The Dan Herbatschek Fellowship at Ramsey Theory Group is a 12-month, $60,000 educational and professional fellowship for exceptional students whose academic or career paths have not been linear. It combines financial support, rigorous study in mathematics, code, technology and business, sustained mentorship and practical work. Applications for the 2027 cohort are open now at herbatschekfellowship.org/apply.
Why I started it
My own path ran from history and philosophy into mathematics and software engineering, and it was not a straight line. The fellowship is built to make deliberate what many talented people must otherwise assemble by accident: enough financial freedom to concentrate, serious teaching, trusted guidance, practical experience, professional relationships and a community with high expectations. It is not a scholarship alone. It is a complete circuit connecting financial freedom, foundational knowledge, technical ability, professional judgment and consequential work. My full letter is on the program site: Founder’s Letter.
What each Fellow receives
- A $60,000 allocation governed by an individual funding plan. Depending on circumstances, funds may support tuition, living and study expenses, books, software, equipment, travel and other approved costs necessary for full participation.
- An individualized development plan and one named primary mentor.
- Participation in the Circuit, a structured 12-month sequence spanning foundations (logic and proof, linear algebra, probability, algorithms), models and code (programming, data, modeling, optimization, machine-learning foundations), applied practice (real problems under practical constraints, product thinking, business models) and contribution (an independent capstone, a presentation and a defined next-stage plan).
- Recurring progress reviews, practical project work and a continuing alumni relationship.
- No IP assignment, no employment obligation, no minimum GPA or test score, and no pedigree or institution filter.
The annual model
| Fellows each year | 10 |
| Allocation per Fellow | $60,000 |
| Direct annual Fellow support | $600,000 |
| Term | 12 months, one Circuit |
| Sponsor | Ramsey Theory Group, New York |
Who it is for
A non-linear path is not a lesser one. The fellowship is designed for students and emerging scholars and builders whose potential exceeds what their circumstances or conventional records have yet revealed. Priority candidates may include:
- Students returning after an educational interruption
- Community-college students and transfer students
- Students balancing education with substantial employment or family responsibility
- Immigrants, first-generation students and students with limited professional networks
- Students affected by bereavement, illness or financial instability
- Self-taught programmers seeking stronger mathematical and conceptual foundations
- Mathematics or humanities students moving toward computational work
- Students with unusual intellectual range whose trajectory does not fit a conventional pipeline
Difficulty alone is not a qualification. Candidates are not ranked by hardship. Selection is based on ability, seriousness, initiative, fit and the likely catalytic effect of the fellowship, and applicants may demonstrate ability through varied evidence: writing, code, research, models, projects or other artifacts. Full eligibility and selection criteria: Fellowship overview and FAQ.
2027 cohort calendar
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | September 1, 2026 |
| Applications close | January 15, 2027, 2:00 pm ET |
| Fellows announced | April 2027 |
| Fellowship begins | Fall 2027 |
How to apply
Applications are submitted only through the program site. Review the requirements, then begin: herbatschekfellowship.org/apply. Questions go to contact@herbatschekfellowship.org.
Looking for the undergraduate award?
The fellowship is a separate program from the Dan Herbatschek Scholarship, an award for students in mathematics, data science and machine learning who do not follow a traditional academic path. The scholarship has its own site and application at danherbatschekscholarship.com.
