Deadline: December 14, 2026
Applications are open for the Switzer Fellowships 2027. The Switzer Fellowship is a one-year fellowship for graduate students from diverse academic and personal backgrounds in the United States and U.S. territories whose career goals focus on environmental improvement. Switzer Fellows demonstrate leadership in their field, as well as commitment and competency to advance social equity as a fundamental part of their environmental problem-solving.
Switzer Fellows are environmental and social change leaders in science, policy, justice, health, economics, advocacy, planning, business, law, and more. Switzer Fellows come from diverse social, academic, and economic backgrounds. They are committed to social equity, interdisciplinary work, applied results, and collaborative leadership.
Benefits
- The fellowship includes an unrestricted $18,000 cash award paid in two installments, in June and January.
- Fellows participate in two multi-day retreats during their fellowship year focused on cohort-building, networking, and equity-centered leadership and skills development.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, or a refugee or asylee according to the definition provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security (international students are ineligible.)
- Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited graduate institution in the United States or U.S. territories. (The fellowship is no longer limited to applicants in New England and California.) Students in online programs are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants must plan to be enrolled for the entire 2027-2028 academic year.
- Applicants must have strong academic qualifications, with academic and career goals focused on environmental improvement.
- Master’s degree candidates (including J.D. students) must have completed at least one semester or quarter of course work by the end of 2026 to apply, and they must be seeking a Master’s as their terminal degree.
- Master’s degree students planning to pursue a Ph.D. are advised to wait until they are in their Ph.D. program to apply.
- Individuals enrolled in one-year Master’s degree programs may apply prior to enrollment, but must be formally accepted into their program to be eligible for a Switzer Fellowship interview (held in May).
- REVISED: Ph.D. candidates must have completed their qualifying exams by time of application.
- Mid-career students are encouraged to apply and must demonstrate how their academic program will enhance their effectiveness as an environmental leader.
Evaluation Criteria
- Environmental commitment
- Applied focus
- Innovative problem-solving
- Leadership potential
- Collaboration and engagement
- Social equity awareness and experience
- Communication skills
Application
For more information, visit Switzer Fellowships.
