Stature vs relationship for recommendation letters Im curious how important is the stature of an author of a recommendation letter (both for phd positions and fellowship applications).
A more answerable question would be what is the difference from a reader's viewpoint of (1) a letter that comes from a very new (&lt; 1 year) non-tenure track faculty member with a very good relationship and experience with  the recomendee versus (2) a well established tenured professor with only minor interaction/experience with the recomendee (but enough to feel comfortable writing a letter).
There is more to the story. A weak letter from a &quot;strong&quot; person means very little. If they can't say much about you to support your candidacy, based on what they know, and just send a &quot;form&quot; letter, then it won't have much impact.
On the other hand, a letter from someone who knows you well can read as a much more enthusiastic endorsement.
But, it is the reader who gets to judge. If they actually &quot;know&quot; the writer then it is likely to have more weight, rather than the abstract reputation of the writer.