Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice The Harkness Fellowships aim to produce the next generation of health policy leaders in participating countries

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.  

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, researchers, clinical leaders, health care executives, and journalists – to apply for its Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice. 

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 and demonstrate their commitment to advancing health care policy and practice in line with the Commonwealth Fund’s mission to support a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, and people of colour. They will also undertake research on other critical issues related to the health policy agenda in both the U.S. and other countries, with the aim of improving health care for all.  

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.  

How to apply  

Harkness Fellowships are designed for mid-career professionals who are committed to advancing health policy and practice on critical issues related to the health policy agenda in the U.S., UK and other countries.

Applications for the 2025–26 Harkness Fellowships are expected to open on 1 June 2024, with a submission deadline of 1 November 2024. 

The Harkness Fellowships are open to government policymakers, researchers, clinical leaders, health care executives, and journalists across the UK.  

The 2025–26 Harkness Fellowships is now open for applications. The deadline for applications is 1 November 2024. 

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)