Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship 2024

The Switzer Fellowship is a one-year fellowship for graduate students from diverse academic and personal backgrounds in New England and California 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. Check out the current Switzer Fellows for examples of the breadth of expertise and disciplines of their work.

• Table of Content
• About Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation
• Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship
• Requirements for Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation

Mission, Vision & Values Switzer Fellows at the 2018 Fall Retreat Our Vision Switzer Fellows are recognized leaders driving positive environmental change for the benefit of natural and human communities. Our Mission The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation identifies and nurtures environmental leaders who have the ability and determination to make a significant positive impact and supports initiatives that have direct and measurable results to improve environmental quality. The foundation accomplishes this by awarding academic fellowships and project grants, sponsoring pro... continue reading

Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship

The fellowship includes an unrestricted $17,000 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.

Requirements for Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship Qualification

• 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 California or one of the six New England states (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) and plan to be enrolled as for the entire 2024-2025 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 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).
• Ph.D. candidates must have completed at least three years of doctoral work or plan to have passed their qualifying exams by July 1, 2024. 
• Mid-career students are encouraged to apply and must demonstrate how their academic program will enhance their effectiveness as an environmental leader.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation Switzer Fellowship

Criteria for selection

Fellowship applicants are evaluated based on their leadership and commitment to environmental problem-solving. Successful applicants also demonstrate commitment and competency to advance social equity as a fundamental part of their environmental problem-solving and clearly articulate how their environmental work affects human communities.

The foundation selects Master's- and Ph.D.-level candidates with a clear vision of how they will apply their skills and experience to practical environmental issues. Ph.D. applicants should have a well defined research focus and be clear about how their academic goals will contribute positive change to applied problems.

Black, Indigenous and students of color, first-generation college students, and individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in environmental graduate programs are strongly encouraged to apply. We encourage applications from a wide variety of universities, including state universities, in New England and California. 

Applications are reviewed using the following criteria. Please see the evaluation rubric for more detail on each of these criteria:

• Environmental commitment
• Applied focus
• Innovative problem-solving
• Leadership potential
• Collaboration and engagement
• Social equity awareness and experience
• Communication skills

Application review process

Each year, twenty fellows are selected from hundreds of applicants. Applications in New England and California are reviewed separately; ten fellowships are awarded per region. 

Application review is conducted in two rounds by Switzer Fellowship alumni, selected to be broadly representative of the Switzer Network by race, gender, educational background, degree program, sector, cohort, and geography. Engaging alumni in this process brings in a diversity of perspectives and involves the network in decision-making. 

We track demographic information at the group level through all stages of application review to ensure we maintain representation of groups traditionally underrepresented or marginalized in environmental graduate programs, including Black, Indigenous and students of color, first-generation students, and students who identify as trans or non-binary. 

In May, selected applicants meet for a virtual panel interview with Switzer Foundation fellows and representatives. All candidates interviewed are notified of award decisions in writing within two weeks after the interviews.

Deadlines and dates

Completed applications (including all supporting documents) are due by 11:59 p.m. PST on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Interviews are held virtually in mid-May. Award notifications take place in June.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

We are now accepting applications for 2024 Switzer Fellowships. Applications are due Monday, January 8, 2024 at 11:59 PST.  

Please review all of the information below and on the application page before applying. 

For more details visit: Switzer Foundation website.