The Water & Society (W&S) Fellowship is a new initiative awarded by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Water and Society Technical Committee. It aims to support early-career researchers (PhD students or postdocs) who are either based in, from, or conducting grounded research in the Global South. This initiative seeks to amplify local expertise by highlighting cutting-edge research on water and society issues in the region.We are awarding three fellowships, each focused on a different region of the Global South (e.g., Latin America and the Caribbean, Subsaharan Africa, North Africa and Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, South East and Eastern Asia including pacific islands). Fellows will receive USD 500 to produce a series of five blog posts, each showcasing an impactful research group, study, or project in their assigned region. The goal is to spotlight other researchers’ work, ensuring that key contributions from the Global South receive broader visibility.
What Fellows Will Do
Each selected fellow will:
✅ Write five blog posts (5,000 characters each, with 1–2 images).
✅ Highlight a research group, paper, or project related to water and society in their region.
✅ Ensure the featured work involves at least one key researcher based in the region.
✅ Submit all blog posts by June 1, 2025.
✅ Have their work published progressively on the W&S LinkedIn account and promoted across other platforms.
Each post will be reviewed by a technical committee member, who will act as an editor to ensure quality. Fellows will be fully credited for their work, with links to their profile or website included in each post.
Who Should Apply?
We invite applications from early-career researchers who:
- Are PhD students, postdocs or junior researchers.
- Are based in, from, or conducting field-based research in the Global South.
- Have expertise in water and society issues.
- Are passionate about science communication and eager to showcase local research contributions.
Evaluation Criteria
- Motivation & Alignment with Fellowship Goals: Clearly articulate your passion for science communication and your commitment to amplifying local expertise in the Global South.
- Quality of the Sample Blog Post: Demonstrate strong, clear, and engaging writing that effectively communicates complex ideas in an accessible manner. Ensure that blog post follows the guidelines (approx. 5,000 characters and includes 1–2 relevant images) and showcases your ability to highlight impactful research or projects.
- Priority will be given to applicants based in the Global South, with the goal of amplifying local expertise and increasing visibility for critical regional research.
- All efforts will also be made to ensure the widest possible diversity in terms of gender and focus regions
Application Process & Timeline
- 📢 Application opens: March 1, 2025
- 📅 Application deadline: April 1, 2025
- 🏆 Fellows announced: April 15, 2025✍️ Blog post submission deadline: June 1, 2025 (for selected fellows)
