Are you passionate about tackling the urgent environmental challenges of our time? Harvard University's prestigious Environmental Fellows Programme is now accepting applications, offering an unparalleled opportunity for emerging leaders to make a difference in the field of environmental research and policy.

Purpose:

HUCE created the Environmental Fellows programme to enable recent PhD students to use and expand Harvard's extraordinary resources to tackle complex environmental issues. Fellows work for two years with Harvard faculty members in any school or department to form a community of researchers that strengthens connections across the University.

The Prize:

The fellowship includes a salary of US$ 87,500 per year, eligibility for employee health insurance, reimbursement of up to US$ 2,500 for relocation expenses and an annual allowance of US$ 2,500 for travel and other professional expenses. The Environmental Fellows Programme is open to anyone with a PhD or comparable terminal degree awarded between May 2020 and August 2024. HUCE expects to award approximately six fellowships for the 2024 cohort.

HUCE organises a co-curricular programme to ensure that fellows get to know each other and each other's work. All fellows attend fortnightly dinners together with Harvard professors and a Harvard lecturer.

Eligibility and Benefits:

This programme welcomes applicants from various backgrounds and fields, provided they have a PhD or a comparable terminal degree awarded between May 2020 and August 2024. If you are one of the selected fellows, you will enjoy not only a competitive salary, but also comprehensive insurance cover and relocation expenses.

The Harvard Centre for the Environment (HUCE) plans to award around six fellowships to the 2024 cohort, making this a highly competitive but rewarding opportunity. As an environmental fellow, you'll have the chance to collaborate with leading experts, conduct groundbreaking research and contribute to innovative solutions to the world's environmental challenges.

Application information:

Scholarships are awarded through a competitive review process. To be considered for an award, online applications must include the following:

• Cover letter. The cover letter should clearly state (i) the applicant's interest in the programme; (ii) the potential start date; and (iii) the applicant's contact information.
• Research statement. The statement should be no longer than 4 pages, single-spaced, and should describe the research project that the applicant proposes to carry out as a Global Change Fellow. The statement should describe (i) the nature and scope of the proposed research project; (ii) the approach and methods to be used; (iii) how the resources of the Arnold Arboretum would be utilised; and (iv) how the project will promote the science of global change. References should be included, but do not count as part of the 4-page limit.
• Research budget. A modest level of funding (up to US$ 10,000 annually) is available for research, travel, professional expenses and relocation to Boston. Applicants must submit a simple 1-page budget that includes a paragraph detailing all laboratory and equipment requirements and a detailed budget per year for research, travel and professional costs associated with the proposed project. Travel expenses for professional conferences as well as up to US $ 2,500 for initial relocation to Boston should be included in the total budget. The budget must accurately reflect and justify what is required for the proposed project.
• CV.
• Three letters of recommendation. As part of the online submission, you must send a request to the referee to submit a letter of recommendation (via the "request" section). The referee will automatically receive an email with a link to an online submission form where they will upload a letter of recommendation. We strongly recommend that you contact your referee before submitting the request. Please inform the referee to expect an e-mail from Admin@communityforce.com with instructions for submitting a letter of recommendation. Each referee must send their letter of recommendation via the link by 18 January at 5:00 ET.

Selection criteria:

The candidate's previous academic and professional success and their potential contribution to the scholarship or practice
Project proposals are carefully evaluated by a committee of HUCE professors. The proposed project must represent an independent line of enquiry, clearly extending beyond the candidate's doctoral work as well as the host's ongoing research. The relevance of the proposed work to addressing environmental issues, together with the demonstration of excellent potential for intellectual achievement, are critical factors in the selection process.

The selection committee will select a group of fellows in 2024 that will complement those selected last year, creating a group of approximately a dozen scholars with a diverse set of interests, skills and academic backgrounds. Recipients - and hosts - could include people with degrees in science, economics, law, government, public policy, public health, medicine, design and the whole range of humanities. Their research topics will be equally varied.

Project proposals are evaluated by the selection committee on the basis of:

• The breadth and depth of the candidate's training and professional experience and their potential future contribution to the scholarship.
• The candidate's track record as an independent researcher. The proposed project must represent an independent line of enquiry that goes beyond the candidate's doctoral research.
• The overall quality of the applicant's research proposal and the relevance of the proposed research in relation to how the Arnold Arboretum's resources (e.g. the living collections, other organisms living on the grounds, soils, water or the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon) would be utilised to address global change and environmental issues.
• The nature and scope of the work, the approach and methods to be employed, the feasibility of the proposed endeavour in relation to the timeframe of the grant and how it would promote the science of global change.

A select group of candidates may be asked to discuss their proposal by video with the selection committee.

Candidates from Harvard: those who receive terminal degrees from Harvard and postdoctoral fellows currently working at Harvard are eligible for the fellowship, provided that their research and hosting arrangements take them in new directions that are significantly distinct from their doctoral research and forge new connections within the University. Harvard applicants should not propose to continue working with the same professors or groups with which they are currently associated, nor should their proposal be an attenuation of their current work.
Interdisciplinary research projects are encouraged, although this is not a requirement for the scholarship, and candidates with interests in a single discipline are also encouraged to apply.

Commitment of the host: Other important considerations are the enthusiasm of the host faculty member for the proposed project and scholar, the capacity the host their ability to mentor the scholar and their ability to provide office space and a productive working environment.
Interview: A select group of candidates will be asked to discuss their proposal by video with the selection committee.

Find a host:
Potential candidates should start early to identify and establish a relationship with a Harvard faculty member to host their research. The host will be a mentor to the fellow and will provide office space and basic administrative support. By agreeing to be a host, the faculty member is making a significant commitment.

Successful candidates will be enthusiastically recommended by their proposed host. Each candidate's host must send a letter of support (maximum two pages) to the selection committee detailing the level of commitment to the research and the candidate. Harvard faculty members are often approached by many prospective candidates. Some faculty members conduct their own selection process to identify one or two candidates for recommendation to the selection committee.

Applicants unfamiliar with Harvard faculty members will find many potential hosts, though far from all, listed on the HUCE web pages organised by academic area topics. Click here for more details

More information on where to submit your application here.