Eligibility

  • Trip must be at least seven weeks long
  • You must be working on your project full-time
  • The work you do while in the country must be part of your scholarly project
  • Eligible expenses include modest airfare, housing, food, plus $50 towards phone/SIM card. Immunizations needed for the project will be reimbursed at 100%. If you have other costs, eg transportation costs beyond normal commuting costs, you should inquire with OSE to see if they will be eligible for reimbursement.

Application & Deadlines

At least four months prior:

Schedule a meeting with the chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee on Global Health to talk about your plans and ensure you are eligible to apply for funding.

At least two months prior:

  1. Complete the OSE funding application
  2. Submit to ose@hms.harvard.edu:
    1. Project Proposal
    2. Include a budget with your expected roundtrip airfare, housing, and food costs. Include local transportation costs if they exceed ordinary commuting costs
    3. Society and Mentor Approval of Travel Abroad Form
    4. Safety Information for International Travel Form
  3. If you are applying for credit for your research abroad, complete the SOC900.41 International Independent Study Form. If the project is your scholarly project, you can alternately request SIM500 scholarly project independent study credit.

Your proposal and credit application will be reviewed by OSE faculty. The OSE will notify you if you need to make revisions to your proposal. It may take at least one month from submission to approval of your funding request.

After Approval

One Month Before Departure

Submit the following items by email to ose@hms.harvard.edu to be eligible for reimbursements:

  1. Harvard Acknowledgment of Risk and General Release Form
  2. Copy of your airfare itinerary and receipt
  3. Certificate of completion after viewing the Harvard Global Support Services’ pre-departure orientation
  4. Confirmation email with your travel details that you receive after you have registered your travel with International SOS for emergency support services
  5. Schedule a safety briefing with the Scholarly Engagement Program Administrator.

Within One Month of Your Return

Submit the following items by email to ose@hms.harvard.edu for stipend payments:

  1. An abstract on your experience. Your scholarly report should describe the entire project, including your trip.
  2. All original and/or electronic receipts for your eligible expenses. Receipts should show date of purchase, what was purchased, amount paid and method of payment.
  3. If you applied for SOC900 international independent study credit or for SIM500 scholarly project independent study credit, ask your mentor to complete and sign page 2 of the form. OSE faculty will review your request. Once approved, OSE will send the required documentation to the Registrar’s Office for the processing of your credit request.

OSE stipends will be processed generally within 60 days after receiving your receipts and any required report. Ensure your mailing address is up to date in my.harvard when you submit your receipts.