Smithsonian Environmental Justice Fellowship: Envisioning a Shared and Sustainable Future

Smithsonian Environmental Justice Fellowship: Envisioning a Shared and Sustainable Future

Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and other environmental challenges affect everyone, but their impacts are felt most by those who are the most vulnerable. This includes historically underserved and marginalized communities, especially communities of color. Coupled with environmental challenges, social and health inequities disproportionately affect these vulnerable communities; emphasizing the need to raise awareness of these injustices, support community-based solutions, and empower community members for change. As the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex — with 21 museums, the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, numerous science and cultural research centers, with projects across the U.S and around the world, including the newly launched Center for Environmental Justice at the Anacostia Community Museum — the Smithsonian Institution strives to play a leading role in addressing environmental justice.\* Given the complexity of this challenge ahead, the Smithsonian seeks to convene diverse perspectives from a multitude of stakeholders, especially those closest and most impacted by the challenges, to inform and identify solutions.

Through the Environmental Justice Fellowship, the Smithsonian seeks to support up to five fellows as they conduct independent research in the spirit of environmental justice. These fellows will be able to leverage the Smithsonian’s resources, including its researchers, collections, exhibits, and data sets, to advance environmental justice and equity in the face of climate change.

Fellows will be hosted by a Smithsonian museum or research center, and fellows must identify an advisor from one of these units. We encourage applicants to identify a second advisor from another Smithsonian museum or research center to foster cross-institutional collaboration.

Potential research themes include, but are not limited to:

• Environmental racism
• Community-driven outcomes in environmental research
• Pollution disparities and sustainable development

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Stipend:

Recipients will receive a stipend of $62,000 per year. Stipends are prorated for periods of less than 24 months. A maximum research allowance up to $10,000 is available for the fellowship period.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• Minimum:
  • Completed at least one semester of a master's degree program or completed a master's degree program.