Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice Modelled after the Rhodes Scholarships, the Harkness Fellowships aim to produce the next generation of health policy leaders in participating countries
- The Commonwealth Fund, in collaboration with the Health Foundation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, invites mid-career professionals – including government policymakers, academic researchers, clinical leaders, hospital and insurance managers, and journalists – to apply for its Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice.
- This is a unique opportunity to spend 12 months in the United States as a Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice.
- The 2025–26 Harkness Fellowships will open for applications on 1 June 2024.
The Harkness Fellowships were established by The Commonwealth Fund in 1925 and were modelled after the Rhodes Scholarships. They aim to produce the next generation of health policy leaders in participating countries.
In the UK, the Harkness Fellowships have been supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research since 2010 and the Health Foundation since 2016.
About the Fellowship
During their year in the US, Harkness Fellows are placed with mentors who are leading experts in their field and are based at organisations such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Duke University, Harvard University, Kaiser Permanente, RAND Corporation, and Stanford University. Fellows conduct research on issues relevant to The Commonwealth Fund’s mission to support a high performing health care system, including insurance coverage, access and affordability, health care delivery system reforms, cost containment, and other critical issues on the health policy agenda in both the US and the UK.
Harkness Fellows are expected to disseminate the results of their research. Products may include a peer-reviewed journal article or report for a high-level policy audience, as well as issue briefs, op-eds and blog posts, or audio/video recordings. Depending on the nature of the project, other products more relevant to frontline delivery system innovation also may be encouraged.
The Commonwealth Fund brings together the full class of fellows throughout the year to participate in a series of high-level policy briefings and leadership seminars with US health care leaders.
Building on their fellowship experiences, Harkness Fellows have moved into senior positions within academia, government and health care delivery organisations, making valuable contributions to health policy and practice at home and in the US.
The fellowship award provides dedicated research funding and a monthly living stipend (approximately USD8,000), plus round-trip airfare, support for relocation, health insurance coverage, and payment of U.S. federal and state withholding taxes. An additional family supplement is provided to Fellows accompanied by a partner and/or children under the age of 18. Exact terms of the award may vary by country.
2025–26 Harkness Fellowships
Harkness Fellowships are designed for mid-career professionals who are committed to advancing health policy and practice in The Commonwealth Fund’s principal areas of interest: improving health insurance coverage, access to care, the quality and efficiency of care delivery, and advancing health equity.
Applications for the 2025–26 Harkness Fellowships are expected to open on 1 June 2024, with a submission deadline of 1 November 2024.
This funding round will be open to individuals from the following countries: UK, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Singapore.
An information call (via Zoom) is being held on 28 May 2024 from 18:00 to 19:00 BST. Register for the information call.
To find out more about the Harkness Fellowships and to apply, visit The Commonwealth Fund’s website
If you have any questions about the Harkness Fellowships, including eligibility, contact Molly FitzGerald, Program Manager, International Leadership Programs, mf@cmwf.org or contact Ruth Thorlby, Assistant Director Policy, Ruth.Thorlby@health.org.uk
UK Harkness Fellows
- Stephen Dunn (2003–04)
- Claire Lemer (2004–05)
- Dominic Ford (2004–05)
- Derek Feeley (2005–06)
- James Mountford (2005–06)
- Robbie Foy (2006–07)
- Anatole Menon-Johansson (2006–07)
- Richard Gleave (2007–08)
- Ruth Thorlby (2008–09)
- Rachel Lewis (2008–09)
- Partha Das (2016–17)
- Alice Murray (2016–17)
- Christina Pagel (2016–17)
- Saira Ghafur (2016–17)
- Hugh Alderwick (2017–18)
- Adam Briggs (2017–18)
- Sarah Huf (2017–18)
- William Wynn-Jones (2017–18)
- Huseyin Naci (2018–19)
- Mary Docherty (2018–19)
- Prakash Jayakumar (2018–19)
- Holly Krelle (2019–20)
- Nason Maani (2019–20)
- John Withington (2019–20)
- Matilda Allen (2020–21)
- Emily Hough (2020–21)
- Andres Roman-Urrestarazu (2020–21)
- Emma Watson (2020–21)
- Rebecca Fisher (2022–23)
- Zainab Garba-Sani (2022–23)
- Aoife McDermott (2022–23)
- Emmert Roberts (2022–23)
- Vageesh Jain (2023–24)
- Lucy Orr-Ewing (2023–24)
- Joseph Tay Wee Teck (2023–24)
- Claire Wilson (2023–24)
Stirling Bryan
Bryan is a Harkness Fellow and President of British Columbia Academic Health Science Network.
Kimberlyn McGrail
Kimberlyn is a Harkness Fellow and Scientific Director of Population Data BC.
Rhiannon Tudor Edwards
Rhiannon is a Harkness Fellow and Professor of Health Economics, Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation at Bangor University.
Dr Louisa Baxter
Louisa is a Harkness Fellow and Registrar in Gastroenterology and General Medicine for North East London Training Rotation.
Richard Hamblin
Richard is a Harkness Fellow and Head of Analytic Support at the Healthcare Commission.
Kathy Rowan
Kathy is a Harkness Fellow and Director of Scientific and Strategic Development at the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC).
Dr Gareth Parry
Gareth is a Harkness Fellow and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Dawn Dowding
Dawn is a Harkness Fellow and Professor in Clinical Decision Making at University of Manchester.
Work with us
We look for talented and passionate individuals as everyone at the Health Foundation has an important role to play.
View current vacanciesThe Q community
Q is an initiative connecting people with improvement expertise across the UK.
Find out more