USA Scholarships
Commonwealth Mongan Fellowship 2027 - $80,000
The Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University is the physician leadership programme The Commonwealth Fund has run since 1996, now public-facing as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership. Each year up to five fellows spend twelve months in Boston earning a Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health or, if they already hold an MPH, a Master of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School. The package includes an $80,000 stipend, full tuition, health insurance, books, fellowship travel, and practicum project support. Selection targets physicians who completed US residency and are board eligible or certified, with strong leadership in health equity, delivery-system change, or policy. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident. For the cohort starting July 2027, plan on fellowship and Harvard graduate applications closing in early December 2026, matching the December 2025 pattern Harvard used for the prior cycle.
What is the Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship?
The name on the door still says Mongan to many alumni, even though Harvard Medical School now markets the programme as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership. The mission stayed constant: train physicians who will reshape care for people the system routinely leaves behind. The Commonwealth Fund has underwritten the fellowship since 1996, and Harvard wraps academic coursework around practicum work, leadership forums, and site visits with national policy figures.
You are not applying for a loose audit year. Fellows complete a full Master of Public Health at the Harvard Chan School, including field-of-study credits in health policy or health management plus fellowship-only seminars on leadership, politics, and high-performance delivery systems. Physicians who already earned an MPH can pursue the Master of Public Administration at the Kennedy School instead, which suits clinicians moving toward executive roles in government or large nonprofits.
Money matters because medical training already delayed your earnings. The published package includes an $80,000 stipend, full tuition, insurance, books, travel, and practicum support for up to five fellows each cycle. Citizenship is strict: US citizen or permanent resident, US residency complete, board eligible or certified. That profile fits mid-career clinicians, not students still matching into residency.
Timing follows Harvard''s academic clock. Applications cluster in early December for a July start, and you must juggle two portals at once. If you want a comparison point inside Boston, the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship funds independent projects for scholars and artists rather than a policy degree, while the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship supports doctoral researchers instead of credentialed physicians. The Mongan pathway is the one built specifically for doctors ready to translate clinic experience into systems policy.
Eligibility
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✓US citizen or permanent residentHarvard and The Commonwealth Fund require US citizenship or permanent residency at application. The fellowship does not sponsor visas for international medical graduates who lack permanent status.
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✓Completed US residency, board eligible or certifiedYou must have finished residency training in the United States and be board eligible or board certified in your specialty. Chief residency or other post-residency leadership experience is preferred though not always mandatory.
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✓Physician committed to health equity leadershipThe Mongan lineage of the programme emphasizes physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine and leaders focused on historically marginalized populations. All applicants should show work or intent to improve care for disadvantaged, vulnerable, or uninsured communities.
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✓Evidence of leadership or systems-change potentialStrong files include quality improvement projects, community partnerships, policy advocacy, or delivery redesign with measurable outcomes. The fellowship wants change agents, not applicants seeking a generic career pause.
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✓Career intent in policy, public service, or academiaYou should articulate how the fellowship year feeds a long-term path in health policy, nonprofit leadership, government, or academic medicine rather than a return to full-time private practice alone.
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✓Availability for full-time residence in BostonThe programme is one year, full time, in person. Fellows complete Harvard coursework, fellowship seminars, site visits, and practicum requirements on campus and in the Boston area.
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✓MPH or MPA path eligibilityMost fellows pursue the MPH at Harvard Chan. Physicians who already earned an MPH may apply for the MPA at the Kennedy School instead. Pick the track that matches your prior degrees before you start either Harvard application.
Benefits
- Stipend $80,000 for the fellowship year
- Tuition Full MPH tuition
- Health insurance Individual coverage
- Books and travel Fellowship-related expenses
- Practicum support Financial assistance for project
- Leadership forums Seminars and site visits
- Living in Boston Not a separate housing grant
- Stipend $80,000 for the fellowship year
- Tuition Full MPA tuition
- Health insurance Individual coverage
- Books and travel Fellowship-related expenses
- Practicum support Financial assistance for project
- Policy leadership training Fellowship-only courses and forums
- Clinical salary Not paid during fellowship year
Document checklist
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✓Commonwealth Fund Fellowship applicationSubmit the fellowship application through Harvard Medical School's Commonwealth Fund Fellowship portal linked from cff.hms.harvard.edu/how-apply. Materials typically include essays on leadership and health equity goals.
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✓Harvard Chan MPH or Kennedy MPA applicationApply separately to the Harvard graduate school that matches your degree path. Past cycles set Harvard Chan and fellowship deadlines within the same early December week, so treat both as one project.
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✓Curriculum vitaeInclude medical training, board status, publications, leadership roles, community partnerships, and policy work. Fellowship reviewers read this alongside your graduate school file.
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✓Personal statement and fellowship essaysExplain the delivery-system or policy problem you want to tackle, why Harvard's MPH or MPA structure fits, and how the Mongan programme's minority health policy legacy shapes your goals.
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✓Letters of recommendationRequest letters from mentors who can speak to clinical excellence and leadership in equity work. Give referees both the fellowship and Harvard deadlines so nothing arrives late.
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✓Medical license and training verificationBe ready to document residency completion and board eligibility or certification. Harvard graduate admissions may request official transcripts from medical training as well.
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✓Practicum project proposal draftFellows complete a practicum with financial assistance from the programme. Outline a feasible project early so your essays and interviews show you can execute during the fellowship year.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship?
It is a one-year Harvard fellowship, supported by The Commonwealth Fund, that prepares physicians to lead health policy and delivery-system change with a focus on minority health and health equity. Fellows earn an MPH at Harvard Chan or an MPA at the Kennedy School if they already hold an MPH.
How much does the Mongan Fellowship pay?
Each fellowship provides an $80,000 stipend for the year, full tuition for the master's degree, health insurance, books, travel, and financial assistance toward a practicum project. Up to five physicians are selected annually.
Who is eligible for the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship at Harvard?
US citizens or permanent residents who completed residency in the United States and are board eligible or certified. Applicants should show leadership in health equity, quality improvement, or policy and intend careers in public service, academia, or health systems leadership.
When is the Mongan Fellowship application deadline?
Harvard typically opens applications in the fall and closes in early December for a July start the following year. The 2026-2027 cohort used a 8 December 2025 fellowship deadline alongside Harvard graduate school deadlines. Check cff.hms.harvard.edu for the exact 2027 cohort dates when posted.
Do I apply to Harvard separately from the fellowship?
Yes. You submit both the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship application and the Harvard Chan MPH or Kennedy MPA application. Missing either side leaves you ineligible even if the other file is strong.
Is the Mongan Fellowship only for underrepresented physicians?
The programme was established as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy and still prioritizes physicians from groups underrepresented in medicine. Harvard now brands the broader Health Policy Leadership fellowship for all qualified physician-leaders focused on vulnerable populations.
Can international medical graduates apply?
Only if you are a US citizen or permanent resident and completed US residency with board eligibility or certification. The fellowship does not replace visa sponsorship for physicians without permanent status.
What is the difference between the MPH and MPA tracks?
Most fellows earn the MPH at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with a health policy or health management field of study. Physicians who already have an MPH may pursue the MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School while completing fellowship leadership requirements.
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