Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center Launches New Fellowship for Early-Career Researchers from Latin America and the Caribbean

The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) at Harvard University has announced the launch of the Francisco Ivorra Miralles ASISA IAP Visiting Scholars Fellowship, a new program supporting early-career researchers from Latin America and the Caribbean working on democracy, governance, and human rights.

This initiative, founded with the generous support of Fundación ASISA, offers promising scholars the opportunity to spend an academic year in residence at DRCLAS, where they will develop their research, participate in Harvard’s academic life, and forge lasting cross-regional connections.

The fellowship is named in honor of Francisco Ivorra Miralles, President of Fundación ASISA, a nonprofit organization established by ASISA Group. Recipients will be known as Ivorra Visiting Scholars, highlighting the foundation´s social commitment to health, education, and knowledge. According to Ivorra, “We are honored to partner with Harvard’s David Rockefeller Center in launching a fellowship that invests in the future of research and democratic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through this program, we hope to support a new generation of researchers who are working to understand and strengthen the values of democratic governance and human rights in the region.”

Designed to strengthen the academic visibility of emerging voices, the Ivorra Asisa-IAP Fellowship aligns with DRCLAS’s long-standing mission of fostering collaborative scholarship across the region—and with one of its current thematic initiatives: the defense of democracy. “By supporting early-career researchers whose work addresses urgent challenges to democracy and human rights, this new fellowship enables DRCLAS to deepen its role as a bridge between Harvard and Latin America,” said Steven Levitsky, Director of DRCLAS. “We’re excited to welcome these scholars into a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of thinkers and changemakers.”

“This Fellowship is also the result of our collaboration with the International Academic Programs (IAP), directed by Raquel Galindo, Associate Professor at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. The program has a long-standing tradition of bringing academics from Latin America to Harvard, to learn from our faculty through immersive experiences here on campus. We are thrilled to be able to offer this incredible opportunity and have early career scholars become part of the DRCLAS family” said Sol Carbonell, Executive Director of DRCLAS.

Fellowship Highlights
In its inaugural cycle, the fellowship will support researchers exploring political, social, economic, legal, or cultural dimensions of democratic development and the defense of human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. Selected scholars will:

  • Conduct original research and present their findings at a public event at the conclusion of their stay.
  • Join the DRCLAS Visiting Scholars and Fellows cohort—a multidisciplinary group of academics and practitioners from across the hemisphere.
  • Receive individual mentorship from Harvard faculty.
  • Participate in DRCLAS seminars, colloquia, and academic programming.
  • Gain institutional visibility through DRCLAS platforms.

Eligibility and Application
Applicants must hold a doctorate or equivalent degree, be affiliated with a university or research institution at the time of application and propose a project that would benefit from a research residency at Harvard. Proficiency in English and full-time residence in Massachusetts during the fellowship are required.

Building on a Legacy of Exchange
The Francisco Ivorra Miralles ASISA IAP Fellowship builds on DRCLAS’s three-decade legacy of fostering academic exchange across the region. Visiting Scholars consistently report that their time at Harvard was intellectually transformative, expanding their methodologies, sparking international collaborations, and enhancing the long-term impact of their research.

By focusing on scholars at the start of their academic journeys, the new fellowship aims to broaden participation in global research dialogues and empower a new generation of academic leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Applications are now open through September 5, 2025. 

For more information, interested parties should contact drc_vsf@fas.harvard.edu

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