UC Berkeley Chancellor's Climate Futures Fellows must be willing to participate in cohort-based programmatic activities, including an orientation week, one to two intensive retreats, monthly trainings or workshops, and a monthly peer support/writing group. They will also develop and implement an impact-focused capstone project.  

Fellows will also receive additional professional development by participating in other programs of the ECE Office. For example, Fellows will be encouraged to participate in developing and implementing workshops focused on accelerating research collaboration, and they will participate in the annual ECE conference. Fellows can gain experience in new media channels, like podcasts and webinars, to generate content related to their research or that of the broader campus community. They can lead or participate in curricular innovation initiatives, and lead or provide mentorship to Living Lab or Climate Discovery projects, depending on their interests and areas of expertise. 

Candidates from any discipline can apply for a UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Climate Futures Fellowship by securing the sponsorship of a Berkeley faculty member, other than their PhD dissertation advisor, who agrees to serve as their primary research mentor at Berkeley.

In addition to undertaking their proposed research project with their faculty mentor(s), Fellows from across disciplines will operate on a cohort-based model to participate in ECE Office-sponsored trainings, with each cohort’s core programmatic activities lasting one year. If additional funds are available, programmatic activities may be extended for a second year. Although Fellows will be supervised by and work directly with their faculty mentors, both will sign an agreement that attendance at monthly Fellowship trainings and activities is a requirement of the award. 

The Fellowship will provide salary and benefits for Climate Futures Fellows as well as a research support stipend of $6,000 per fellow.

Fellows will be invited to participate in all University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program events, and will be eligible for the UC Faculty Hiring Incentive Program.

Climate Futures Fellows are subject to the same eligibility criteria and requirements as the University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellows Program. However, the Climate Futures Fellowship will prioritize applicants who are within one year of receiving their PhD or terminal degree and who do not have extensive postdoctoral experience. The Climate Futures Fellowship Program will also prioritize applicants who have demonstrated experience and/or a compelling interest in learning how to apply their research for societal benefit and public impact. 

Eligibility: Applicants must hold or receive a PhD or terminal degree in their discipline (JD, MD, MFA, DVM, EdD, etc.) from an accredited university before the start of their fellowship. Successful applicants must present documents demonstrating that they are legally authorized to work in the United States

Requirements

Fellows are expected to: 

• Establish residence and participate in academic life at the campus of their postdoctoral appointment.

• Focus full-time on research and avoid other commitments such as teaching or additional employment.

• Meet regularly with their faculty mentor.

• Attend the PPFP professional development programs, such as the Fall Meeting and the Spring Academic Retreat.

Please review the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program website for specific terms and conditions.

Online Application Opens: September 1, 2026

Application Deadline: November 1, 2026

Letter of Recommendation Deadline: December 1, 2026

Request for Additional Materials: January-February, 2027

Decisions Announced: March 31, 2027

For questions, please contact Ya’el Seid-Green at yseidgreen@berkeley.edu. 

Applications for the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Climate Futures Fellowship must be submitted via the online application for the University of California (UC) President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. 

In order to be considered, you must have a faculty mentor at UC Berkeley and apply to UC Berkeley as your desired campus. You also must select the Climate Futures Fellowship option in the Special Opportunities section of the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program application. 

Applicants for the Climate Futures Fellowship will be contacted by the UC Berkeley Office of Energy, Climate & Environment with a request for additional documents to complete the application.

To learn more about the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, please visit the Program website.