Call for Applications: Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellowship

Deadline: 20 October 2023

Applications are now open for the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellowship Program.

The mission is to empower emerging leaders from historically excluded backgrounds in science and academia to reimagine solutions for a just and healthy planet.

The vision is to foster a new cadre of diverse and inclusive leaders in environmental justice who can help create systemic change by integrating the best available science and technology with the intergenerational knowledge of communities who have been disproportionately harmed by environmental degradation and historically excluded from decision-making because of racism, classism, and other systems of oppression.

Goals

Advance the careers and social impact of emerging environmental justice leaders
Inject new ideas in environmental/climate sciences and advocacy
Increase environmental and social justice literacy of students being trained in STEM fields such as epidemiology, earth sciences, and medicine
Make scientific information more accessible to communities historically excluded from decision making.

Fellowship Requirements

The 9-month fellowship requires two in-person retreats (2-3 days each), as well as 40-50 hours of time dedicated to participating in online, peer-based writing workshops and training seminars, writing, tackling edits, and disseminating your work and that of other fellows through various channels. Fellows who complete all the requirements of the program will receive a $1500 honorarium.
Requirements of the program include:
- Attend two, in person retreats (all expenses paid by the program)
  - The first retreat will take place in March 2024
- Attend and actively participate in all online trainings and peer-based writing workshops.
  - Monthly meetings typically occur once a month for 90-120 minutes. The first virtual meeting will take place in April 2024.
- Write a first-person, narrative style essay that will be published in Environmental Health News
  - Incorporate oral and written feedback from project leaders and from other fellows
- Be interviewed by Brian Bienkowski for the Agents of Change podcast.
- Write a policy brief that analyzes a current environmental and/or climate justice issue.
- While not required, most fellows help to disseminate their work and that of their peers over social media.

Applicant Requirements

Applicants must be:
- Pursuing scientific work that advances environmental public health, environmental justice, or ecosystem/climate health and justice. Relevant disciplines may include but are not limited to: environmental health, environmental science, epidemiology, ecology, earth sciences, urban planning, geography, community health, social and behavioral health, medicine, social sciences, and toxicology.
- Early career scientist defined as a current doctoral student, medical student, or postdoctoral scientist or an early career practitioner defined as someone working in advocacy, government, research, or private sector for less than 5 years since their terminal degree (early career practitioner: terminal degree obtained in 2019 or later).
- From marginalized backgrounds and/or populations underrepresented in science and academia. Examples of eligible individuals include but are not limited to: first-generation college graduates; individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; individuals from communities of color; and individuals with disabilities.
- Committed to advancing science communication and improving their writing skills.
- Based at an institution (e.g., academic institute, non-profit) in the United States; however, applicants do not need to be US citizens (e.g., international students are eligible).
Having a social media presence is not a requirement to participate in the program.
They encourage you to reapply if not accepted in previous cycle.
They are not accepting applications from students enrolled in Master’s programs (e.g., MA, MS, MPH).
Students enrolled only in a Law program (i.e., JD) are not eligible to apply, but they do accept applications from dual degree students (e.g., JD/PhD, JD/MD).
Students enrolled in Pharmacy PhD or Nursing PhD scientific program are eligible to participate in the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Program.