory of the late Professor Paul Farmer, the department established a postdoctoral fellowship to support research fundamental to health equity that is rooted in the biosocial, interdisciplinary approach that Professor Farmer modeled. Fellows will be early-career researchers who will spend two years based in the department. Their primary responsibility will be to pursue an original research project of their own design to advance a more equitable and efficient U.S. health care system.

We seek fellows whose field research sites will be in low-income settings. Fellows will be assigned two mentors. The primary mentor will be a Global Health and Social Medicine faculty member who has overlapping research expertise or interest in the area of the Fellow's proposed research topic. The co-mentor will be a faculty member either from within the department or from another Harvard University school and department, who specializes in the field most relevant to the selected fellow's proposal.

In addition to a fellowship stipend, research and professional development funding will be available. Postdoctoral fellows will pursue projects investigating critical issues such as expanding access to care, strengthening health systems, and testing community-based interventions—all with the goal of informing scalable changes that could benefit millions of Americans. The aim of this program is to expand the pool of talented academic leaders equipped to conduct research that advances health equity using the frames of social medicine.

Fellows will be mentored to pursue the next phase of their careers. They will have the opportunity to participate in all department seminars alongside faculty and other trainees, as well as career-development workshops at Harvard Medical School.

Location: This position is located in Boston with travel to research locations as needed.

Basic Qualifications: Doctoral degree in any field linked to social medicine or global health (e.g., anthropology, history, sociology, economics, ecology, epidemiology, implementation science, bioethics). Priority consideration will be assigned to applicants who have completed the PhD in the three years prior to the start date. Experience working in low-income communities. Knowledge of U.S. health care systems.

Additional Qualifications: Applicants should be intellectually curious researchers at an early stage of their scholarly career. Applicants are required to have a doctorate in a related area by the expected start date of their fellowship. Applicants should have experience collaborating with local research partners in low-income communities, demonstrated a capacity for independent work, and will be expected to engage with department faculty and participate in activities convened by the department. Both U.S. and international candidates are welcome. If visa sponsorship is needed, Harvard retains the discretion to determine which visa status is appropriate and whether a visa sponsorship application will ultimately be submitted, including payment of any applicable fees.

Special Instructions: Information about required documents:

• Your cover letter should outline your career goals and interest in the role (one page maximum).
• Your Statement of Research should describe your concept for the research project (three pages maximum, not counting bibliography).
• Names and contact information for three references. The selection committee will request reference letters for only a subset of applicants later in the evaluation process.
• Up to two writing samples or publication examples, which may be a publication from pre- or post-doctoral work, a dissertation chapter, or a manuscript in process. Publications are intended to gauge the research and writing capability of applicants and do not necessarily need to be on the topic of the proposed concept note. Application deadline is October 1, 2026. The application portal will close at 11:59pm Boston time.

Contact Information: Rebecca Grow, Academic Appointments Coordinator, HMS Global Health and Social Medicine, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

Contact Email: rgrow@hms.harvard.edu

Salary Range: This position is salaried and benefits eligible. Information regarding postdoctoral fellow salary, which is determined by the number of years post PhD, and benefits can be found at https://postdoc.hms.harvard.edu/guidelines.

Minimum Number of References Required: 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 3

Keywords: U.S. health care system; health care equity; social medicine; global health; poverty and health; health inequalities; community health

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes. Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.