#  Research Accelerator Challenge 

 





September 10, 2026

 

 

Dear colleagues,

I’m delighted to share [two significant milestones](https://current.fas.harvard.edu/stories/donors-meet-fundraising-goal-phd-fellowships-and-raise-their-hands-do-it-again) for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

**First, we have successfully completed the Research Accelerator Challenge, meeting our goal of raising $100 million to establish 50 new endowed Ph.D. fellowships.** We launched this effort, in collaboration with the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, in February with an ambitious objective: to strengthen support for Ph.D. students by inviting alumni and friends to join us in investing in the next generation of researchers and scholars. Thanks to an extraordinary response, we reached our goal by June 30.

Completing this challenge in just four months is remarkable. It demonstrates what is possible when we identify a critical priority and invite our community to help us advance it. Alumni and friends responded with exceptional generosity, affirming the central importance of supporting Ph.D. students and the research they make possible.

**Second, because of that success, we are immediately launching a new Research Accelerator Challenge with the same ambitious goal: $100 million to create 50 additional Ph.D. fellowships.** This initiative has reaffirmed something fundamental about the FAS. Our Ph.D. students are indispensable partners in discovery. They advance research in our laboratories, libraries, archives, museums, and field sites. They enrich our classrooms and academic ecosystem. And they are the scholars, scientists, teachers, and leaders of tomorrow, extending Harvard's impact far beyond our campus.

I have also been struck by the conversations this effort has inspired. Colleagues have shared how meaningful it has been to see alumni and friends recognize the essential role that Ph.D. students play in their research programs. Alumni, in turn, have reflected on the faculty mentors, intellectual communities, and opportunities that shaped their time at Harvard and inspired them to create those same opportunities for future generations.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this effort possible—from our dedicated development staff to the generous faculty who took the time to share their research with our alumni community. I look forward to keeping you updated as this next Research Accelerator Challenge gets underway. Thank you for everything you do to train, mentor, and inspire our graduate students.

With gratitude,  
Hopi

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**Hopi Hoekstra**  
*Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences*  
*C. Y. Chan Professor of Arts and Science*  
*Xiaomeng Tong and Yu Chen Professor of Life Sciences*



 

 

 



 

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- [ Announcements ](/news-categories/announcements)
- [ Messages from the Dean ](/news-categories/messages-dean)