Alumni & Partner Resources

Thank you for your interest! The summer 2023 host Request for Project Proposal period has closed. Contact Alexis.Dwyer@unh.edu to start a conversation about hosting a 2024 Fellow.

The Sustainability Fellowship program is designed to cultivate projects that catalyze long-term, substantial change for our host partners, provide a rich experiential learning opportunity for our Fellows, and spark interdisciplinary collaboration within our growing Alumni Network. 

We believe diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are foundational values inextricably linked to sustainability and achieving our core educational mission; and we embrace the many characteristics of our community members that make them uniquely themselves.

• Learn more about UNH's land, water, and life acknowledgment, developed by a committee and approved by Tribal Elders.
• Learn more about UNH’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

SEE EXAMPLES OF PAST FELLOWSHIP PROJECTS

REVIEW SOME OF OUR PAST AND PRESENT HOST ORGANIZATIONS

You design the project. We recruit a highly qualified Fellow with skills and experience specifically tailored to the needs of your project and organization. We work together to train and mentor your Fellow throughout the summer, jointly invested in the project’s success and the Fellow’s education. Here’s what partner organizations get out of hosting a Fellow: 

• World-class talent working on-site with you to support your sustainability initiatives 
• A pool of applicants with skills aligned to the needs of your project 
• Collaboration and support in developing your project plan 
• An outstanding Fellow who is supported by an active network of sustainability professionals 
• Recruiting, hiring, payroll, HR, and professional development coordinated by UNH 
• Opportunities to network with other organizations engaged in similar work 

Host partners are primarily responsible for the design of the Fellowship projects and for the day-to-day oversight of their Fellows. Partners are asked to participate in the selection of their Fellow, co-develop a project plan with our staff, engage with the network, and most importantly, prioritize the meaningful mentorship of their Fellow. Specifically, partner organizations commit to: 

• Develop a project that will be impactful for the partner organization and intellectually stimulating for the Fellow. Create a position description and a detailed project work plan in collaboration with our staff. 
• Engage in the interview and selection process. 
• Designate a primary Fellowship mentor who will provide project guidance, be accessible on a day-to-day basis as needed and reserve at least two hours per week for regularly scheduled meetings with the Fellow during the Fellowship term (late May - mid August)
• Encourage the Fellow’s participation in training and networking opportunities provided by our staff, Fellowship presentations and additional activities relevant to the fellow’s project and/or career. 
• Ensure that the mentor can participate in orientation (late May) and either the midterm or the final presentation event 
• Be available for 2-3 planning calls with us and provide two brief written updates on the Fellow’s progress over the course of the summer.  
• Actively connect with other Fellows and partners throughout the network. 
• Provide the Fellow with a computer and other necessary resources and contacts required for the successful completion of the project. If the Fellow has a disability, the partner organization will make reasonable accommodations. 
• Provide and receive feedback at the end of the Fellowship term. 

We mutually invest with host partners  in the learning experience of each Fellow and the impactful outcome of each project. Fellows receive compensation for their work according to their level of education. Host partners are asked to contribute at the following rates*: 

• Undergraduate Fellow: $7,500 
• Post Baccalaureate Fellow: $9,500 

* UNH raises funds to enable partners to host Fellows, even if they are not able to contribute at this level. In their proposals, host partners have an opportunity to state the level at which they can contribute. Through the generous support of Jane’s Trust Foundation, Josephine A. Lamprey, alumni of the program, and others, UNH is able to offer grants to offset a portion of the partner’s contribution for many organizations, especially municipalities and non-profits.  

October/November: Project Proposals Submission deadline and review

When completing the application, you’ll be asked to complete and upload a project proposal. We recommend completing it before starting the online application. 

Project Themes 
As one of the aims of the program is to facilitate collaboration between Fellows, proposals for projects that align with the following themes are particularly encouraged: 

• Greenhouse gas emissions, energy and transportation 
• Sustainable business, finance and investing 
• Community development and resilience 

If you have questions about the themes or an idea for a Fellowship project that may fall outside of these themes, please contact us to discuss; innovative ideas are encouraged. 

Ideal Fellowship projects include the following characteristics: 

• The project is likely to catalyze long-term, substantial change, and/or to establish a replicable model. 
• The project goals and approach are considered through a social justice lens.      
• The work is challenging, in-depth, and the selected Fellow can assume significant ownership. 
• The outcomes are tangible and can be completed in 400 hours during the summer.  
• The Fellow’s time and expertise are critical to completing the work. 
• Mentors are invested in the outcome of the project as well as the Fellow’s experience. 
• Partner organizations have a demonstrated structure in place to support and supervise a Fellow. 
• Partner organizations can demonstrate that diversity, equity and inclusion are important aspects of the organization’s mission, operations and/or mentorship team.  
• Partner organizations are in geographic proximity to one another - consider suggesting that other organizations in your local area might host a Fellow.