The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is seeking applications from organizations that wish to host a full-time Climate Justice Fellow for one year.
Donor Name: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
State: New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Fellowship
Deadline: 06/30/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
NYSERDA will fund the fellow’s salary as well as professional development and/or wraparound services. Fellows must be NYS residents and members of a Priority Population and/or reside in a Disadvantaged Community. Host employers must be working to advance climate justice / clean energy priorities for Disadvantaged Communities. It is anticipated that fellows will work with community-based organizations, universities, municipalities, tribal nations, career technology education (CTE) programs for K-12 schools, public libraries, climate tech innovators/start-ups, venture development organizations and clean energy businesses.
It is expected that fellows will assist with community engagement activities (e.g., plan, policy, or project), support clean energy project development and implementation, facilitate partnership building, support clean energy innovation companies, or engage in other projects related to advancing climate justice and clean energy priorities in Disadvantaged Communities.
Funding Information
Total funding for this program is $6 Million. For eligible host employers, the total award amount is capped at $40k per Fellow, which includes a $37k mandatory minimum annual (12 month) salary for the fellow with minimum 2 weeks paid vacation or sick time, federal holidays off; and $3k for training/professional development and/or wraparound services for the fellow during the 12-month period.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible host employers must:
- Be a community-based organization, university, career technical education (CTE) program for K-12 school, public library, municipality, tribal nation, climate tech innovator/start-up, venture development organization (e.g., incubator, accelerator, or other similar program), clean energy business or a firm dedicated to advancing climate justice and clean energy priorities in Disadvantaged Communities.
- Note: Fellows may be hired by a venture development organization that serves multiple climate tech companies. In that case, NYSERDA may approve requests for the fellow(s) to assist multiple companies throughout their fellowship, as long as the host employer and/or the majority of the companies served meet the criteria regarding a climate justice focus and serving clean energy needs for Disadvantaged Communities. The host employer must also provide a meaningful, coordinated and cohesive experience to the fellow(s).
- Commit to hiring and providing professional development training/mentoring for a yearlong, full-time fellowship, to an individual from a priority population and / or disadvantaged community, that advances climate justice and clean energy priorities for Disadvantaged Communities. Full-time is defined as 35 – 40 hours per week for 12 consecutive months.
- Have at least one physical business address in NYS with the legal authority to hire employees and conduct business in NYS and where the fellowship will be hosted with the space and equipment needed to support the work of the fellow.
- Have at least two employees or the equivalent of two full-time employees not including the fellow. Principals of corporations and owners of businesses such as sole proprietors or partners are not considered to be employees for this eligibility requirement. If the applicant host employer has no employees or if the workers are independent contractors, subcontractors or contract employees, then the business is not eligible.
- Note: This specific eligibility criteria does not apply to employers who are New York State registered or New York City certified as a WBE/MBE/SDVOB, or to start-ups actively or recently participating in NYSERDA’s Tech to Market programs.
- Attest to compliance with all applicable labor laws, and not have failed to file any applicable local, state or federal tax returns, nor failed to pay New York State Unemployment Insurance.
- Note: NYSERDA reserves the right to request that the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) conduct a due diligence search to confirm this information. The NYSDOL due diligence review process will include a review of the business’ Unemployment Insurance records; WARN notices; ongoing investigations with NYSDOL’s Public Works, Labor Standards and/or Safety and Health Divisions; registration with the NYS Department of State’s Division of Corporations; Workers Compensation Insurance and Disability Insurance coverage; federal OSHA records; and contracts/agreements from NYSDOL received during the past three years.
- Agree to the following:
- There is an opportunity for the fellow’s role to become a permanent full-time position when the fellowship is complete. Offering employment following the fellowship is encouraged, but not required.
- No existing worker shall be displaced by the fellow, including a partial displacement such as a reduction in hours, wages, or employment benefits.
- The fellow will not be working on other NYSERDA funded projects, with the exception of the NY Clean Transportation Prizes program. o The host employer will comply with New York State labor law and federal law for the protection of employees.
Eligible fellow candidates must:
- Currently reside in NYS and commit to work in NYS full-time for the entire 12-month fellowship.
- Note: For the purposes of this solicitation, when feasible, in-person work that prioritizes the health and safety of individuals is preferred. However, remote work arrangements will also be considered for funding.
- Note: Fellowships are intended for individuals not enrolled in school or coursework. However part-time coursework or schooling that does not exceed 6 credit hours or 6 to 8 hours per week may be allowable and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Commit to the goal of assisting the employer in advancing climate justice and clean energy priorities for Disadvantaged Communities
- Currently be a member of a priority population and / or must reside in a disadvantaged community as defined on NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Workforce Development
- Be a new hire, not a previous or furloughed employee, contractor, or non-NYSERDA intern.
- Note: Under this solicitation, interns participating in NYSERDA’s New York State Clean Energy Internships Program (PON 4000) may be eligible to become a fellow with their current host employer provided they had not been already hired as an employee of that organization following the conclusion of the internship.
- Note: Exceptions to the new hire requirement may be made for interns (paid or unpaid), fellows, and individuals in voluntary service who otherwise meet the requirements of the PON and whose positions were funded by the federal government but ended prematurely due to 2025 federal spending cuts.
- Not be a relative of the owners, principals, hiring managers, or existing employees of the business or organization.
- Note: “Relative” shall include the following relationships: relationships established by blood, marriage, or legal action. Examples include spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, grandparent, grandchild, or cousin. The term also includes domestic partners (a person with whom the employee’s life is interdependent and who shares a common residence) and a daughter or son of an employee’s domestic partner.
For more information, visit NYSERDA.
