Professional Development Grant - How to Apply

Professional Development Grants — How to Apply

Eligibility — Who Can Apply

To be eligible, fellows must have completed their fellowship year. Professional Development Grants are for fellows who are professionally employed or continuing their graduate studies that focus on improvement of environmental quality.

How to Apply

A preliminary phone or e-mail conversation with the foundation's program director is advised before submitting a written request. Requests for Professional Development Grants may be made to the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation at any time using the Application form. Written requests need not be more than 1-2 pages and must include the following information requested on the application form:

  • Name and contact information for fellow, including email address;
  • Job title and employer;
  • General responsibilities of current position;
  • Description of specific professional development opportunity for which funds are being sought. Include dates, location and fellow's role at the event (participant, presenter, attendee);
  • Explanation of how participation in the event will advance the fellow's career and what is the "learning agenda" for the event, i.e. the fellow's own learning and professional goals for this event;
  • Cost of professional development opportunity and amount of funds sought from the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation for this purpose; and
  • Degree to which fellow or their organization will fund the fellow's participation in the activity. Indicate sources of other funding to cover costs.

An Application Form may be downloaded here.




Spotlight on Leadership

Dr. Katalyn (Kate) Voss, who grew up as an active member of the Surfrider Foundation in southern California, has always been interested in grass-roots organization and advocacy around environmental issues. Now as an AGU Congressional Sciece Fellow, Voss is excited to have arrived at the nexus of science, society and politics. “Maybe this is the geographer in me coming out,” says Voss, “since we’re trained to think across scales of space and time, I see this coming year working on the Hill as a perfect convergence of all these different spatial scales of policy and science.”Read more >

A vibrant community of environmental leaders