The Center for Climate and Security (CCS) is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2025-2026 Gordon R. Sullivan Climate and Ecological Security Fellowship (Sullivan Fellowship). The Sullivan Fellowship is the centerpiece of CCS’s fellowship programming, and is the preeminent opportunity of its kind to forge the next generation of US practitioners at the intersection of climate change and security. It is named in honor of CCS Advisory Board Member General Gordon Sullivan, US Army (Ret.), who passed away in 2024 after a distinguished military career and was an early champion of integrating climate and environmental concerns in US national security.
The Sullivan Fellowship is an unpaid, part-time professional development program that runs for nine months (October 2025 – June 2026). Fellows attend monthly two-hour virtual sessions and complete a curriculum of reading and other work. Sessions include esteemed guest speakers, small group presentations, and structured discussions exploring different aspects of climate security, such as food and water security, climate finance and resilience, military and intelligence services, disinformation, the energy transition, and strategic competition. This year’s fellowship will be geared toward providing opportunities for young professionals affected by US federal policy changes to continue to network, learn, and develop. As such, special consideration will be given to applicants whose career development in publicly-funded research or in federal, state, or local government is affected by US federal job cuts, budget reductions, and/or policy changes.
Fellowship Details and Application Instructions
Eligibility: Applicants must be based in the United States. Have between one and five years of post-undergraduate professional experience in the field of climate change, environment, and/or national/international security. Have a proven interest in pursuing a career related to the nexus of these fields.
Attendance: Fellows must attend and actively participate in at least seven out of nine fellowship sessions to use the credential “2025-2026 Sullivan Fellow” after the program ends. Fellows should plan to be available virtually on the third Thursday of the months October 2025 – June 2026, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m ET (October 16, November 20, December 18, January 15, February 19, March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18).
Application Instructions: All applicants should complete an application form (below), which includes a 1-page resume, 1-page cover letter, and a short response (200-500 words) to the following question: “What is a security risk related to climate change that you think is underappreciated by US policymakers, and why?” Failure to adhere to length criteria will disqualify applications.
Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis, closing 5:00 p.m. ET on August 29, 2025.
CSR is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee, job applicant, subcontractor, prospective subcontractor, volunteer or prospective volunteer on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.