Climate Fellows | Environmental Resilience Institute

Climate Fellows is a postdoctoral program for researchers focused on climate change, its impacts on people and environments, and solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. The program will recruit postdoctoral scholars to grow UVA’s expertise in climate research across multiple disciplines. Our goal is to diversify voices in this domain by recruiting researchers who are underrepresented in the field and those who promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our vision is to build a truly diverse cohort of researchers.

Climate Fellows will work as a cohort and will receive professional training, technical support, and computational infrastructure tailored to the program. Fellows are classified as research associates and each work directly with two faculty members in different disciplines to build cross-disciplinary fluency in support of their own research. They will join a network of faculty members focused on environmental resilience and sustainability from 30 departments in 12 schools across UVA.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Applicants must have received or will receive their doctoral degrees (Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) by the beginning of the fellowship; we prefer candidates who have received their degree within five years prior to the start of the appointment. There is no citizenship requirement.

Each fellow will be appointed for two years contingent on a successful annual review. Candidates are evaluated on three main criteria: 1) the strength of their research; 2) their ability to collaborate across disciplines; and 3) a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Initial appointments will begin after February 2023.

There are two categories of fellows with unique requirements.

Climate Fellows

Scholars from any discipline who are interested in pursuing interdisciplinary work in any field that will link research with action related to climate change. For example, the primary focus may be on a policy or economics question, or be driven by an environmental need.
Research foci are determined by the postdoctoral fellows. Candidates are encouraged, but not required, to identify and contact faculty mentors listed online prior to applying.
We encourage projects that include 50% cost-sharing by faculty advisors or other sources of funding.

Climate Fellows – Bridging Global to Community Scales

Only researchers within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are eligible.
Research should attempt to bridge global-scale climate dynamics with community-scale processes. For example, projects could focus on cross-scale modeling, geospatial analysis, or decision science.
Projects are proposed by UVA faculty and are listed under Research Areas on our website.

To Apply

All applicants should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a personal DEI statement, and contact information for three professional references. The cover letter should describe candidate’s research interest and describe how it aligns with either an existing project or faculty expertise. Please also indicate which category you are applying under, as a general Climate Fellow or under the subset of Bridging Global to Community Scales. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, until positions are filled.

Apply Here

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This postdoctoral program encourages applications from researchers across historically underrepresented groups. This includes race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, culture, and religion.

We aim to build a truly diverse and inclusive cohort of researchers where diverse perspectives are recognized, respected, and seen as a source of strength. Read our full diversity statement and access links to other DEI resources at UVA.

Application Timeline

Application Opens: January 30th, 2023
First applications will be reviewed after February 20th

Please contact Will Evans (wpe2a@virginia.edu), Program Manager, with questions.