2026 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Air Resources Board, Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division
Regional-, state-, and city-level efforts are essential in our fight against climate change, especially in the field of energy. Stanford University is committed to helping by integrating its students into energy and climate ecosystems in the West through the Shultz Energy Fellowships program, an energy-related summer fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
Named in honor of former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, one of the most widely admired American public servants of the past half-century, the program offers a suite of paid, energy-related public service fellowships for Stanford students in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah during the summer.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 22, 2026 to Friday, August 28, 2026.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards.
Potential Areas for Fellowship Projects
Stanford and partners Boston University and University of North Carolina are developing a cutting-edge, multi-pollutant dataset that captures emissions from fossil-fuel furnaces and water heaters. Supported by a Wellcome Trust–funded grant, the project will also generate health-impact estimates across nine key indicators, creating one of the most comprehensive assessment tools available for building-sector emissions. Depending on CARB’s interest and the fellow’s skills, they will have the opportunity to leverage this dataset to evaluate the benefits of California’s proposed Zero-Emission Space and Water Heater Standard—not only at the state level, but down to individual ZIP codes. This could include quantifying the health impacts that strengthen the regulatory cost-effectiveness case, modeling policy scenarios, and identifying where the standard delivers the greatest public-health gains. Both CARB and the fellow would be able to apply this new dataset in ways that most effectively support policy modeling, regulatory analysis, and decision-making. This opportunity offers a unique chance to translate high-resolution scientific research into actionable insights with policymakers, helping shape cleaner, healthier, and more equitable outcomes for California communities.
Potential CARB Mentors
- Kathy Jaw, Manager, Integrated System Assessment Section
- Melanie Zauscher, Manager, Emerging Strategies Section
Work Environment
It is anticipated that this fellowship opportunity will be hybrid (in-person and remote). The California Air Resources Board is located in Sacramento, CA.
- Interest in climate, clean energy, or public health, and curiosity about how research can inform real-world policy
- Basic experience with data analysis, through coursework, projects, or internships (e.g., Excel, Python, R, or similar tools)
- Comfort working with datasets and learning new tools as needed; experience with environmental, energy, or ZIP-code–level data is a plus but not required
- Interest in understanding policy impacts, including health benefits and equity considerations
- Clear communication skills and enthusiasm for collaborating with researchers and policymakers
All Shultz fellows must be enrolled in the spring quarter before their fellowship.
All Shultz fellows must take a one-unit spring workshop course, 'Energy Policy in California and the West' that will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of California state agencies, the Western Interstate Energy Board, and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in driving energy policy development, technology innovation, and market structures. Course number is CEE 263G / POLISCI 73 / PUBLPOL 73 / ENERGY 73. Schedule: Wednesdays from 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm.
