The CJI postbaccalaureate (postbac) fellowship is a fully-funded one-year training program for recent college graduates interested in cross-disciplinary climate and environmental science (physical and social), career and professional development training, conducting community-engaged research, and building technical skills through hands-on research experience with a UCI faculty member. Fellows will be hired as Junior Specialists for a one-year, full-time appointment, with a September 1, 2025 start date.

Postbac Fellows will spend approximately 20 hours per week working on research with a UCI faculty mentor, and 20 hours per week completing program curriculum (including team community-based research projects) and attending other CLIMATE Justice-related events.

The Fellowship period runs from September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026.

Applications for the 2025-2026 cycle will open on March 1st, 2025 with a deadline of April 30th, 2025. Applicants must apply via UCI Recruit (link to be posted here once available)  

• Those who have completed or will complete a B.S. or B.A. degree in geoscience, earth system science,  environmental science, or a related field at any institution  in 2024 or 2025.
• Those interested in pursuing a career and/or graduate studies related to climate or environmental science.
• Those interested in conducting co-designed environmental or climate change research with local community-based organizations.
• Those legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Applicants will be required to submit an application through UCI Recruit (LINK TBA). The following extra documents will be required for a complete application during the next application cycle:

1. Completion of essay questions (questions will be provided in the application)
2. A curriculum vitae that includes the following sections:
   • Contact information (i.e., name, email, phone, address, etc.)
   • Education (i.e., college/university, major, year of degree)
   • Research experience in previous courses or jobs (if applicable)
   • Skills (i.e., computer, lab, field, language, or other skills)
   • Honors or scholarships
   • Previous work experience
   • Service, education, or volunteer work (e.g., tutoring, teaching, outreach, etc.)
     
3. A one-page cover letter explaining your relevant background, your interest in this opportunity, and your immediate and long-term career goals.
4. Unofficial transcripts from any undergraduate institution(s) you have attended.
5. Contact information for 2-3 references who can speak to your academic background, research potential, and overall suitability for the program.  They will be contacted only if you are selected as a finalist.  

Questions should be directed to our Academic Coordinator, Robert Garcia (garciar1@uci.edu).

1. Can I apply if I graduated before 2024? Yes, but 2024 and 2025 graduates will be prioritized.
2. Can I apply if I have a Master’s degree? No.
3. Can international students apply? We can unfortunately only hire Fellows who are authorized to work in the US.
4. Who will my faculty research mentor be? Accepted postbac fellows will be surveyed about their interests, skills, and career goals in order to be matched with a faculty mentor. You may request specific faculty mentors in your application or after acceptance, but we cannot guarantee placement in specific labs.
5. I’ve never written a CV or cover letter. Are there resources to help me? Yes. Columbia University has information on creating undergraduate CVs, a cover letter example can be found here, and this blog post gives advice for finding and applying to postbac positions.