Implementation and Evaluation Fellowship in Climate Change and Health

In guiding fellows through the design and execution of projects that use implementation science to evaluate or improve uptake of evidence-informed climate and health adaptation strategies, the program aims to:

• Increase the knowledge and skills in implementation science research methods amongst academicians and practice partners who are interested in pursuing climate and health research in public health, healthcare, and/or community settings;
• Assess contextual determinants, successful implementation strategies, and/or implementation outcomes of evidence-informed climate and health adaptations; 
• Facilitate the use of implementation science in climate and health and uptake of climate and health research findings in public health practice, and;
• Convene an implementation science community of practice in climate and health adaptation in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon region.

Teams of 2-3 fellows will be accepted into the program.

Individuals who are early-career practitioners or researchers and/or new to the implementation science field are encouraged to apply. 

Applying teams must meet the following requirements:

1. Each team must have two to three fellows.
2. Each team must include at least one academic and one practice partner.

• Academic partners may include academicians from the University of Washington or other academic institutions who are PI-eligible at their universities. Criteria for PI eligibility status may vary by university.
• Practice partners are those who have direct responsibility for implementing a climate and health-related program or intervention. Practitioners may work for state or local public health agencies, other relevant government agencies, Tribes, healthcare organizations, and/or community-based organizations. Clinicians affiliated with a university system can qualify as a practice partner if they are responsible for implementing a climate and health-related program or intervention.

3. All applicants must be engaged in research and/or practice related to public health and/or healthcare at the time of their application. 
4. Applicants must conduct their project within one or more of the following states: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, or Oregon. The practice partner must be based within one of these states, and the research partner can be based either within or outside the region. 
5. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in implementation science and climate change and health by proposing a project that uses implementation science to assess and/or advance a climate and health-related program or intervention. Prior knowledge or experience with implementation science or climate change is not required.

For questions about eligibility, contact claremc@uw.edu.

Each fellow team receives:

• A total of $60,000 for project implementation (teams are eligible to apply for additional funding if their project includes a community engagement component)
• Covered participant fees and travel costs for the Implementation Science in Global Health Summer Institute in August 2026 and August 2027
• Mentorship and technical assistance on projects from the University of Washington faculty

Anticipated deliverables include:

• Project report
• Presentation with external partners
• One-page summary document
• Potential additional deliverables, depending on project aims and partner desires

Fellow teams are encouraged to include a community engagement component in their projects. 

Community engagement is “the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people” (CDC, 1997; Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, n.d.). 

Fellows teams that include a community engagement component in their projects are eligible to apply for an additional $5,000-$10,000 in funding to support their community engagement activities. In addition, teams that include a community engagement component are provided with consultation and technical assistance from the REACH Community Engagement Core. The Community Engagement Toolkit for Climate and Health Research, created by the REACH Center Community Engagement Core, includes resources such as guiding principles for community engagement, a decision tree for the community engagement continuum, and a list of potential community engagement activities. Applicants may reference the toolkit as a resource while completing this section of the application.

• October 1 - November 28: The program application is open.
  • Tuesday, October 28 and Tuesday, November 4: The REACH team hosts optional office hours for applicants. Register for October 28 (3:00-4:30 pm Pacific Time) office hours here, and register for November 4 (1:30-3:00 pm Pacific Time) office hours here.
• January 2026: Applicants are notified of their status.
• February 2026 - August 2027: The Fellowship runs, with monthly virtual meetings.
  • August 2026: Fellows attend the Fundamentals Track of the Implementation Science in Global Health Summer Institute.
  • August 2027: Fellows attend the Advanced Track of the Implementation Science in Global Health Summer Institute

Q: How do I apply to the fellowship?

A: Download the Word document attached at the top of this webpage, complete it with your team, and email the completed document as a Word document or PDF to claremc@uw.edu by 5 pm Pacific Time on November 28.

Q: What are the selection criteria?

A: The REACH team will review applications in December. Selection criteria include:

• Applicants’ foundational knowledge/experience related to the project;
• The potential for applicants’ professional development and contribution to the regional workforce capacity in implementation science;
• The potential impact of the proposed project, including benefits to the intended audience, translation of a climate and health adaptation strategy into practice, and contribution to generalizable knowledge of implementation science methods applied in a climate and health context;
• And the feasibility of the proposed project, given the outlined budget and timeline.

Q: What projects are appropriate for the fellowship?

A: Fellows’ projects must use implementation science to evaluate or improve uptake of an evidence-informed climate and health adaptation strategy. This may include assessing the implementation determinants, strategies, or outcomes of a planned, ongoing, or already implemented climate and health-related project or program. Examples of potential projects are as follows. Potential projects are not limited to this list.

• Studying the distribution of modified box fans in a rural community, to be used as low-cost air filters to reduce indoor exposure to wildfire smoke. 
• Studying the use of an electronic medical record (EMR) system to identify patients at risk for health impacts from extreme heat and the development of a targeted early warning system to inform patients and caregivers of extreme heat events.
• Studying the implementation of a network of public cooling centers to provide residents without air conditioning with a place to shelter during extreme heat events.

Q: Can students apply to the fellowship?

A: Full-time students are not eligible to apply for the fellowship. Any individuals with PI eligibility at their institutions are eligible and encouraged to apply as academic partners. Please direct any questions about fellow eligibility to claremc@uw.edu. 

Q: I do not live in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, or Oregon. Am I eligible to apply to the Fellowship?

A: Fellowship projects must be conducted in one or more of these states, and practice partners must be based within one of these states. Research partners may be based outside of these states, as long as their practice partner and project are based within the states. Please direct any questions about fellow eligibility to claremc@uw.edu.

Q: Will there be an opportunity for prospective applicants to network and connect with others looking for a project team?

A: If you are a prospective applicant seeking an academic or practice partner, email claremc@uw.edu, and we will let you know if we hear of other applicants seeking partners. However, the responsibility of identifying a partner falls on the applicant – we cannot guarantee that we will be able to connect you with a partner applicant.

Program Faculty:

• Nicole Errett, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington 
• Kenneth Sherr, Department of Global Health, Department of Epidemiology, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Washington
• Stefan Wheat, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington
• Jeremy Hess, Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Global Health, Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington

Program Staff:

• Clare McCarthy, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington
• Amber Khan, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington
• Sarah Fellbaum, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington