Roger Arliner Young Marine Conservation Fellow with NRDC

Inspired by efforts to increase racial diversity in conservation and clean energy, the Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Diversity Fellowship Program aims to increase and facilitate environmentally-related career pathways for emerging leaders of color. The RAY Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship designed to equip recent college graduates with the tools, experiences, support, and community they need to become leaders in the conservation and clean energy sectors—one that, in our visions of the future, fully represents, includes, and is led by the diverse communities, perspectives, and experiences of the United States.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) uses law, science and the support of more than 2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. Reviving the world’s oceans is one of NRDC’s top strategic priorities. NRDC works to promote healthy and vital oceans by preserving special places and species, defending against destructive and harmful practices like overfishing and offshore drilling, and planning for a healthy ocean future. Some current initiatives include advocating to protect at least 30 percent of the oceans by 2030 (or, “30x30”), protecting our coasts from harmful offshore oil and gas drilling, promoting sustainable domestic fisheries by strengthening the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, and advancing protections on the high seas. Our Pacific Ocean Initiative focuses on securing the health of California’s ocean environment (with special attention to marine protected areas, sustainable West Coast fisheries, and minimizing industrial impacts), combatting illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, advancing shark conservation, and leveraging California as a leader for strong ocean conservation policies.

The RAY fellow will assist staff members in ongoing advocacy efforts in ocean conservation. The fellow will have an opportunity to work on a range of ocean issues which may include preparing research and policy papers related to: marine protected areas and/or the “30x30” initiative; sustainable fisheries management in California; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing; shark and ray conservation; offshore wind development; industrial impacts, such as from oil and gas development or plastic pollution; and/or demographics of ocean constituencies in California. The fellow will also engage as part of the team, playing a key role in developing strategy and executing and communicating our priorities, writing blogs, preparing talking points, participating in meetings with partners, and advocating before decision-makers. This may include opportunities to engage with state and/or federal agencies and decision-makers, conservation organizations, partners, and local communities. Through this work, the Fellow will gain skills in research and analysis, written advocacy, oral advocacy, and participation in regulatory processes. The Fellow will be an integral part of NRDC’s team and will gain exposure to a variety of activities, including legislative advocacy, science meetings, advocacy strategies, and coalition work.

 

Through the course of the two-year fellowship, the Fellow will get the skills, experience, and training necessary to be a leader in the environmental and social change movements. The Fellow will have the opportunity to:

In addition to the responsibilities at the host institution outlined above, RAY Fellows will spend, on average, 2-4 hours per week (5-10% of work time) on the following:

 

RAY Fellows will also attend:

 

Eligible RAY Fellow applicants will:

·      Come from a racial / ethnic background underrepresented in conservation and clean energy and demonstrate a commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

·      Be no more than 1 year out of college and have a Bachelor's Degree by July 2021 (we are not considering individuals with graduate degrees at this time).

·      Have not had a full-time job in conservation or clean energy.

·      Have the ability to work in the United States and commit to the entire fellowship.

 

The participating organizations are equal opportunity employers continually seeking to diversify their staffs, particularly to broaden opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy.

This is a two-year, full-time fellowship (one year with a one year renewal) starting on or after July 15, 2021.

The Fellowship is paid and sponsored by Natural Resources Defense Council, who also offers a competitive benefits package, as well as excellent mentoring, networking, and other opportunities.

To apply for the RAY Fellowship Program, applicants must:

 

1.    Complete the online application survey on the RAY Fellowship Program website, found through the external link on Handshake

2.    Follow the instructions on the linked application webpage to submit a curriculum vitae or a resume, response to one essay, one visioning, and one short answer prompt, and a letter of support. 

 

Applications must be submitted to the RAY Fellowship Program no later than March 26, 2021. Transcripts and additional writing samples are not required. Questions about the application process can be submitted to the RAY Conservation Program Manager, Guilu Murphy, via email at guilu@elpnet.org.

Natural Resources Defense Council is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. NRDC is continually seeking to diversify its staff, particularly to broaden opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy.