Energy, Climate, and Technology Policy

Fellows will contribute to our ongoing research projects on energy policy, climate policy, climate finance, and energy technology innovation. Current topics of interest include policy options to scale emerging clean energy technologies; pathways and policies for deep decarbonization; the governance of solar geoengineering; the role of artificial intelligence in next generation energy systems; and climate resilience in Asia.

Research Areas for 2027-2028:

Energy Innovation and Decarbonization Policy for the United States and China

The Belfer Center's Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program is seeking research fellows to assess opportunities for U.S.-China decarbonization cooperation and accelerating the global energy transition. Fellows will conduct research that provides actionable insights to policymakers, companies, investors, and society on how technology and policy innovation can accelerate progress towards a decarbonized energy system. We are interested in proposals exploring large-scale carbon management, subnational climate policy and regional alignment (state-to-province and municipal levels), decarbonizing transportation, the transfer of battery technology from companies in East Asia to automobile companies in the United States, geopolitical considerations, and the operation and modernization of the electricity grid. Fellows will support our research on policy implementation and regulatory options to scale new clean energy technologies in the United States and China; research should focus on technologies that have the potential to make a significant contribution to national and subnational efforts to reach carbon reduction goals. 

Governance of Solar Geoengineering

The Belfer Center's Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) program is seeking research fellows to study the governance of solar geoengineering. Fellows will conduct research that provides actionable insights to policymakers, scientists, international institutions, and society on how decisions about the research, testing, and possible deployment of solar geoengineering could be made and overseen. We are interested in proposals exploring governance of international legal and institutional frameworks, the risk of unilateral or small-coalition deployment, how regional climate effects would be distributed and what that implies for equity and liability, termination risk, monitoring and attribution, interactions with emissions reductions and carbon removal, and geopolitical considerations including how solar geoengineering might be handled between current superpowers. Candidates should have experience with solar geoengineering research or policy, or relevant skills such as climate modeling, atmospheric science, international law, or political science. Fellows will support research that connects the physical science of solar geoengineering to practical governance options at the national and international level. Research should focus on questions where better evidence can inform decisions about whether, and under what conditions, solar geoengineering research or deployment should proceed.

Global Capital to Climate Finance Fellowship 

We are seeking fellows to join our Climate Finance Research Initiative, an ambitious project focused on developing innovative mechanisms to mobilize capital for climate-related investments in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). The research will consider methods of financing both mitigation and adaptation investments that reconcile climate and development imperatives worldwide.

This research aims to disentangle climate and development benefits at the project level and to design financial structures that can channel global capital toward climate goals without compromising local development priorities. We will entertain proposals to address the following questions:

1. How can the costs, benefits, and risks of climate and development impacts be disentangled at the project level?
2. What financial structures and mechanisms can mobilize global investors for climate benefits while ensuring that development needs are met in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs)?
3. What role can multilateral institutions, guarantees, and blended finance play in lowering the cost of capital for green infrastructure and adaptation projects?
4. How can financial innovation unlock private sector investment in both mitigation and adaptation?
5. How can the international community develop a credible market for carbon credits that are durable, additional, and verifiable?

The project seeks fellows with expertise in infrastructure finance, climate finance, adaptation finance, or the structuring of large-scale markets for carbon credits. Ideal candidates will have experience in designing and executing financial transactions, whether from a legal, financial, or investment banking perspective, and an interest in advancing pragmatic solutions that can scale climate finance in EMDEs.

AI and Data Center Fellowship 

The Belfer Center’s Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENRP) is seeking a fellow for our Project on Grid Integration (PGI). The fellow will conduct research on the impact of data centers on both the electric grid, natural resources, and/or local communities in the United States. Potential research questions should consider the evolving impact of data centers on the U.S. energy system and develop regulatory/technological options for enhancing grid reliability, efficiency, and fairness; they may also seek to clarify the resource impact of data center campuses in terms of land or water usage.

Climate Resilience Fellow: Assessing Super El Niño Impacts in the Asia-Pacific

The Belfer Center's Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program is seeking research fellows to evaluate climate resilience and regional policy strategies, focusing on the impacts of Super El Niño events and climate disruption across the Asia-Pacific region. Fellows will conduct interdisciplinary research that bridges physical climate science and socioeconomic policy, downscaling global climate phenomena to actionable regional and local insights. We are seeking proposals that combine physical impact analysis - such as severe droughts, extreme heat, fires, flood risks, and agricultural disruptions - with socioeconomic assessments to inform climate adaptation, emergency preparedness, and long-term resilience frameworks. Fellows will support research on policy integration, downscaling methodologies, and stakeholder decision-making to help regional policymakers, multilateral institutions, and local communities prepare for and mitigate the compounding risks of extreme climate variability. Research should focus on translating complex climate data into concrete policy interventions, governance models, and resource management strategies across Asia-Pacific economies.

Expectations

Fellows are expected to work in collaboration with each other and with our affiliated faculty and staff. They are also encouraged to engage with associated research teams at other Harvard schools and other institutions.

Stipend

Fellows are provided with a stipend, office space, and some support for research expenses, including travel. Postdoctoral fellows are eligible for Harvard benefits, including health insurance; predoctoral fellows and fellows who received their PhD more than five years ago may receive full or partial reimbursement for health insurance premiums. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply for other sources of funding. All applicants should clearly indicate on their application form whether they are seeking full or partial funding and indicate other potential funding sources.

Fellowship Duration: One academic year (10 months)

Key Dates:

• October 1st – Applications Open
• December 1st – Applications Close
• December 15th – Letters of Recommendation Due

Application Requirements

• CV/ Resume
• Research statement (3-5 pages) that clearly states:
  • The research question/topic of interest
  • The topic’s relevancy to the current policymaking landscape at a regional, national, and/or international level
  • Planned outputs (papers, conference presentations, etc.) from the project
  • A project plan that outlines how the work will be completed, required resources, and rough timelines
• Writing sample (less than 50 pages)
  • Should be one published or unpublished piece written by the applicant (co-authored pieces not accepted) in English that will demonstrate his/her English-language writing ability
  • Can be a journal article, book chapter, dissertation chapter, white paper, etc. you have produced in your field
• Contact information for 3 recommenders submitting letters on your behalf