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Environmental Justice Scholars Program
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Program Goal Program Details Scholar Eligibility Applicant Information Questions? Upcoming Events Participating ICOs Contacts
Program Goal
The Environmental Justice (EJ) Scholars Program invites EJ expertise, knowledge, and skills from research scholars, academics, public health and health care professionals, and EJ leaders from community-based organizations to work with staff members at various NIH ICOs.
The EJ Scholars Program aims to:
- Build NIH capacity to advance EJ-related research, programs, and other NIH ICO projects.
- Increase staff and community awareness and skills to address EJ issues.
- Grow and strengthen the NIH network of EJ resource experts.
- Contribute to NIH goals to support underserved and under resourced communities.
The 2024-2025 application cycle for the first cohort is now open! View the NIH EJ Scholars Application Instructions for more information about how to apply and the NIH Institute, Center, and Office (ICO) interest statements to learn more about ICO interest areas.
Program Details
Environmental Justice scholars will be hosted by one or more NIH Institute, Center, or Office (ICO). During the program period, EJ scholars will collaborate with NIH staff on one or more research, education, or training relevant activities, contributing to the wider NIH community (see below). EJ scholars may partner with NIH intramural and/or extramural (grant funded) scientists on projects of shared interests.
Scholars are expected to dedicate up to 25% of their time for up to 10 months to support and collaborate with their host ICO(s). Scholars will work virtually, unless otherwise agreed upon with their host ICO(s). The scholar will work with the host ICO on the structure and terms of their work plan prior to position commencement.
Project Topics and Activities
Depending on ICO needs, scholars may support projects related to EJ topics such as:
- Climate change and climate justice.
- Diet, nutrition, and food justice.
- Mental health consequences of environmental exposures.
- Land use and transportation.
- Energy extraction and energy justice.
- Maternal and child health, pregnancy outcomes.
- Community engaged research approaches.
- Air quality, water pollution, and other environmental exposures.
- Environmental impacts across the life course.
- Interplay of environmental exposure, social determinants of health, and health disparities.
- Translating, communicating, and disseminating research findings to different audiences in culturally appropriate modalities.
Scholars will support their host efforts on a range of activities that may fall within the following areas:
Education and Training
- Host internal and external seminars
- Develop training workshops, courses, and modules
- Inform environmental health and EJ working groups
Public Engagement
- Develop infographics and other gray literature material
- Present at conferences
- Write journal articles
- Write opinion pieces, commentaries, and blog posts
- Speak at NIH-wide and IC-specific webinars
Data Collection, Analysis, and Utilization
- Establish or inform dataset workbooks
- Conduct portfolio analyses
- Write white papers and reports
- Write manuscripts
- Provide consultations
Scholar Eligibility
U.S.‐based or international mid‐career to senior scientist candidates and environmental justice community leaders from academic, non‐profit, or private sectors are eligible to apply. Candidates should have a strong publication record in environmental justice and related health sciences (may include gray literature, such as infographics, podcasts, curriculum, policy statements, or training materials).
- This program is not a postdoctoral training program.
- Candidates do not need to have an NIH funding record.
- U.S. citizenship is not required.
- Former EJ Scholars Program participants are ineligible for a second period of support.
The program is open to recognized leaders in environmental justice from the following groups:
- Academic and research institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions.
- Community, advocacy, charitable, and faith-based organizations.
- Health care and public health organizations.
- Tribal, state, and local government offices.
Scholars should have demonstrated expertise in EJ areas that may include, but are not limited to:
- Behavioral and social sciences research
- Community engagement and partnerships
- Community organizing
- Community-led and Tribal-led research/community science
- Data mapping/visualization
- Disaster response and research.
- Environmental exposure and risk assessment
- Intervention strategies
- Traditional ecological knowledge/Indigenous knowledge
- Community health work and training
- Policy development and engagement
- Translational research
- Implementation Science
- Workforce training and development
- Women’s health research
- Inclusive health education and research
- Migrant/immigrant health and research
- Communication research
- Youth EJ Leadership training
Applicant information
The 2024-2025 EJ Scholars Program application is now open! Please submit your application package to ejscholars@nih.gov by Friday, October 11th, 2024, at 11:59 PM EDT.
- For more information about how to apply, view the application instructions.
- To learn more about ICO interests, see the ICO interest statements. Applicants are encouraged to review the statements before applying. Please note that the list of interested ICOs included in the document is not exhaustive.
- Informational Webinar Material - Friday, September 13, 2024, at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
- Webinar Recording - coming soon!
- Slide Deck
Questions?
Please email: ejscholars@nih.gov.
Upcoming Events
Participating NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices
The following NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICO) have expressed interest in recruiting an EJ Scholar (see interest statements for more information about ICO interests).
EJ Scholars Program Points of Contact
This page last reviewed on September 19, 2024