REACH Center Overview

The Research and Engagement for Action on Climate and Health (REACH) Center is a multi-institutional, NIH-funded exploratory center led in partnership by George Washington University, George Mason University, Howard University, and the Environmental Defense Fund. The REACH Center aims to bridge big data to climate solutions that advance health and environmental justice. Specifically, the Center leverages the power of novel geospatial datasets and research co-generation with governmental and nongovernmental partners to research health and equity impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions from local to global scales. 
 

Fellowship Program Overview

The REACH Center Climate and Health Research Fellowship Program will cultivate a collaborative cohort of three student fellows across REACH institutions, empowering them to engage effectively with community partners in identifying and implementing solutions to climate change and health challenges. Through this initiative, fellows and community partners will enhance their capacity for engagement and climate research, fostering connections that strengthen institutional collaboration and lay the groundwork for future research proposals. 

This cohort of students, composed of one student from each partner institution (i.e., GWU, GMU, HU), will work collectively on an assigned project that is responsive to a selected community partner’s needs. Supported projects will be aligned with REACH Center goals to leverage the power of big data for climate solutions that advance health and environmental justice. Fellows may be asked to assist with data collection, interpret large datasets for applications to local concerns, write reports, conduct literature reviews, prepare policy briefs, and assist with outreach and education such as community events, stakeholder meetings, town halls and community listening sessions.
 

Who Should Apply?

The REACH Center Fellows program is open to graduate students at the master’s and doctoral levels of all disciplines from George Washington, George Mason, and Howard Universities. One student from each of the REACH Center partner institutions (i.e., GW, HU, GMU) will be selected for the fellows program.

This fellowship is designed to support outstanding students who demonstrate academic excellence, have a strong interest in community-engaged work, and show a deep commitment to advancing health and environmental justice through equitable climate solutions. The program provides an enriching experience that includes mentorship, professional development, and financial support to help students achieve their goals.
 

Fellow Benefits & Expectations

Fellows are expected to:

• Spend approximately 120 hours engaged with the fellowship program (roughly 5 hours per week from May 27 to December 8, 2025)
• Participate in REACH Center activities (e.g. seminars, trainings, and workshops)
• Prepare and present a summary of their fellowship work at the end of the term

Selected fellows will receive:

• A stipend of $2,000 to be paid out in monthly installments throughout the course of the fellowship
• Access to mentorship opportunities with community organizations and faculty members
• Networking opportunities with peers and professionals in the field
   

2025 Fellows Timeline

Application Content/Instructions

Scoring Criteria and Review Process

Applications will be reviewed by a panel with representation from each of the participating institutions and one to two community partners using the scoring criteria shown below. Reviewers will recuse themselves from final decisions on applicants from their own institution.

Applicants will be scored by the REACH Fellowship Committee based on the following criteria:

• Academic performance and achievements
• Prior experience
• Alignment of interests with the fellowship’s goals
• Strength of recommendation letter and essay responses
   

What Kinds of Projects Will the Cohort Engage in?

Assigned projects will be aligned with REACH Center goals to leverage the power of big data for climate solutions that advance health and environmental justice. Fellows may be asked to assist with data collection, interpret large datasets for applications to local concerns, write reports, conduct literature reviews, prepare policy briefs, and assist with outreach and education such as community events, stakeholder meetings, town halls and community listening sessions. 

Sample Project on Air Quality Monitoring

Fellows could work with community partners who are conducting air quality monitoring with low-cost sensors that measure particulate matter (PM) pollution. These sensors have been used in many citizen science applications around the country to understand how PM varies.

Fellows may be asked to assist community partners with the installation of monitors, conduct data analysis and interpretation, and estimate impacts on human health. They could also translate these findings into educational materials, publications, and/or policy documents together with community partners.

Sample Project on Health

There is evidence linking health conditions such as asthma to environmental factors and climate change. Fellows could assist community partners to better understand these health risks as a prerequisite for developing mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The cohort of fellows may be asked to work with community partners to identify stakeholders, translate data into accessible language for community members, and incorporate climate science into health promotion activities.

Sample Project Providing Technical Support to Organizations in the Community

The cohort of fellows may be asked to identify and interpret data that explores the relationship between climate change and urban heat, local flooding, or access to green and blue space, and could work to explore mitigation and adaptation measures to improve the resilience of communities along the Anacostia River. 

Role of Community Partners

The REACH Center will identify a community partner who will work with the fellowship cohort to design a project that is responsive to and reflects community concerns, with the expectation that the collaboration occurs in all steps of the project, from design and implementation to follow-up and dissemination of key findings. Community partners are also encouraged to participate in REACH activities, e.g. seminars and workshops, and to work with REACH principal investigators on sponsored research projects that are relevant to their concerns.