Harvard Pre Med Majors

Harvard Pre Med Majors – Anthropology

Undergraduate Program

Study what makes us human, how we got here, and what it means for our future.

Our concentrators use the tools of social anthropology and archaeology to understand how societies have emerged and how they function today.

 

Harvard Pre Med Majors – Bioengineering

Bioengineering lies at the intersection of the physical and life sciences, incorporating principles from physics and chemistry to understand the operation of living systems. As in other engineering fields, the approach is highly quantitative: mathematical analysis and modeling are used to capture the function of systems from subcellular to organism scales. An education in Bio/Biomedical Engineering, and engineering more broadly, enables students to translate abstract hypotheses and scientific knowledge into working systems (e.g., prosthetic devices, imaging systems, and biopharmaceuticals).

Harvard is committed to broadly educating engineers who will become leaders in the developing field of Bio/Biomedical Engineering. The objectives of these (AB & SB) concentrations include providing students a solid foundation in engineering and its application to the life sciences, within the setting of a liberal arts education. The concentrations are flexibly structured for a diversity of educational and professional objectives. Our degrees in Biomedical Engineering or Engineering Sciences (Track in Bioengineering) enables the acquisition of a broad range of skills and attitudes drawn from the humanities, social sciences and sciences, in addition to engineering, which enhance engineering knowledge and which will contribute to future leadership and technical success.

 

Harvard Pre Med Majors – Chemical and Physical Biology

The Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB) concentration provides students with a broad foundation in the physical and life sciences. This concentration is designed for students interested in applying quantitative tools, physical concepts, and chemical principles to the study of biology.

Remarkable progress in the last four decades has revealed the atomic structure of proteins, enzymes, and genes; the nature of the genetic code; and how genes can be turned on or off in response to the demands of the environment. As our understanding of fundamental biological processes has increased, so has our appreciation that the focus on information transfer through nucleic acids provides an inadequate basis for understanding living systems. The activities of proteins are regulated by post-translational modifications—chemical changes in protein structure—and are affected by small signaling molecules. Dissecting metabolic pathways and reconstructing cellular networks requires supplementing the traditional arsenal of molecular, genetic, biochemical, and cell biological techniques with advances in chemical and physical methods that make it possible to characterize the state of a biological system under a given set of conditions. Chemical and physical biology provides a link between classical approaches to studying biology and the chemical tools and physical methods required to understand dynamic changes in complex biological systems.

Students who are interested in understanding living systems in detail will require considerable proficiency in mathematics and physics as well as a broad background in both chemistry and biology. In its emphasis on quantitative, physical, and chemical tools, this concentration represents a significant departure from traditional undergraduate programs of study in the biological and life sciences. Our goal is to provide the next generation of life scientists with the background needed to make new advances in the quantitative understanding of living systems.

All students are required to participate in a tutorial unless engaged in thesis research. Tutorials for students in both Chemical and Physical Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology are offered by the Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences, which was established in 1926. Each tutor holds a PhD and/or an MD degree and meets with her or his students, singly or in small groups, about twice a month to discuss topics tailored largely to individual interests and needs. Tutorial sessions typically consist of readings selected from the primary literature or relevant texts. Mentoring on career choices, the research experience, and other academic issues is a logical extension of the tutorial. The tutorial is not taken for credit and therefore does not appear on the study card or transcript. View the CPB tutorial program handout to see the history, goals, and format of the tutorial program.

All students are required to obtain a minimum of one term of laboratory research experience. This requirement may be fulfilled through a project lab course, a term of laboratory research (CPB 91), or research for a senior thesis (CPB 99AB).

A thesis based on laboratory research is required to be eligible for honors in the Chemical and Physical Biology concentration. Students are encouraged to begin thesis research in a laboratory no later than the start of their junior year.

 

Harvard Pre Med Majors – History and Science

Undergraduate Program

The Concentration in History and Science

Most students haven’t heard of History and Science before they arrive at Harvard, but the ones who choose us end up being among the most satisfied and well-rounded students in the College. We are the only concentration that gives students credit for courses that cross the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. We offer extensive special opportunities for students who choose to concentrate with us, including museum internships, funded research and travel abroad through our Rosenkrantz Discovery Grant program, and the chance to edit and publish the country’s only undergraduate journal in the history of science.

In their coursework and research, students focus on many topics and time periods: the Darwinian revolution, the rise of biotechnology, climate change science and environmentalism, global health, science and medicine in Latin America, physics, including quantum physics and relativity theory, race, social inequity and medicine, computer science and the new “wired world,” the history of psychiatry, the rise of neuroscience, space travel, and much more.

Students can pursue the concentration in several ways. They can choose our Science and Society track, and take science courses (in any discipline taught in the College) and courses in the history of science and its allied fields in the social sciences or humanities. They can choose our History of Science track, and take a larger number of courses in history of science and its allied fields. They can also pursue one of our three special focus options: Mind, Brain, Behavior(thesis required), Medicine and Society (thesis required), and Technology, Information and Society.

Through the required tutorial program, all students are also taught skills of advanced source analysis, independent research, and academic writing. Many go on to write a senior thesis, but all students must complete a significant research project in their junior year, and all benefit from the skills they learn in tutorial.

Our alumni praise the concentration for helping them to succeed in a wide range of graduate programs and careers after college, from consulting to journalism, law school to medical school.

Why History and Science!

We may be a good choice for you if:

You would like to do significant work in some area of science (any field taught in the College) and combine it with study of the historical emergence of science as the most authoritative and powerful means we have of knowing the world. You are interested in Big Questions – the existence of God, the nature of free will, the roots of human morality, and more – and would like to understand the ways in which science has shaped or is shaping the ways in which we think about them. You are interested in the ways in which science is affected by (and in turn affects) important issues in politics, industry and policy, whether climate change, the teaching of evolution in the public schools, the patenting of genes and new forms of life, and more. You are considering attending medical school, and would like a concentration that allows you to count many of your premed science requirements, while making it possible for you to take classes and do advanced research in the history of medicine, medical anthropology, and health policy. You are – or aspire to be – a person who is equally literate in the world of science and the world of the humanities and the social sciences.Some History and Science FAQs

What are my options?

The concentration in History and Science has two tracks that provide students with high levels of flexibility. Both of the tracks offer an honors and a non-honors option.

The Science and Society track is designed for students who want to combine history of science (and related areas) with training in a particular science area. We also have a special Medicine and Society option for pre-med students, as well as an option for students interested in Mind, Brain, Behavior or Technology, Information, and Society.

The History of Science track offers students the opportunity to take extra courses in history of science and related areas, and does not require any specific science courses. This track allows for more connections to be built to other relevant social science fields, such as sociology, philosophy, anthropology, or government.

Is there a thesis requirement?

Writing a senior thesis is optional in both tracks of the concentration, but is required for most departmental and college honors. You do not need to decide whether you wish to write a senior thesis until the spring of your junior year. If, however, you choose the Medicine and Society option or the Mind, Brain, Behavior option within the Science and Society track, you will be expected to write a senior thesis.

We also have a non-thesis honors option that allows students to receive a degree recommendation of “honors” (not “high” or “highest” honors) by completing an extra course requirement at the graduate-level (normally a history of science department 200-level course).

Are there other options besides a full concentration?

History and Science offers a secondary field in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine.  Students may also pursue a joint concentration with History and Science as the primary (but not the allied) field.

What can students do with a History and Science degree?

The answer is “anything and everything.” A History and Science concentration closes few, if any, future career options. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in many areas, including medicine, law, journalism, government, business, finance, and academia. Employers are increasingly looking for graduates who are not just literate but also analytically skilled in the social sciences, not just technically skilled in a special subject but able to see the larger cultural, social, and policy implications and impact of scientific and technical developments.

History and Science students have done extremely well in winning fellowships, including the Marshall, Rhodes, Mellon, Fulbright, Rockefeller, Rotary, Sheldon, Gates-Cambridge, and Ford Foundation Research grants, and are encouraged to apply for these and others. Our students also regularly win Hoopes Prizes for their senior thesis projects. Please see the Office of Career Services website for information about the broad range of fellowships and grants available to students.

How do I declare my concentration in History and Science?

For more information:

 

Concentration Requirements

Every concentrator will choose one of the five pathways through the concentration:

1. History of Science

2. Science and Society

3. Medicine and Society (thesis required)

4. Mind, Brain, Behavior (thesis required)

5. Technology, Information and Society

Required Courses

• History of Science 100. Knowing the World: An Introduction to the History of Science (fall)
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year (spring)
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year (fall)

Regardless of the track that is chosen, every concentrator will take History of Science 100, which is offered only during the fall semester.

In addition, every concentrator will take one semester of sophomore tutorial and one semester of junior tutorial, taught by faculty members and teaching fellows from the Department of the History of Science.

History of Science 97, the sophomore tutorial, is a hands-on course that introduces students to some of the most exciting and productive questions in the history of science, technology, and medicine, while developing critical reading, presentation, and discussion skills.  Small groups of students master “cases” that allow them to tackle different aspects of a larger theme each week and share discoveries in sessions led by the faculty instructor. The course is further enhanced by a series of supervised individual group projects.  History of Science 97 is offered only during the spring semester.

History of Science 98, the junior tutorial, is a course designed to train students in the complex, but richly rewarding, skills of advanced historical research, from how to work in archives to how to master relevant theoretical perspectives needed to think well about a research question. All students enrolled in this course are coached through a process that results in a 25-page independent research paper.  History of Science 98 must be taken during the fall semester (except for students not in residence).

History of Science 99ab, the senior thesis tutorial, is an optional course for the History of Science track and Science and Society track, but is required for the Medicine and Society focus and the Mind, Brain, Behavior focus. Writing a senior thesis is an opportunity to spend a sustained period of time working on a research problem at the highest possible level. Students choosing to write a senior thesis may be supervised by a faculty member or an advanced graduate student, and are free to pursue a diverse range of topics.

Although it is not a required course, students who are interested in working with a History of Science faculty member on an individual reading and research project have the opportunity to enroll in History of Science 91r, Supervised Reading and Research.  Students must complete the HS 91r application and return it to the History and Science Undergraduate Program office, Science Center 355, by the course registration deadline.  If you have any questions, please contact Allie Belser, Manager of Student Programs.

 

History of Science Track

Non-honors: 11 courses
Non-thesis honors: 12 courses
Honors: 13 courses

Required Courses:

• History of Science 100. Introduction to the History of Science
• Six courses in the history of science, medicine and technology, normally taught by History of Science faculty in the Department, or by approved faculty from allied Departments.
• Two additional courses, normally outside the Department, designed to allow students to connect special interests in the history of science to relevant course work offered in other parts of the College; examples include certain courses in African and African American Studies, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, History, History of Art, Film Studies, Religion, Sociology, Medical Anthropology, Philosophy of Science, and Bioethics.
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year

• History of Science 99. Tutorial, Senior Year (the senior thesis – two semesters)

• A History of Science graduate (2000-level) course

 

Science and Society Track

Non-honors: 11 courses
Non-thesis honors: 12 courses
Honors: 13 courses
Required Courses:

• History of Science 100. Introduction to the History of Science
• Four additional courses in the history of science, medicine and technology.  Normally, at least three of the four courses must be History of Science departmental courses. Historically oriented courses in other fields may be counted towards this requirement (with the prior approval of the concentration adviser).
• Four science courses in one coherent field, though not necessarily in one department. Note: Courses may be drawn from any of the physical and biological or life sciences.
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year.
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year.

If honors option is chosen:

• History of Science 99ab. Tutorial, Senior Year (the senior thesis – two semesters).

If non-thesis honors option is chosen:

• A History of Science graduate (2000-level) course

 

Medicine and Society Focus

Medicine and Society
Honors: 14 courses

The Medicine and Society focus in the Science and Society track is designed for students considering a career in medicine, health sciences, health policy, or who otherwise have a pronounced interest in the medical sciences. It allows students to combine course work in many of the scientific subjects required for medical school admission with a coherent program of courses that look at health and medicine from a range of historical, social scientific and humanistic perspectives. See the Guide to the Focus in Medicine and Society.

Required Courses:

• History of Science 100. Introduction to the History of Science
• Five additional courses: at least two must be in the history of medicine or its allied fields (including the life sciences, mind sciences, bioethics, biotechnology) and be taught by members of the Department of the History of Science; two will normally be drawn from other disciplines concerned with the social, ethical or humanistic analysis of medicine and health (anthropology, economics, ethics, sociology); and one can be an open-ended elective that can be fulfilled by taking any of the History of Science department course offerings.
• Four courses in medical sciences: relevant courses in Chemistry, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Neurobiology, and Human Evolutionary Biology.
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year.
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year.
• History of Science 99ab. Tutorial, Senior Year (the senior thesis – two semesters). Normally, the thesis will address some historical question about medicine and health, broadly understood.

 

Mind, Brain, Behavior Focus

Mind, Brain, Behavior
Honors: 14 courses

Students interested in integrating serious study of the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior with thoughtful attention to sociocultural, philosophical and historical questions raised by those sciences may pursue a Mind, Brain, and Behavior focus in History and Science, developed in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Neuroscience and the University-wide Mind, Brain, and Behavior Interfaculty Initiative. All students who join MBB

• are part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of scholars (faculty, postdoctoral and other researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students)
• have access to interdisciplinary MBB courses
• are encouraged to participate in the Harvard Society for Mind/Brain/Behavior, a very active and diverse student organization

Students who choose the MBB Focus may be able to satisfy some of their science requirements through the MBB Summer Study Abroad Program in Trento, Italy!

Required Courses:

• Five courses in a sociocultural area, one of which must be History of Science 100, Knowing the World: An Introduction to the History of Science. At least three of the five sociocultural courses should be historical in nature. Up to two courses may be taken in an auxiliary area, such as: health and science policy, medical anthropology, religion and ethics, philosophy of mind and behavior.
• Psychology 1 (Introduction to Psychological Science).
• Three additional courses in science. Must include MCB 80 (Neurobiology of Behavior) and two advanced science courses that focus in one of the following areas: cognitive systems, psychopathology, human evolutionary biology, child development and the brain, computational neuroscience, or neurobiology. In some circumstances, courses from two areas may be combined.
• Interdisciplinary seminar in MBB, taken in the junior year.
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year.
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year.
• History of Science 99ab. Tutorial, Senior Year (the senior thesis – two semesters). The thesis must address a topic in Mind, Brain, and Behavior.
• Students pursuing the Mind, Brain, and Behavior track are also expected to participate in the University-wide Mind, Brain, and Behavior research milieu, including a non-credit senior year seminar for Mind, Brain, and Behavior thesis writers.

Technology, Information, and Society Focus

Non-honors: 12 courses
Non-thesis honors: 13 courses
Honors: 14 courses

The Technology, Information, and Society focus is for students who want to situate studies of technological innovation in a broad social and history of science context.  Students in this track generally take foundational and more advanced science courses in computer science and/or engineering science courses, broadly understood. They combine these with courses in history and the social sciences largely focused on information media, the history, ethics and social impact of technology (including biotechnology and medical technologies), energy and technology, space technology, cyberculture, the environment and technology, the engineering sciences, and the history of computing. There are also opportunities to cross-register for courses at MIT, to pursue special interests through the junior tutorial paper, the senior thesis, and museum internships, and to undertake customized one-on-one reading and research courses.

Required Courses:

• History of Science 100. Introduction to the History of Science
• At least three additional courses in the history and social studies of technology, computer science and allied disciplines and topics.  See the Guide to the Focus in Technology, Information and Society.
• At least one general course in the history of science, medicine or technology (i.e., one of the four elective history of science courses may – though need not – fall outside the focus)
• At least five courses that together comprise a coherent set of studies across computer science or the engineering sciences; they need not all be in the same Department. See Guide to the Focus in Technology, Information and Society.
• History of Science 97. Tutorial, Sophomore Year.
• History of Science 98. Tutorial, Junior Year.

If honors option is chosen:

• History of Science 99ab. Tutorial, Senior Year (the senior thesis – two semesters).

If non-thesis honors option is chosen:

• A History of Science graduate (2000-level) course

 

Joint Concentration

History and Science as Part of a Joint Concentration

Joint concentrations must be approved by both participating concentrations.  Students who wish to have History and Science as their primary concentration in a joint concentration must meet the regular 13 or 14 course concentration requirement for History and Science honors-eligible concentrators. The department does not allow joint concentrations for students who wish to have History and Science as a secondary concentration.

We also offer a secondary field in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine.

 

Advising

The History and Science concentration has a friendly team of advisers to help you navigate through the program.

Advising for First-Year Students

We encourage first-year students to take courses with us during their freshmen year, including departmental courses, General Education courses, and Freshman Seminars.  Some courses to consider during AY 2022-2023:

• GENED 1089. The Border: Race, Politics, and Health in Modern Mexico (Fall)
• GENED 1174. Life and Death in the Anthropocene (Fall)
• GENED 1175. Vaccines: History, Science, Policy (Fall)
• GENED 1179. Psychotherapy and the Modern Self (Spring)
• History of Science 100. Knowing the World: An Introduction to the History of Science (Fall)
• History of Science 1228. The Century of Physics (Spring)
• History of Science 1435. A History of Biotechnology (Spring)
• History of Science 1461. Historical Perspectives on Global Health (Fall)
• History of Science 1472. Mental Health in Crisis: From War Neurosis to Covid-19 (Spring)
• History of Science 1820. An American Way of War: Technology and Warfare (Fall)
• History of Science 1825. Open Minds, Wired Worlds: Computers and Cyberculture (Spring)
• History of Science 1955. Science in Popular Culture (Spring)

Forms, Guides, and Resources for Students

Concentrators must submit a plan of their proposed program of study on the ‘Courses in Concentration’ form, normally at the beginning of each semester.  Students should review their Courses in Concentration form at least once a year, and update it whenever there is a change in the list of courses actually being taken for credit in the concentration. Please submit the form for the appropriate track, listed below, to Allie Belser, either in hard copy or by email.

History of Science Track

Science and Society Track

Focus in Medicine and Society

Focus in Mind, Brain, Behavior

Focus in Technology, Information, and Society

Secondary Field in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Guides to Concentration Pathways

Science and Society: Guide to the Science Area

Science and Society: Guide to the Focus in Medicine and Society

Science and Society: Guide to the Focus in Mind, Brain, Behavior

Science and Society: Guide to the Focus in Technology, Information, and Society

 

Teaching Innovation

The department of History of Science has been at the forefront of expanding both the content of what the field of history of science does by integrating historical, anthropological, and sociological approaches, and by exploring new teaching methods, from the preparation of Massive Open Online and hybrid (“flipped”) courses to filmmaking, interactive web design, material objects, and site-specific teaching. Our aim is to deepen and broaden this work so our faculty and students can rethink pressing historical problems with contemporary relevance. We extend the traditional aims of teaching and research, and through innovative, experimental, and collaborative ways, join them together.  The department offers opportunities for research and learning beyond the seminar and lecture, among them field studies and faculty lead expeditions. Following are two examples of such initiatives.

Graduate Education Beyond the Classroom
Report on the Aramont Foundation Graduate Education Innovation Fund, 2021

______________________________

“Power to the People”: Technology and Culture in Ladakh, India
June 9-23, 2018

Around the world, more than 1 billion people lack access to electricity.  This “energy poverty” is frequently used by the fossil fuel industry and those who are skeptical of climate change to argue that “progress” requires the continued use of oil and gas, particularly insofar as these people “deserve” the same access to energy that the rest of us have.  But do these people need fossil fuels? Are there affordable, practical alternatives?

This trip took us to remote villages in the Ladakh region of Indian, in collaboration with Jaideep Bansal, Energy Access Leader, Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE).  GHE has been working to electrify the remote mountain communities using Solar Micro Grids. Relying primarily on volunteers, GHE has brought energy access to over 20,000 people in 60 villages in the Himalayas who previously lacked any access to electricity. The project also involves the training of women villagers as solar engineers, who are able to run and maintain the systems after the volunteers have left, and the creation of village banks to ensure that financing is available for repairs, battery replacement, and future upgrades.

We visited several villages in the project, including one where electricity is being installed for the first time and one that has now had electricity for a few years.  We talked with villagers in order to understand how they feel about the changes that have ensued, to better understand what happens to remote villages when they get electricity for the first time, and to learn what is most important to them about electricity.  Participants also helped with a solar installation and had the opportunity to speak with villagers about their experiences (translators will be provided). Those interested in history of medicine had the opportunity to speak with villagers and healers about traditional medical practices in this region.

History Beyond the Classroom. In early summer 2017, an enterprising group of graduate students, Prof. Janet Browne, and HU Center for the Environment Fellow Laura Martin organized a field excursion to the Galapagos Islands.

View video footage from the trip below, read the online blog or download a field summary about this life-changing adventure.

 

Program Requirements: A.M.

Degree Requirements for the Master of Arts (A.M.) in History of Science:

Minimum one-year residence of full-time study.

Eight four-credit courses or the equivalent are required, including:

•    Historiography of the History of Science (HISTSCI 3003A).

•    Research Methods in History of Science (HISTSCI 3003B).

•    Four additional four-credit graduate seminars (200-level) of which three must be offered by the History of Science department; one must be outside the department. (Note: Graduate Reading and Independent Study courses—HISTSCI 301 and HISTSCI 302—do not fulfill graduate seminar requirement.)

•    Two additional History of Science courses, designated either “for undergraduates and graduate students” (100-level) or “primarily for graduate students” (200 level).

•    See History of Science Department Master’s Degree Requirements Worksheet.

History of Science courses include:

1.    Courses taught in other departments by members of the History of Science department faculty.

2.    Courses cross-listed under History of Science in the online course catalogue.

3.    Graduate-level courses offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Science Technology and Society Program. (A maximum of three courses may be taken at MIT.)

All other courses count as outside the department. Faculty of Arts and Sciences Course catalogue may be found here.

AM Essay

The master’s essay is ordinarily a revised or expanded version of a paper written for a course in the history of science—HISTSCI 303b or another graduate seminar—taken during the AM year. Candidates for the AM must submit the AM Essay Topic Proposal form by March 1 of the AM year.

The essay must be submitted to the course instructor, DGS, and Graduate Coordinator by the last day of reading period. It must previously have been read and commented on by the instructor of the relevant seminar and revised on the basis of those comments. In cases in which the essay has not been written to fulfill course requirements, DGS will designate a faculty member to grade the essay.

The essay will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• It must present an original argument based on research in primary sources.
• It must be accompanied by a complete bibliography of works cited and references in an appropriate scholarly format.
• It must be 7,500-10,500 words in length, exclusive of bibliography.
• It must receive a grade of B+ or higher

Residence and Progress

Students must be in residence for one year of full-time study.

Eight courses must be completed with grades of “B” or higher.

All Master’s students meet with the DGS and, where applicable, their advisor, at the start of each semester to review progress and approve plans of study.

Doctoral students who complete the doctoral course requirements and submit two research papers are eligible to receive an AM degree in History of Science with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the faculty.

External Funding

While the standard funding package is guaranteed, students are nonetheless encouraged to apply for external funding from various sources. History of Science PhD students have been awarded fellowships from many organizations, including:

• International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)

• Institute for Citizens & Scholars

• Dumbarton Oaks (includes 2 year Tyler Fellowship for Harvard graduate students only)

• Dan David Fellowship (Past, Present, and Future designated fields in any given year intermittently relevant to History of Science)

• Newcombe Fellowship (“designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences”)

Sample Grants for Particular Geographic Areas or Topics:

• DAAD: grant program for students to study or do research in Germany.

• Spencer: for students working on the history of education (may be broadly construed).

• The Bourse Chateaubriand, a “fellowship designed to conduct research of scientific orientation in France.” History of Science students are eligible to apply.

• Delmas: for students planning to do research in Venice.

Other Kinds of Grants:

Travel to Collections: many archives, University libraries, and some museums have funds available to pay for researchers to come use their collections. These include, for example:

• The Linda Hall Library (Kansas City, MO), specializing in history of science, environmental history, and related science and technology studies. Collections / Fellowship Opportunities

• The Science History Institute (Philadelphia, PA). Collections / Fellowship Opportunities

• The Huntington Library (Pasadena, CA).  Library Collections / Fellowship Opportunities

• The Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington, DE), specializing in the study of business and technology in America. Collections / Fellowship Opportunities

Professional Societies and Foundations: the American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM), the History of Science Society (HSS), the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT), and other organizations offer essay prizes and/or grants in support of research. Explore which societies and organizations are relevant for your research, and what they offer.

The GSAS Fellowships Office provides a range of services to assist graduate students in their search for fellowship funding, including individual counseling and professional development seminars. Additional information can be found on the Fellowships & Writing Center webpage.

Information about History of Science Department Fellowships (Hiebert and Strominger) may be found here.

Suggestions for additional sources of support may be found on the GSAS website.

 

Departmental Funding

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Erwin N. Hiebert Fellowships for Student Conference Travel, Dissertation Research, and Advanced Technical Training

Through a generous gift to the department in honor of the late Professor of History of Science, Erwin N. Hiebert, the Department is able to offer Hiebert Awards for conference travel and for dissertation research and advanced technical training including advanced language training to eligible doctoral students.

Matthew B. Strominger Fellowships for Student Conference Travel and Dissertation Research in History of Medicine

Strominger funding for graduate student conference travel and dissertation research and training is made possible through a generous gift to the Department by Professor Jack Strominger, A.B. 1946, and Mrs. Strominger in memory of their son, Matthew B. Strominger, of the Class of 1981. Academic conferences and research related to the history of public health or medicine are eligible for Strominger funding. Application is the same as that for the Hiebert Conference Travel above.

Oral History Fellowships for Students conducting research based on extensive oral interviews

This fellowship provides up to $2,500 in funding for students with an approved dissertation prospectus and whose research entails extensive use of oral interviews.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
For each student, there is a $5,000 limit on departmental funding from all sources (Hiebert, Strominger, Oral History).

CONFERENCE TRAVEL
History of Science doctoral students may apply for financial support of up to $750 to fund travel to academic conferences to deliver a paper (or serve on a panel) every year they are enrolled and in good standing. Students may apply for funding for more than one conference subject to funding limits and availability. Where circumstances warrant it, funding limit may be increased to cover conference travel outside of North America.

Application Deadline: Rolling. At least 30 days in advance of conference.

Please see application form for additional instructions.

GRADUATE DISSERTATION RESEARCH AND ADVANCED TECHNICAL TRAINING
(Hiebert, Strominger, and Oral History Fellowship)

History of Science students at the dissertation stage may apply for financial support of up to $2,500 ($1500 for post-generals summer support) to travel to an archive (or equivalent) for dissertation research, to conduct oral interviews for dissertation research, or to undertake technical training, including advanced language training for dissertation research.

Eligibility for Dissertation Research Fellowships

For academic year research funding, the department will consider applicants with an approved dissertation prospectus; for technical training, students who have passed generals and those with an approved prospectus will be considered. Students seeking post-generals summer funding must have passed the general exam.

Application Deadline:

• Rolling for research or training to be carried out between September 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023.
• August 31, 2022 for research or training carried out between June 2, 2022 and August 31, 2022. Late applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please see application form for additional instructions.

 

University Resources

GSAS Resources

• GSAS Forms
• GSAS Calendar
• Dudley House (GSAS Student Center)
• Harvard Fellowships
• GSAS Student Affairs
• GSAS Financial Aid
• GSAS Office of Diversity and Minority Affairs (ODMA)
  (Sheila Thomas — Dean for Academic Programs and Diversity)
• GSAS Title IX Resource Coordinators
  (Seth Avakian and Dannielle Farrell)

FAS Resources

• Academic Resource Center
• Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
• FAS Registrar

• Library Research Guide for History of Science..

Harvard University Resources

• Harvard Travel Tools (including links to Register Travel Abroad, Harvard Travel Assist, etc.)

Professional Resources

• Harvard Office of Career Services
  Please see resources under GSAS student advising.
• History of Science Graduate Student Professionalization Website
• History of Science Society
• American Historical Association
• Society for the History of Technology/SHOT
• American Association for the History of Medicine/AAHM
• National Institutes of Health U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Wellcome Collection (History of Medicine)
• American Society for Environmental History
• Mersenne Listserv
  UK based discussion list for science, technology, and medicine studies.
• IsisCB
  Bibliographic Resources in the History of Science, Technology, & Medicine

 

Harvard Pre Med Majors – Human Development and Regenerative Biology

A life science concentration exploring how human beings develop from a fertilized egg, maintain and repair themselves through adulthood, and age.Harvard undergraduates at HSCRB concentrate in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology (HDRB). The HDRB concentration embraces ‘basic’ science. Our students develop a profound understanding of human biology, and apply what they learn to the fundamental principles of life science.We believe that such understanding demands a firm foundation not only in life science disciplines, but also in chemistry, the physical sciences, and mathematics.

• Selecting courses.
• Declaring HDRB as your concentration (you must first meet with Dr. Holmes before she will accept your declaration!)
• Fulfilling concentration requirements.
• Finding a research laboratory.
• Getting research funding.
• Dealing with issues outside of formal academics.