The Harrington Fellowship Program for Undergraduates

The Harrington Fellowship Program for Undergraduates is funded by the Francis A. Harrington Public Affairs Fund. In 1963, Mr. Harrington gave a generous gift to Clark University to establish a permanent endowment whose income is to be used for lectures, seminars, scholarships, fellowships and other programming related to public affairs. The Harrington Fund is used to support activities and programs such as the Harrington Lecture Series, guest speakers for Government classes and other Clark community events, travel and research expenses of Government faculty, research stipends for students in the Honors Program, and the Mock Trial and Model United Nations programs.

The Harrington Fellowship Program was created in 2006-2007 to encourage and support the pursuit of creative or original research in politics and public policy or in service learning in the public or nonprofit sector by Clark undergraduates. The Department is looking for projects that connect to the public life of citizenship and help to create new knowledge that advances public affairs and civic life. Recipients may use their fellowship for a project in the United States or abroad. Examples include doing research on political participation or voting trends among immigrant populations in the U.S., interning and doing research with an environmental law firm or nongovernmental organization, and interning and doing research with a human rights organization in Namibia, France, Spain, or Britain.

Approximately five Harrington Fellowship awards will be made each year, ranging from $500-$2500.

The Harrington Fellowship Program is designed to foster a vibrant community of undergraduates who are interested in the study of politics and public policy and in the workings of the worlds of public service, public or nonprofit. It seeks to do this not only by funding projects but by bringing Fellows and their faculty mentors together several times during the academic year to exchange ideas and experiences. All of the Harrington Fellows also share highlights of their Fellowship projects with the wider intellectual community at Clark by participating in either Fall Fest or Academic Spree Day.

Eligibility

Students may apply if (1) they are Government and International Relations majors or minors or (2) they intend to declare a major or minor in Government or International Relations; (3) they have completed at least two semesters at Clark and expect to return to Clark the following year so they will be able to participate in Fellowship community events; (4) they have a cumulative GPA of 3.25.

Application Process

Download application (PDF)

There are two rounds of applications: Fall and Spring. A student who is granted a Harrington Fellowship in the Fall application round can use the Fellowship during the following Spring semester. A student who is granted a Harrington Fellowship in the Spring application round can use the Fellowship during the following Summer break or Fall semester.

The deadline for Fall applications is November 15th by 12 noon. The deadline for Spring applications is March 15th by 12 noon. The Fellows will be selected by the Fellowship Selection Committee by December 5th for Fall applications and by April 5th for Spring applications. Applications are available for download (as PDF, see link above) or in the Government Department office, Jeff 302.

Applicants should submit a 3-5 page statement that:

describes the proposed project including when and where it will be carried out;
explains where/when/how the idea for the project originated and why the project is important to the applicant
explains how the project connects with public affairs, policy, politics or the public life of citizenship
articulates a research dimension to the project that will result in the creation of new knowledge that advances public affairs and civic life
provides an estimated budget for the project, including, for example, travel costs, accommodations, meals, equipment, etc.
lists the name and contact information of a full-time Clark Government Department faculty member who has agreed to serve as the applicant's faculty mentor on the project
lists the name and contact information of a second Clark faculty member who is familiar with the applicant's academic work
if applicable, lists the name and contact information of a person at the organization (public institution, nonprofit organization, etc.) where the applicant will be based as an intern, volunteer, etc.

Applicants should also submit a copy of their academic transcript (an unofficial academic grade report, printed from the online Clark Intranet site, will suffice).

Two letters of recommendation are required: one from the Clark Government Department faculty mentor and one from another Clark faculty member (who can be from another Department). These two letters should comment on the applicant's abilities and potential for intellectual growth and evaluate the feasibility of the proposed project. A third letter or statement of support is required from an executive staff member of the public or nonprofit organization or agency where the applicant intends to volunteer or do an internship or in-service learning.

Applications should be sent directly to the Harrington Fellowship Program, c/o Chair of the Department of Government and International Relations, no later than noon on March 15th and noon on November 15th.

Criteria for Selection

Criteria for selection will include the originality of the proposed project; the significance of the proposed project for understanding politics, the role of public service, or the importance of engagement in the public life of citizenship; the applicant's potential for successfully completing the project; and the likely contribution of the project to the intellectual growth of other members of the community of Harrington Fellows.

Further Information

Students who are interested in applying for a Harrington Fellowship should feel free to contact the Chair or any full-time member of the Government Department. The current Chair is Professor Beverly Grier (bgrier@clarku.edu, x7797, Jeff 302).