Robert Switzer received a fellowship as a student at UC Berkeley, which inspired him and Patricia to launch this program when they retired to California. The board expanded eligibility to New England around 1990 in recognition of the Switzer family's roots and a desire to contribute to positive environmental change in the region. Going nationwide in 2027 is the next chapter of that same story: an investment in environmental leadership and social equity at the scale the moment demands.
General News
Switzer Fellowship Goes Nationwide in 2027
This is a change that we believe aligns with the moment and our mission. Photo: Sunlight filters through the trees at the 2025 Switzer Fellows Fall Retreat. Bearwalk Cinema
We are thrilled to announce that starting with the 2027 application cycle, the Switzer Fellowship will be open to emerging environmental leaders across the United States and U.S. territories, the most significant expansion in our 40-year history.
This is a change that we believe aligns with the moment and our mission. Environmental challenges don't stop at state lines, and neither should the networks working to solve them. For decades, environmental funding has concentrated in New England and California, leaving talented changemakers in other regions with far fewer pathways to support their important work. Opening the fellowship nationally means more perspectives in the network, more collaboration across regions, and more investment in the places where environmental philanthropy has historically been weakest. It also aligns the fellowship with the rest of the foundation's grantmaking, which operates without regional limits.
The timing matters. Federal funding cuts and broader instability across the environmental field have made independent support for early-career leaders more essential than ever before. We want to meet the moment.
This decision followed years of listening: through the 2021 Strategic Review, two Network Surveys, ongoing conversations with the Fellows Advisory Committee, and ultimately a vote of the Board of Trustees. A strong majority of fellows who responded to the 2024 survey were very or extremely supportive of going national, and we're deeply grateful for the thought so many of you brought to this question.
What's changing, and what isn't
The 2026 cycle, already underway, remains open to applicants from New England and California under existing guidelines. The 2027 cycle will be the first to accept applications nationwide, opening in early September 2026. We will continue to select 20 fellows each year, split between Master's and PhD candidates.
The most common concern raised throughout this process has been reviewer capacity under a larger applicant pool. A Fellowship Expansion Working Group of staff, trustees, and FAC members is actively testing adjustments to the selection process and will continue iterating. One important change will be a slightly earlier application deadline, closing mid-December, to give reviewers the time they need. Our commitments to transparency, equity, and Switzer Fellow leadership in review and selection are not changing.
Help us spread the word
This summer we'll be leaning hard on the Switzer Network to reach applicants in regions where we've never recruited before. We'll share updated messaging and resources before applications open in September. If you have ideas about where and how to reach emerging leaders in your region we want to hear them! Please bring them to our discussion board, described below, or email Cora.
Discussion board
We welcome questions, offers, and celebrations from the Switzer Network in this fellowship expansion discussion board (email Cora for access to the board, or find it via the listserv). You are also welcome to email Cora if you have any trouble with, or prefer not to use the discussion board. As recurring questions come up, we will respond to them in the FAQs section below.
Thank you for being part of this vibrant network of environmental leaders. We’re excited for what’s next.
