Join the Next Cohort

Applications for the 2026 fellowship are open! Please review the information below, and submit your application at the link by October 1st, 2026.

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Fellowship Requirements

Our mission to empower emerging leaders in science and academia to reimagine solutions for a just and healthy planet has reached new frontiers. We have now trained 57 fellows who are advancing environmental and climate justice through expertise in environmental public health, sociology, medicine, earth sciences, engineering, and urban planning. Our goals are to train early career scientists in science communication and public engagement and broadly disseminate their voices, stories, and research contributions through public-facing, multi-media platforms. 

In the upcoming AOC Cohort 7, our vision is to catalyze fellows’ research to policy translation. To achieve this vision, we are looking for individuals involved in a policy translation issue that intersects with their research expertise. During the fellowship, we will provide support, guidance, and refinement for the fellows to develop and launch a policy-relevant activity. 

Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 fellowship. The fellowship requires approximately 100 hours of time over 12 months, this includes participating in online workshops and training seminars, writing and tackling edits, and disseminating your work and that of other fellows through various platforms. Fellows who complete all the requirements of the program will receive a $3000 honorarium.

Requirements of the program include:

  • Complete a Policy Analysis for Science Translation and Action Deliverable with the following components: 
    • Create a 1-2 page landscape analysis of one state or local policy or initiative to address an environmental and/or climate justice issue. 
    • Create a plan for engaging with key people working on these issues and write a reflection of your experience
  • Complete and execute a personalized engagement strategy with the following components:
    • Create one communications deliverable, either a policy brief or op-ed
    • Create a short-form social video that summarizes your communications deliverable for a wider audience. 
  • Attend and actively participate in all online training and peer-based writing workshops
    • Monthly meetings typically occur once a month for 90 minutes. The first meeting will take place in February 2027.
  • Attend two in-person retreats. Our first 3 day in-person retreat is tentatively scheduled for April 5th – 9th. The exact dates will be announced soon.
    • The date of our second retreat will be decided at a later date.
  • Critically engage with the program content over social media or other platforms.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be:

  • Pursuing scientific work that advances environmental public health, environmental justice, or ecosystem/climate health and justice. Relevant disciplines may include but are not limited to: environmental health, environmental science, epidemiology, ecology, earth sciences, Indigenous studies, urban planning, geography, community health, social and behavioral health, medicine, social sciences, and toxicology. We are particularly interested in fellows who work in the following areas or on the following issues: energy, air pollution, climate change, toxics, plastics, Indigenous environmental issues/rights, food, water quality, and built environment, data centers. 
  • Early career scientist is defined as a current doctoral student, medical student, postdoctoral scientist, research scientist, assistant professor or an early career practitioner defined as someone working in advocacy, government, research, or private sector for no more than 10 years since their terminal degree (early career practitioner: terminal degree obtained in 2016 or later).
  • Committed to advancing science communication and public engagement with science; and improving oral and written communication skills through multi-media platforms.
  • Based at an institution (e.g., academic institute, non-profit) in the United States. Applicants do not need to be US citizens to participate (e.g., international students are eligible), however, you might not be able to receive an honorarium. Visit our FAQ section for more information..
  • Conducting work that is US based.
  • For further info about eligibility and other questions, please refer to the FAQ section below.

Application Process

Please submit your application materials (including the application responses and CV/ resume) through our online portal by 11pm EST on October 1st 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact us at agentsofchangeinej@gmail.com. You will be notified if you are a finalist by the end of November 2026. The fellowship will begin in February 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to have social media accounts to participate?
    • Having a social media presence is not a requirement to participate in the program.
  • When are the workshops?
    • All workshops are virtual. A time and date will be set after we accept applicants.
  • What topics are covered in the workshops?
    • The topics covered in the monthly virtual workshops include but are not limited to: writing for non-scientific audiences, power of branding for your work, and engaging with policymakers.
  • Am I eligible to apply if I am faculty?
    • Yes, faculty defined as but not limited to: career track faculty, tenure-track faculty, non-tenure track faculty, teaching faculty, clinical track faculty are eligible to participate in the program.
  • Is this opportunity only for those in academia?
    • No, the fellowship program is open to early career practitioners defined as someone working in advocacy, government, research, or private sector for no more than 10 years after their terminal degree.
  • When will decisions be made?
    • Finalists will be notified by November 2026, and we anticipate final decisions will be made by January 2027.
  • Do I need letters of recommendations?
    • Letters of recommendation are not required as part of the application process, please do not forward or send any letters of recommendations to the program.
  • Can I get feedback from the program on my application materials prior to the deadline?
    • At the time we are not able to provide feedback of application materials from potential fellows. We encourage all applicants to reach out to their networks to receive feedback on their application responses.
  • If I am an international student or working in the U.S. on a visa, can I apply?
    • Yes, however, we might not be able to offer you an honorarium due to restrictions. Since the AoC program is institutionally housed at Columbia University, honorariums are processed and distributed via Columbia. Based on their policies, most Visa types are not eligible to receive an honorarium. We have had several previous fellows complete the program without an honorarium. Please check back later or email us at agentsofchangeinej@gmail.com to learn more.
  • Are current Master’s students eligible to apply?
    • At this time, we are not accepting applications from students enrolled in Master’s programs (e.g., MA, MS, MPH).
  • Are Law students eligible to apply?
    • Students enrolled only in a Law program (i.e., JD) are not eligible to apply, but we do accept applications from dual degree students (e.g., JD/PhD, JD/MD).
  • Are Pharmacy PhD or Nursing PhD students eligible to apply?
    • Yes, students enrolled in these scientific programs are eligible to participate in the Agents of Change Program. 
  • Is the eligibility criteria for this cohort different than from previous years
    • Yes, we are looking for scientists who are actively engaging in solutions based science and who have taken steps to develop partnerships outside the academy.  
  • Can my research and impact efforts be based abroad? 
    • Applicants need to be based at US institution and their work must also be US place based 
  • Are previous Agents of Change fellows eligible to apply?
    • Yes, with the exception of the most recent cohort (Fellows in Residence), all previous Agents of Change fellows who meet the eligibility criteria are welcome to apply