Edward M. Gramlich Fellowship in Community and Economic Development (for Harvard Graduate Students)

The Edward M. Gramlich Fellowship in Community and Economic Development gives returning graduate students at Harvard the opportunity to conduct, publish, and present original research on challenges for community-based organizations (CBOs) in the NeighborWorks^® America network.

Working full-time in the summer, Gramlich Fellows, in consultation with mentors from the Center and NeighborWorks, design and carry out their research and prepare a first draft of a working paper about their work. They also present their preliminary findings to a gathering of NeighborWorks practitioners and then at a Washington, DC briefing for policymakers, advocates, and researchers.

Working part-time in the fall and early winter, Gramlich Fellows complete their research and prepare final versions of their working papers. The papers are published by both the Center and NeighborWorks America. In addition, fellows present their work in the Center’s bi-weekly Housing Research Seminar and prepare a blog about their work, which is jointly published by the Center and NeighborWorks.

In recent years, fellows have researched a variety of topics including: efforts to maintain middle neighborhoods; the challenges faced by CBOs in historically black neighborhoods; funding and management strategies for resident service programs; participatory models for creating housing in Native American communities; how CBOs responded to COVID’s racially disparate impacts; and promising strategies for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the governance of CBOs.

The fellowship is funded by NeighborWorks America, a congressionally chartered and funded nonpartisan organization that supports about 250 community-based organizations in the US. Edward “Ned” Gramlich, the fellowship’s namesake, was an economist who chaired NeighborWorks’ Board of Directors, served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and was a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, where he also served as the School of Public Policy’s first dean.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

Fellows receive an $8,000 stipend for the summer and an hourly wage during the fall and winter while they are working to finish their paper. They receive an additional $1,000 when the Center accepts the paper for publication. Funding is available to cover travel and other expenses associated with research projects.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

The fellowship is open to any Harvard graduate student not in their graduating year who has a demonstrated interest in and commitment to housing, community development, economic development, or a related field. Previous fellows have been enrolled in graduate programs in such subjects as urban planning, public policy, urban design, architecture, public administration, public health, education, law, business, sociology, economics, and other related fields. Applicants should also have a demonstrated record of successfully carrying out independent research or large projects in a timely manner.

POTENTIAL RESEARCH TOPICS

While applicants can propose research on topics of interest to them, NeighborWorks America and the Center are especially interested in projects that focus on how community-based organizations (CBOs) in the NeighborWorks network can launch, expand, or improve efforts focused on such opportunities and challenges as: 

• Addressing significant increases in the cost of property insurance for affordable housing 

• Assessing comprehensive approaches that aim to reduce the racial wealth and homeownership gaps 

• Creating temporary and/or supportive housing for people who are experiencing homelessness 

• Designing engagement and relationship-building strategies that can foster stronger partnerships with banks, particularly around the Community Reinvestment Act 

• Developing resident leadership training programs that positively impact the performance of CBOs  

• Enhancing organizational effectiveness via peer-learning and network models  

• Exploring “social housing” and other promising approaches to resident empowerment and community ownership  

• Fostering effective leadership development programs for both residents and staff 

• Making better use of performance management strategies that can improve key operations 

• Promoting stable and vital “Middle Neighborhoods” 

• Providing increased opportunities for older residents to age in place 

• Reducing energy consumption (and energy costs) via weatherization programs and energy retrofits  

• Responding to climate threats by making buildings, communities, and neighborhoods more resilient 

• Tapping community development finance institutions' (CDFIs) ability to provide capital in underserved communities 

• Using storytelling and other strategic communication strategies to advance key goals  

Variations on these themes, as well as other topics related to housing and community development, economic development and nonprofit organizational strategy and management, are also welcome. Our expectation is that after they are selected, Gramlich Fellows will work with JCHS and NeighborWorks mentors to hone and define their research question and their process for answering it. 

WHAT FORMER FELLOWS HAVE TO SAY

• The Gramlich Fellowship was a highlight of my time at Harvard. It enabled me to explore my potential as a researcher and meaningfully collaborate with community development practitioners as well as JCHS staff. The mentorship that I received and the connections that I made continue to guide my career.
  - Susanna Pho, 2018 Gramlich Fellow, Co-Founder & COO, Forerunner
• The Gramlich Fellowship was an unparalleled opportunity to explore the world of academic research while making meaningful professional connections with practitioners. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to engage with community based organizations, hone my writing skills, and build a collaborative relationship with my mentor, who continued to be a major source of support long after finishing the fellowship. 
  - Caroline Lauer, 2017 Gramlich Fellow, Climate Resilience Coordinator, Missoula County
• An unparalleled opportunity that connects curious researchers to a network of experienced practitioners and renowned experts. The support and guidance provided by the staff of JCHS and NeighborWorks ensured that my research findings would be relevant to a broad audience of policymakers and industry professionals.
  – Matthew Schreiber, 2017 Gramlich Fellow, Associate Director, Eden Housing