Schneider Summer Fellowships: U.S. Climate Alliance - Summer 2024
Through the Schneider Fellows program, Stanford students work at leading U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the sustainable energy field. Schneider Summer Fellows spend a summer quarter tackling the world’s economic, environmental, social, and technical challenges associated with harnessing energy resources to deliver energy services.
Fellows receive a stipend of $10,000 for a 12-week summer fellowship. In addition, additional funding of up to $1500 is available for fellowship-related travel.
Description of Organization
The U.S. Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of governors securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action. The Alliance Secretariat helps its members accelerate climate action by providing a broad range of technical, analytical, policy, and capacity assistance and resources. Currently, the coalition’s policy initiatives are structured around ten policy priority areas that include electricity generation, transportation, industry, buildings, just transition and equity, climate finance, resilience, and natural and working lands. The Alliance has also built strong relationships with the federal administration to help create and implement an ambitious, durable national climate framework.
Description of Summer Fellowship Projects
- Research topics relevant to state climate policy and present findings in various formats (reports, social media, etc.)
- Compiling and analyzing climate-related spending across Alliance states
- Provide administrative and event management support as needed, including meeting scheduling
- Represent the Alliance at energy and climate-related events or calls, and take timely and concise notes
- Assisting the Analysis team in relevant research to identify potential data and methods for quantifying and tracking metrics for state policy progress.
- Providing input into Alliance-wide and sector-specific strategic plans, as well as identifying technical support resources.
- Working with team members to prepare materials that support major Alliance meetings and workshops.
- Conducting policy research, analyzing key sector trends and drafting briefing papers and guides for states that analyze policy options across climate issues.
- Additional support tasks as needed.
Desired skills, experience, and qualities of the fellow
- Applicants must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at Stanford University
- Strong research skills, ability to write and communicate clearly and concisely
- Demonstrated interest and experience in state climate policy and coalition building
- Interest in innovative ways to communicate technically complex materials.
- Be responsible, flexible, collaborative, hard‐working and committed to the mission of the U.S. Climate Alliance.
- Fluent in English
- Strong skills with Microsoft Excel, coding, or other database/data manipulation software preferred
- Ability to meet regular attendance/tardiness policy
- Ability to work under pressure and handle stress
Work Arrangement and Location
Flexible, depending on fellow's preference. The Haas Center highly encourages hybrid work (2 days in office, 3 days remote). Office is located in Washington, D.C.
Fellowship Start Date
June 17, 2024 or June 24, 2024
Eligibility:
For complete eligibility requirements, please review our program policies in its entirety.
Undergraduates and graduate students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
Requirements:
Selected Fellows are expected to begin service by June 24, 2024 for a summer fellowship. All fellows are required to work with their community partners full-time (35-40 hours) for twelve consecutive weeks at their placements. Other commitments include the following:
Quarter before fellowship
- Complete an online program orientation.
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service workshop or worksheet.
- Attend Schneider Fellows cohort session(s)
- Identify and meet with an academic mentor at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the learning plan with site supervisor and academic mentor.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms.
During fellowship
- Submit a brief preliminary report.
- Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
Quarter after fellowship
- Meet with academic mentor at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program.
Selection Process:
For those who seek assistance, advising is available at the Haas Center to help students develop their applications.
This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate
- an integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
- prior demonstrated interest or involvement in the subject area, including related coursework
- a compelling match between applicant’s skills and interests and an organization’s work and needs
- strong potential for the fellowship experience to deepen a candidate’s understanding of an identified community issue or challenge
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by our partner organizations with the intention to award fellowships within six weeks of the application deadline. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.