Deadline: February 13, 2018
Calling students and young professionals! Applications are now open for the Breakthrough Generation Fellowship 2018. Breakthrough Institute is a global research center seeking technological solutions to environmental problems. Every summer from June to August, Generation offers a small number of paid, highly competitive, ten-week fellowships to recent college graduates and postgraduates from around the world.
Breakthrough Generation is an initiative in the Breakthrough Institute’s research program, founded in 2008 to foster the development of a new generation of thinkers and writers capable of finding pragmatic new solutions to today’s greatest challenges in the areas of energy, economy, and environment.
Fellows will contribute writing and research to one our three main issue areas at the Breakthrough Institute: Energy, Conservation, or Food & Farming. The first two weeks will be dedicated to Breakthrough Bootcamp, an intellectual crash course in Breakthrough’s history and research. If you have a scheduling conflict with these dates, please email us as soon as possible to discuss.
Benefits
- Fellows will be paid $600 per week.
- Fellows work 40 hours per week, and may be considered for full-time employment at the end of the fellowship.
- Breakthrough does not provide housing.
- In addition to research and analysis, fellows attend the Breakthrough Dialogue -an opportunity to interact with the leading thinkers, writers, and scholars in the study of society and the environment, as well as attend talks, debates, and working groups within Breakthrough’s different program areas.
Eligibility
- Final-year undergraduates, college graduates, and postgraduates are eligible to apply for the fellowship.
- Fellowships are open to applicants from any country.
Fellowships are highly competitive — only 5-10 percent of applicants are generally accepted — and involve cutting-edge writing, research, and public policy analysis.
Application
You will need to provide your basic information a cover letter, resume or CV, references, and three writing samples (see details about these below). All uploaded documents must be in PDF format. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Cover Letter: Please indicate at the top of your cover letter which of the three research areas you wish to be considered for: Energy, Conservation, or Food & Farming.
- CV/Resume: Please limit your resume or CV to two pages maximum.
- Three Writing Samples:
- A 500-1000 word argumentative essay or op-ed (does not have to be published) on a subject of your choice that demonstrates an ability to make a focused argument in a clear, convincing, and accessible way. This writing sample is evaluated for evidence of critical thinking and general writing skills.
- A research paper, preferably between 15-20 pages. This does not need to have been published, but should demonstrate an ability to research and analyze a subject in more depth. It is recommended, but not required, that the topic of the research paper be relevant to the program area you are applying to.
- An additional writing sample of your choosing — this can be an opinion piece, a research paper, a policy memo, or any other piece of writing that complements the first two samples.
- References: Please submit a minimum of three professional references with contact information.
- Letters of Recommendation: Letters of recommendation are welcome but not required. Recommendations will only be accepted if the author of the letter, not the applicant, sends the letter directly to Breakthrough. Letters should be be attached to your application or sent separately to fellowships [at]thebreakthrough [dot]org with the subject “[Last Name] Generation Application References”
Any other questions or concerns? Please email fellowships [at]thebreakthrough.org.
Apply now through the online application form.
For more information, visit Breakthrough Generation Fellowship.
