The LOEB Fellowship

Applications for the 2025-26 Fellowship are now open. The deadline for submissions is January 6, 2025.

We encourage applications from a wide range of practitioners whose work focuses on improving the built and natural environment. In short, people of exceptional skill who design, plan, preserve, and critique the places where we live, work, and play are eligible to apply.

The program is for people in mid-career, with a minimum of 5-10 years of experience in the field. We seek professionals who have leadership ability, a strong drive to help others succeed, and who show the potential to take their capacities to higher levels. The opportunities presented by the Fellowship work best for those experienced enough to ask the hard questions, but with plenty of time left to make an impact. A typical Loeb class averages about 42 years of age.

The Fellowship is for practitioners. It is not an academic sabbatical program or an artist residency; there are many other programs for those purposes. The Loeb is unique in providing support for renewal and reflection in an active career.

Fellows take stock of what they have learned, expand skills in the midst of a great university and chart the next phase of their careers to become more effective agents of change.

We value a creative and motivated work history and a commitment to supporting others above more traditional credentials. A completed degree in higher education is not a requirement. Professionals with atypical backgrounds or unusual career paths who have demonstrated the capacity to make a difference in their fields are encouraged to apply.

Please read the following information and FAQs carefully before considering an application and before contacting the Loeb Fellowship office with questions. If your questions are not answered in our materials, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Application Process

The Loeb Fellowship has an online application process that is open from fall until early January for a Fellowship during the following academic year. All candidates are required to submit an application, three (3) letters of recommendation, and a resume. Supplemental materials are optional but highly recommended. If you have specific questions about the online application process, please contact the Loeb Fellowship office.

Online Application

You will be asked to register in order to submit an online application via SlideRoom. Please answer all questions on the application form, taking notice of the suggested length for answers.

Application Fee

There is currently no fee to apply for the Loeb Fellowship.

Letters of Recommendation

Deadline for letters of recommendation is the same as the application due date.

During the online application, you will be asked to enter the names and contact information for 3 professional associates who will provide letters of recommendation. A request to your recommenders will be sent to them immediately by the online application system, SlideRoom. Please alert your recommenders that the request will be from SlideRoom and not from the Loeb Fellowship. (You do not have to complete the application process for the request to recommenders to be set in motion). They will receive instructions to enter their recommendations into the online system.

Letters from colleagues, clients, collaborators and individuals who are knowledgeable about your work will carry the most weight. Letters are confidential and are not available to the applicant.

Resumé

You will be prompted to attach a copy of your professional resumé. Please be sure that it includes dates of your work history. While the Loeb Fellowship does not have any educational or degree requirements for admission, if you have earned degrees, please include the name of the educational institution, degree granted (do not use initials), and the year you received the degree.

Portfolio and Supplemental Materials

During the online application process, you will be asked if you want to submit your portfolio and/or supplemental materials, such as articles, books, videos, visual representations, lectures, or similar indicators of your work. The submission of supplemental materials is optional; however, we strongly encourage applicants to submit up to five documents illustrating their work.

Reapplication Process

If you were an applicant in a previous year, to reapply you must complete a new application through the online system, including contact information, forms, resume, portfolio, and/or supplemental materials. Letters of recommendation from the immediate previous year will be available to us; however it is advisable to obtain at least one new letter that reflects work during the intervening year(s). Letters of recommendation from years prior will not be accepted.

Selection Process

A Selection Committee comprising three faculty members from the GSD, three alumni of the Loeb Fellowship, two outside practitioners, and the curator of the program will review all applications and select approximately 20 shortlisted applicants by the end of February. All applicants will be advised of their status by early March. Each shortlisted applicant will then have up to three separate interviews: one with the Curator, one with a member of the Selection Committee, and a third with someone who has knowledge of the program. The Committee will meet in mid-April to select 9 or 10 Fellows. Fellows will be notified of their selection by the end of April.

Selection for the Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship

Candidates who indicate interest in being considered for the Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship will also be reviewed by ArtLab during the admissions process. If the applicant is selected for a Loeb Fellowship and also meets ArtLab’s selection criteria, they may then be offered the opportunity to become a joint Loeb/ArtLab Fellow.

Many excellent candidates first come to our attention when nominated by others. Nomination by a third party is not required for application. However, if you know of someone in your professional circle who might be a good candidate, please use our Nomination Form to introduce them to us, and we will invite the potential candidate to apply.

The nomination process is anonymous, but you are welcome to contact the nominee and discuss the Fellowship opportunity with them.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Nominate

This pilot partnership between the Loeb Fellowship and ArtLab at Harvard University launched with the Loeb Fellowship Class of 2022, during academic year 2021-2022.

The Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship is open to any artist or person with an artistic practice who applies for a Loeb Fellowship and meets the requirements thereof. The intention of a joint Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship is to give practicing artists the same Fellowship experience they would have as Loeb Fellows, with the added benefit of being granted studio space in the ArtLab building, research support and networking resources through the ArtLab community, and potential funding for proposed programs and/or projects over the course of the year.

Interested parties must apply to the Loeb Fellowship through our standard application process and will be considered in and according to the same selection process as any other candidate in that application cycle. In the application, Loeb Fellowship applicants are offered the possibility to indicate their interest in being considered for the Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship. This means their application would also be reviewed by ArtLab during the admissions process. If the applicant is selected for a Loeb Fellowship and also meets ArtLab’s selection criteria, the applicant could then be offered the opportunity to be a joint Loeb/ArtLab Fellow.

Indicating interest in the Loeb/ArtLab Fellowship will not change an applicant’s qualifications for or likelihood of receiving a Loeb Fellowship. Selecting this as an option in the application will simply qualify the applicant for additional review by ArtLab as a potential Loeb/ArtLab Fellow, should they receive a Loeb Fellowship.

The Loeb/ArtLab partnership will be piloted over the course of three academic years, and three admissions cycles. There is no guarantee that a Loeb/ArtLab Fellow will be appointed in any given admissions cycle. A Loeb/ArtLab Fellow will only be selected if they meet the qualifications for both institutions.

You can listen to episode 1 of the ArtLab’s Works in Progress podcast with our inaugural Loeb/Art Lab Fellow, Jordan Weber, and Curator John Peterson here.

Please reach out to the Loeb Fellowship with questions at [email protected].

For interested candidates who might not be familiar with the Loeb Fellowship or have existing connections to the Fellowship, the GSD, or Harvard, we offer the opportunity to connect directly with Loeb Alumni for informal conversations about the program and experience.

Open to all potential applicants, this optional program is intended to expand access to the Loeb alumni community and increase awareness of and familiarity with the Fellowship. Those from underrepresented backgrounds, geographies, networks, and experiences are particularly encouraged to participate if they so wish.

Participation is not a requirement for application to the Loeb Fellowship, and will not influence or be considered during the admissions and selection process.

Learn More

If you are planning to apply for the Class of 2026, please request participation by November 29, 2024. For additional information and to participate, send an e-mail to [email protected].

Eligibility

Q:  I am not a designer. Am I eligible for the Loeb Fellowship?

A: We have a broad definition of who is working to improve the built and natural environment and whose work has a broad social impact.  We have had a theater director, public artists, journalists, a documentary filmmaker, as well as architects, landscape architects and urban planners. If you are unsure about your eligibility, feel free to contact the program.

Q:  I am applying to the GSD as a student. Is your Fellowship available to students?

A:  No, it is for practitioners who have a minimum of 5 to 10 years of working experience.

Q:  I am an academic and will have a sabbatical next year. Am I eligible to apply for the Fellowship?

A:  Typically no, we are a program for practitioners. If at least 50% of your time is involved in practice and if you meet other requirements, you might be eligible. If you are not sure, feel free to contact the program.

Q: Do I have to be a US citizen to apply?

A:  No, international candidates can apply. Once selected, international Loeb Fellows must apply for and obtain J1 visas, so Fellows must be eligible at the time of selection.

Fellows’ Obligations

Q:  What will be expected of me as a Fellow?

A:  Fellows must agree to step away from any significant roles with their employers and other professional responsibilities–like speaking engagements or conferences–during the Fellowship year. A fellow must audit a minimum of one course at the GSD per semester. Fellows also must remain in residence in the Cambridge area while classes are in session and participate in all Fellowship programs.

Fellows are expected to participate in planning and attending a weekly seminar with the curator and weekly dinners with invited guests. They are expected to accompany their group for the fall and spring study tours, retreats and other activities organized by the curator and staff.

Fellows are also expected to engage with students and faculty, participate in the life of the GSD, and in general take advantage of the resources Harvard University and MIT have to offer.

Q:  How will my schedule be determined?

A:  Each Fellow develops an individual work plan with input from the program staff. The plan is periodically updated during the year. At the end of the year a summary of the results of your work plan will be included in the final program report.

Application Questions

Q. How do I apply?

A. Read the information and FAQs presented here, then apply through SlideRoom.

Q. What is the deadline for submitting an application?

A. The deadline for submitting applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship via SlideRoom is January 6, 2025.

Q: I am having a problem with the SlideRoom application.

A: Consult SlideRoom Help to ask for assistance. This should be the first place to seek help with any technical questions. SlideRoom is very responsive.

Q. I have supplemental materials that are not possible to upload to SlideRoom. What should I do?

A: Please contact the Loeb Fellowship office at [email protected].

Q: Is there an application fee?

A: No, there is currently no fee to apply for the Loeb Fellowship.

Q: Should I submit an academic transcript?

A: No, we do not review academic transcripts. A completed degree in higher education is not a requirement.

Recommendations

Q. What is the deadline for recommendations?

A: Recommendations are due on the same date that applications are due. The deadline is January 6, 2025.

Q. Do you have suggestions about whom to ask for a recommendation?

A: Ask people who have worked with you, have a variety of perspectives, and can speak substantively about you and your work.

Q: Should I get an academic reference?

A: We are primarily interested in candidates for their accomplishments in practice. This is not an academic fellowship. References from academics may be appropriate if they are providing insight into your work as a practitioner.

Q: I entered the names and contacts of my references into SlideRoom but they have not been contacted for a reference.

A: The SlideRoom system sends a request to your recommender once you enter them into the system. Sometimes these messages go into a spam box. Alert your recommender to look for a message from SlideRoom. The request will not come from the Loeb Fellowship. If this continues to be a problem consult Slideroom Help.

Q. I am concerned that my recommenders will not get their letters in by the deadline. What should I do?

A. We encourage you to stay in contact with your recommenders to ensure they comply with our deadlines. You can enter their names into the SlideRoom system anytime. You do not need to complete the entire application process for the letters to be sent to your recommenders. Once the names and contact information is submitted to your recommender they will be contacted even if you have NOT completed the entire application. If you believe a reference will not submit a recommendation in time to meet the deadline, you may go back into your SlideRoom application and substitute another recommender.

Fellows with Families

Q: I have a family. Is it possible for them to be with me during the Fellowship year?

A: Yes, our resources enable us to support families of modest size, and many fellows bring their families. We find most family members enjoy the experience and benefit from the opportunities of Harvard and Cambridge.

Q: How does the program work if we bring school aged children?

A: The Cambridge Public Schools are accustomed to having graduate students and scholars with children. The schools have a lottery system for school selection. You should consult the Cambridge Public Schools website for additional information.

Important Dates

Q:  When does the Fellowship year begin?

A:  Fellows arrive in mid-August, a week before classes start in August. We have an orientation period of about 3 to 4 days, prior to the start of classes, and it is good to allow a little time to settle in. The exact dates depend upon the academic calendar in a given year.

Q:  When does the program year end?

A:  The program officially ends the day after commencement. However some people, especially families with children in the schools, stay through the end of the school year, which is typically the second or third week in June. You must leave your housing by June 30^th at the latest.

After the Fellowship Year

Q:  What happens after the program year ends?

A:  The Loeb Fellowship is a lifelong connection. When a Fellow completes the Fellowship year, they join over 450 alumni in an unparalleled worldwide network of professional colleagues. Fellows are alumni of the Graduate School of Design as well as the Loeb Fellowship and may participate in the GSD alumni community and events.

And finally,

Q: I’m still not sure if the Fellowship is right for me or if I’m right for the Fellowship. Is there someone who can advise me?

A: Connect with Loeb Alumni! We now offer the opportunity for interested applicants to talk with a Loeb alum about the Fellowship and the alumni experience. This optional program is intended for candidates who want to get to know the Loeb Fellowship program and its impact, but who do not already have a connection to the Loeb Fellowship or the GSD. Learn more

The application for the 2025-26 Loeb Fellowship year is open.

The application deadline is Monday, January 6, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.

APPLY NOW