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Note: The CFMF online application is submitted through the Commonwealth Fund portal.
New Portal Users Registration:
- Visit commonwealthfund.force.com and click the
button below the sign in page. - Select Individual registration process. In Step 3, you will create a portal username and password. Please keep these in a safe place. You will not be emailed these for security purposes.
- After you have completed steps 1-3, you will receive an email from the Commonwealth Fund to confirm your email address. Follow the link in this email to confirm your email address.
- Your registration will be reviewed and approved as a portal user. You will receive an email confirmation of approval with a link. Click on the link, which will finalize the new user registration process.
- You may log in with your username and password at commonwealthfund.force.com and begin your fellowship application.
Creating a New Application:
- Click on the
tab on the top left corner - Select the hyperlinked application The Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship Program in Minority Health Policy
- Read the Description and Instructions, and when you are ready to create a new application, click
- Complete fields in the application tabs, using
buttons at the bottom of each tab to save your work. You must save your work before progressing to a new application tab.
Note: You do not need to complete an application in one sitting. You can access previously saved applications by following the steps below. Be sure to save your application before logging out of the portal, or closing your browser window.
Accessing a Saved Application:
- Click on the
tab on the top left corner - Click on the Proposal box on the left-hand side of the page. You will see the paper and pencil symbol
next to your application in progress. Click on this symbol to access your saved application in progress.
Application Guide:
A guide to the five application tabs you must complete is provided below.
Personal Information: Work and personal contact information
Citizenship and Background Information: Date of Birth, City/State/Country of Birth, U.S. Citizenship, Last 4 Digits of SSN
Academic Degrees: Select Primary and Secondary Degrees
Prior Applications to Harvard University: Provide information on previous applications, and how you learned about the fellowship program.
This contains questions about applicant’s demographics and ethnic background. This information is optional.
Resume: Attach a copy of your resume that describes each significant position that you have held. List title, institution, and major duties. Please note all previous full time, part time, and summer positions, providing the start and end date of each.
Current Position Information: Job Title, Institution, and specify dates for your current position.
Work History: List most recent position first, excluding current position. Please do not refer to resume. Please include start and end dates, institution names, your job title and whether you were employed full time, part time or in the summer.
Educational History: List colleges, universities, and post-secondary/medical education training below. Please include institution names, city/state/country of the institution, dates attended, major, degree, and GPA.
Board Certification: List board certification(s), eligibility (board certified/board eligible), and date(s) received below.
Award History: List major distinctions, honors, and awards from academic, professional, and government sources. Briefly explain the basis of award.
Activity History: List major community, professional, or extracurricular activities in order of importance to you. Include the activity, office/honor, whether you were elected or appointed, and the start and end dates of each.
Service History: Indicate your experience in the Military, National Health Service Corps, U.S. Public Health Service, Peace Corps, or other volunteer service if applicable. If you served in the military, please specify your branch/rank and years of service. For all other voluntary services, indicate the years and locations you served.
Publications: Attach a list of your publications, organized by category: articles, books, abstracts, or other significant research work. Explain your precise role in producing the work. You have the option to submit one representative sample (10-20 pages).
Three recommendations are required by the Fellowship program. Recommendation forms are emailed to the three contacts you provide. Applicants who are currently working full time must obtain at least one of the three recommendations from a current or previous supervisor. A minimum of one academic reference is desirable. All recommendations must be in English and an application is not considered complete and will not be reviewed until all three recommendations are received.
The deadline for completed recommendations is December 15, 2015, so please generate requests in advance.
To generate your three electronic recommendation requests, specify that you are ready in the field at the bottom of the page and click save. You will not be copied on these emails for confidentiality purposes, but you may view a sample reference form sent to you recommenders here: /cfmf/sites/default/files/files/form/2016-2017/CFMF_LetterOfRecommendation.pdf
Limit each response to 500-750 words.
- The Harvard Coordinating Committee is interested in your academic, professional, and personal development. Please describe your experiences in public sector, government, or political activity (not fully explained in your resume) that direct you into a career in public health, policy, or practice.
- Describe two defining experiences – your involvement and contribution toward an endeavor that succeeded in its objectives, and one that resulted in a disappointing outcome, setback, or failure. Explain what you learned about yourself from these two experiences.
- Describe your two major successes as a leader which demonstrate your skills and strengths in leadership.
- Explain why you think that The Mongan Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy will prove important to advancing your personal and professional development? Address in your statement specific factors that led to your decision to apply; specific expectations how your course of study will build on your prior professional experience and prepare you for a leadership role in formulating and implementing public health policy and practice on a national, state, and/or local level; and specific career goals that you plan to achieve by participating in this program.
- The final essay question provides a choice between two topics. Submit one response. Only one will be considered.
- Address a policy problem on which you have worked using analytic techniques. Explain its importance and describe your role in its resolution.
- Describe a health policy or public management problem with which you are familiar and suggest a solution. The Harvard Coordinating Committee is less interested in your conclusion than in your ability to identify and analyze the salient issues.
- Question is For MPA Applicants to Harvard Kennedy School only
Explain how you have applied your MPH training in a real world situation, particularly in health policy or public health practice. Discuss what you expect to gain from participating in the Mid-Career MPA Program at the Harvard Kennedy School.
The release authorization form is available for download. You may download, edit, and sign the form within Adobe Reader or you can print, sign, and scan the form. Completed Forms must be saved and attached to your online application.
Submitting Your Application:
- Click the
button on the top right corner of your application. - You will have the option to go back to the record, print your application, or submit the final application by selecting the buttons at the top right corner by clicking on the buttons in the top
Note: You will not be able to edit a submitted application.
For technical assistance with the online application, contact Commonwealth Fund staff at grants@cmwf.org or call (212) 606-3516
For questions related to the Fellowship Program, contact Ying Wang at ying_wang@hms.harvard.edu or call 617-432-2313
