Early Career Climate Fellowships

About the Fellowship

The Early Career Climate Fellowships (ECCF) are for talented African early career professionals who have the potential to become leaders in their field. These fellowships provide the opportunity to build an independent research-policy-practice career and be exposed to different working environments of decision making in the climate change space.

The African Group of Negotiators Experts (AGNES) through its NDC Delivery Lab and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nairobi have partnered to support Kenyan early career professionals fellowship program: Early Career Climate Fellowships (ECCF). The NDC Delivery Lab is an innovative multi-sectoral approach that ensures the effective translation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) into high impact investments and delivery plans and on-the-ground implementation of climate action and provides an excellent opportunity for creative and innovative solutions to address the climate risks.

Aim of the Fellowship

The ECCF Program will produce Kenya’s next generation of independent climate leaders well equipped with a deeper understanding of climate science-policy-practice nexus – an approach critical for addressing contemporary and emerging climate challenges, facing Africa and Kenya, in particular. The Fellowship is aimed at talented Kenyan early career professionals with the potential to become climate leaders in their selected field of specialization and provide the opportunity to build an independent career in climate science-policy-practice space.

The objectives of the ECCF program are:

•  help to ensure that young professionals can contribute to the IPCC processes.
•  offer young people a unique possibility to start their career at the climate policy-science practice interface to enhance implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
•  promote experiential learning for Fellows to gain practical experience in climate policy and negotiations through mentorship.
•  establish mutually beneficial long-term links between the Fellows, relevant Government of Kenya policy makers, climate experts and negotiators to harness the expertise in Kenya through equitable partnerships and knowledge exchange and translation into sustainable policy and practical benefits.

Duration and Start of Fellowship

•  Fellowships will be for 6 months (starting November 2023 and end on 30th April 2024).
•  Fellowships will be expected to participate full-time. Should any candidates need to hold the fellowship on a part-time basis because of caring responsibilities this will be considered and discussed on a case-by-case basis at the point of being offered a conditional award.

Number of Fellowships Offered: Four (4).

Eligibility

Successful applicants will be talented African early career climate researchers who are ready to develop their independence and have the potential to become climate leaders in their selected field of specialization. Underrepresented groups, including women, are particularly encouraged to apply.

The applicant must:

•  be a national of Kenyan of NOT more than 28 years old and a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree or above at the time of application,
•  be an early career researcher with not more than two years’ since completing their degree, by the time of application,
•  possess strong communication abilities, both written and verbal, and
•  creative and critical thinking is essential.

Applicants who are currently employed are eligible to apply but demonstrate willingness of the employer to grant permission for the period of the Fellowship.

Applicants must have a clear interest to work in science-policy-practice space.

Stipend

Successful Fellows will be paid a stipend of $600 per month.