Climate Justice Fellowship

Description of goods to services to be bid:

December 16, 2024:

The following changes have been made to PON 4772: 

• The final due date was updated to December 30, 2025. Applications are still on a rolling basis. 
• Attachment A – Sample Agreement was updated with some minor changes to the Scope of Work and letter agreement 
• Attachment B – Fellowship Application was updated to include additional questions and to clarify the application instructions. 
• Attachment C – Fellowship Plan Template was added. Application instructions were clarified in the summary, so that it’s clearer that the Fellowship Application and Draft Fellowship Plan need to be submitted and approved to join the program. 
• Eligibility requirements were updated for fellows. Fellows may be from a Priority Population and/or a Disadvantaged Community. 
• Public libraries were added as eligible host employers. 
• Additional guidance was provided on health insurance cost-share. 
• Professional development support services provided for fellows by a third-party contractor were changed to required rather than optional. 
• Additional clarity was added regarding procedures for fellows who end the fellowship early. 

Revised December 13, 2023:

The following changes have been made to PON 4772:

• The final due date was updated to December 27, 2024. Applications are still on a rolling basis.
• Attachment A – Sample Agreement was updated to include a letter agreement along with some minor changes to the Scope of Work.
• Attachment B – Fellowship Application was updated to include a few additional questions and to clarify the application instructions at the top and a signature section at the bottom.
• The application link was updated in the summary.
• Application instructions were clarified in the summary, so that it’s clearer that the Fellowship Application needs to be approved to join the program.
• Contact email address was updated to cjf@nyserda.ny.gov.
• Eligibility requirements were updated to make certain that fellows are not working on other NYSERDA funded projects.
• NYS tribal nations and CTE programs for K-12 schools were added to the eligible host employer groups in the summary document and short and long descriptions.
• Fellowship requirements section was updated to clarify how other sources of outside funding can be used.
NYSERDA anticipates funding approximately 150 fellowships through 2025, and will work with State and federal agencies, non-profits, foundations, and other partners to leverage existing resources, wrap-around services, training, and professional development opportunities. For eligible host employers, the total award amount is capped at $40k per fellow.

NYSERDA is seeking applications from organizations who wish to host a full-time Climate Justice Fellow for 1 year. NYSERDA will fund the fellow’s salary as well as professional development training/mentoring and/or wrap-around services. Fellows must be members of a priority population. Host organizations must be working to advance climate justice and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities. It is anticipated that fellows will work in community-based organizations, universities, municipalities, tribal nations, CTE programs, climate tech innovators/start-ups, venture development organizations and clean energy businesses. NYSERDA anticipates funding approximately 150 fellowships through 2025. For eligible host employers, the total award amount is capped at $40k per fellow. A total of $6 Million in funding is available for this program. Applications from eligible host employers will be accepted on a continuous first-come, first-served basis until funds are expended. Funding may be adjusted based on demand and availability of additional funds.

Revised January 2023.

The following changes have been made to PON 4772:
• Primary contacts were updated and billing method was changed to milestone model.
• Application process was modified to align more closely with the Internship and On-The-Job Training programs.
• Application process was modified and enhanced to provide more flexibility to host organizations and fellows and to reduce the amount of time between fellow selection and fellow start date.
• An available fellow directory, similar to the intern directory, has been established for host organizations who have not yet identified a fellow candidate.
• Application schedule was adjusted to a rolling schedule with support services offered to cohorts of fellows which launch on a quarterly basis.
• Eligibility criteria was adjusted so that fellows are required to be part of a priority population and are not also required to reside in a disadvantaged community.
• Guidelines around the number of fellows per host organization were adjusted so that certain organizations can apply for multiple fellows if they can demonstrate sufficient staff and resources to support them.
• Two weeks paid vacation or sick time and federal holidays are now included.

If changes are made to this solicitation notification will be posted on NYSERDA’s website at: www.nyserda.ny.gov/funding-opportunities

Eligibility/Qualifications Requirements/Preferences:

It is anticipated that fellows from priority populations will work with community-based organizations, universities, municipalities, climate tech innovators/start-ups, venture development organizations and clean energy businesses.