Yale has long been proud of the commitment to community service both by its students and by its alumni. In honor of that tradition, the Cohen Public Service Postgraduate Fellowship was established to support up to a full year of purposeful public service activity. Although the Fellowship is open to applicants wishing to pursue public service in the United States, international projects are preferred. Graduating seniors may apply for support of projects/activities lasting from 9-12 months. Cohen Fellowship awards are fixed in the amount of $10,000 (max). If an applicant’s budget is greater than $10,000 total, they may be supported by other Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships. All applications will be considered for all fellowships for which they are eligible.
The Fellowship seeks individuals with deep social and humanitarian concerns and a demonstrated willingness to devote their intelligence, energy and creativity toward the betterment of humankind. Preference will be given to projects which address the issues faced by disenfranchised, poor or disadvantaged communities or segments of society. The Fellowship will help underwrite projects which promote social, legal and economic reform and which may involve, but are not limited to, the fields of education, public health, and human rights.
Duration: Projects shorter than 9-12 months in duration, will not be considered. The proposed project must be a full-time commitment and be the primary activity for the duration of the fellowship.
This fellowship is administered by the Office of Fellowships as part of the Yale College Post Graduate Fellowships Common Application.
Applicants must be graduating seniors from Yale College. Juniors interested in summer funding are encouraged to consider the Cohen Summer Public Service Fellowship. Previously receiving the Cohen Summer Fellowship does not impact your eligibility for the postgradaute fellowship award.
Yale University policy requires that certain types of research projects involving human subjects be reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB) prior to the start of the study to ensure that the project meets University requirements and any applicable regulations. Click here to see if your project needs to be reviewed (click on "student projects"), for advice on working with human subjects, and for more information about the process and requirements.
All interested applicants must review the Yale University International Travel Policy. Projects in specific countries within approved regions listed below may not be eligible for funding based on current State Department Warnings and the Yale University International Travel Policy.