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Schneider Sustainable Energy Fellowships

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Sponsored by: 
Haas Center for Public Service

 

Through the Schneider Fellows program, Stanford students work at leading U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the sustainable energy field. Fellows spend a summer quarter or one year tackling the world’s economic, environmental, social, and technical challenges associated with harnessing energy resources to deliver energy services. 

Summer Quarter Program

Fellows receive a stipend of $10,000 for a 12-week summer fellowship plus additional funding of up to $1500 for fellowship-related travel.

One-Year Program

Fellows work at a Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) office for one year, tackling the world’s economic, environmental, social, and technical challenges associated with harnessing energy resources to deliver energy services. Fellows receive a competitive salary with benefits as an employee of the NRDC. For more information, see the Schneider One-year Fellowship program page.

Fellowship History

The program is named in honor of Stephen H. Schneider (1945-2010), an internationally renowned expert on climate science and a leader in promoting solutions to address climate change. Stephen Schneider pioneered interdisciplinary research and policy analysis that underpinned many influential climate science publications, including the first four annual reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For 18 years he served as a professor at Stanford University, where he had a lasting impact on countless students and alumni. 

Eligibility

The Schneider Fellows program is open to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Fellows commit to working 12 weeks for the summer program or one year at their host NGO. Generally, summer fellowships begin in June and the one-year fellowships begin in September.

The NGOs will receive and screen candidate applications. There are no limits to the number of fellowships to which applicants may apply. 

Information Sessions

Summer 2025 Fellowship Opportunities

Environmental Defense Fund - 9 positions

  • Fellowship 1: Blue Carbon Research
  • Fellowship 2: California Hydrogen & Utility Service
  • Fellowship 3: Climate Data Science
  • Fellowship 4: Climate-Smart Agriculture Communications
  • Fellowship 5: Japan Fisheries & Oceans Program
  • Fellowship 6: Multibenefit Land Repurposing
  • Fellowship 7: Net Zero Engagement
  • Fellowship 8: Power Sector Analytics & Modeling 
  • Fellowship 9: Small Scale Fisheries Solutions 

Natural Resources Defense Council - 7 positions

  • Fellowship 1: Soil Fellowship
  • Fellowship 2: Fossil Fuels and Industry Climate and Energy 
  • Fellowship 3: Sustainable FERC Project 
  • Fellowship 4: Global Energy Transition
  • Fellowship 5: Environmental Health Program
  • Fellowship 6: India Program
  • Fellowship 7: California Climate and Energy Program 

RMI - 1 position

Students can choose to apply to up to two focus areas at RMI: 

  1. Finance / Accounting 
  2. Policy Innovation and Impact 
  3. Sustainable Buildings and Design 
  4. Urban and Community Engagement 
  5. Sector Research and Insights 
  6. Data Analytics and Visualization 
  7. Technology Systems and Solutions 
  8. Project and Operations Management 
  9. Media Relations and Communications 

Union of Concerned Scientists - 2 positions

  • Ensuring a Just and Equitable Transition to Clean Energy in the United States (2 Fellows) - Cambridge, MA

U.S. Climate Alliance - 1 position

  • Research and Analysis Fellow

U.S. Green Building Council - 3 positions

  • Fellowship 1: Technical Development Fellow
  • Fellowship 2: Product Management Fellow
  • Fellowship 3: Advocacy & Policy Technical Fellow

 

Year-Long Opportunities will be posted in November 2024

 

Meet the Schneider Fellows

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for more than one Schneider Fellowship opportunity? 

Yes! You can apply to any of the opportunities that interest you and seem like a potential fit. If you apply to opportunities at multiple organizations, you will need to submit application materials for each opportunity. Review the application requirements and process for each opportunity as they may vary. 

Can I apply for both the summer and year-long opportunities? 

Yes! However, if you are offered both a summer and year-long fellowship, you will only be able to accept one of the opportunities. 

Can I apply if I previously received a Schneider Fellowship? 

If you have already engaged in a summer Schneider Fellowship experience you will have lower priority for the current summer program. You can apply, and be fully considered, for a year-long opportunity regardless of whether you have previously completed a summer fellowship experience. 

Who should be my reference or write my recommendation letter?

Summer opportunities: Recommendation letters are NOT required for the summer fellowship opportunities, but you may be asked to provide the name and contact information of one reference. References will only be contacted if the host organizations require additional information about your application. References can include Stanford faculty, staff, lecturers, graduate teaching assistants (for undergraduates), residence fellows as well as former employers or internship supervisors.

Yearlong opportunities: Two letters of recommendation are required. One should be an academic reference–feel free to ask faculty, lecturers, graduate teaching assistants, etc. from Stanford or from a previous institution. Your second letter should be a professional reference: former and/or current employers, internship supervisors, principal investigators, residence fellows.

For both opportunities: Peers should not serve as references or recommenders. Best advice is to select someone who knows you best and can speak to your candidacy for the fellowship opportunity. Be sure to ask them early and give them plenty of time to submit your recommendation letter by the deadline.

What should I include for my writing sample?

If your fellowship application requires a writing sample (not all organizations require this), plan to include a 3-5 page piece you have completed for a past course or work experience. If the piece is related to the sustainable energy arena that is ideal, but not required. A policy-related piece would also be appropriate to submit.

How are Schneider Fellows selected?

All submitted applications that are fully completed will be sent directly to our partner organizations just after the application deadline. Each fellowship supervisor will review all applications and determine interviews and final selections.

When will Schneider Fellows be selected and notified?

Fellowship supervisors will evaluate the submitted applications and conduct interviews for selected applicants in February. Final selections will be made and students are notified by March.

How competitive are the Schneider Fellowships?

Application numbers for each fellowship opportunity do vary from year to year, but overall it is a popular program since all degree levels can apply. We do encourage all interested students to apply and to submit thoughtful application materials. Since the number of fellows selected each year is limited, we encourage students to consider applying to other related campus opportunities as well. Other opportunities to consider include:

Graduate & Undergraduate summer opportunities:

Undergraduate summer opportunities:

Opportunities for graduating students:

To explore additional energy-related opportunities visit Explore Energy.

Cardinal Service Dimension: 
Cardinal Careers, Cardinal Quarter
Placement type: 
Prearranged
When: 
Other, Summer
Location: 
United States
Time Commitment: 
Quarter-long full-time
Open To: 
Co-term, Freshman, Junior, Master's, PhD, Postgraduate, Senior, Sophomore
Application deadline: 
Winter
Environmental Sustainability
Contact Name: 
Valerie Chow (Summer Program) (vychow@stanford.edu) & Ben Weissman (One-Year Program) (benidw@stanford.edu)

Opportunities