Nominations are now open for fellows to contribute to the second global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Interested early-career individuals with academic and/or professional experience in relevant fields are invited to apply by 28 March 2025.
Please note that only candidates nominated by a Government or organization will be considered.
The IPBES Fellowship Programme
The IPBES fellowship programme provides an opportunity for outstanding early-career individuals from all backgrounds and disciplines working on biodiversity and ecosystem services to participate in IPBES assessments. The fellows gain first-hand experience in participating in major multidisciplinary scientific assessments while working with, and being mentored by, leading experts. The programme is an integral part of IPBES’ work on capacity-building, and aims to develop the capacities of fellows in undertaking assessments, thus creating a pool of experts suited for contributing to future assessments and promoting the work of IPBES in their home countries and institutions.
Benefits of being an IPBES fellow
Fellows selected to take part in the programme will participate in the production of one of the chapters of their assessment, taking part in author and chapter meetings alongside other experts undertaking the assessment. Fellows will also be invited to participate in capacity-building workshops bringing together fellows across all ongoing assessments to share experiences and learn about key cross-cutting and assessment specific topics.
Being an IPBES fellow means being part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural group of outstanding early-career individuals that share the ambition to contribute to improving the science-policy interface of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Through the programme, fellows:
- Get hands-on experience in working in multidisciplinary teams to produce major scientific assessments
- Work with, learn from, and get to know internationally leading experts from all over the world
- Learn about the interface between science and policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Receive training and mentoring
- Connect with other outstanding early-career experts
- Expand their social and professional network
- Get the opportunity to participate in joint projects and publications
What is the role and responsibility of fellows within an assessment?
- Fellows are an integral part of the IPBES assessment chapters and they collaborate with the coordinating lead authors (CLAs) and lead authors (LAs) in developing sections or parts of the chapters
- Fellows receive training to gain in-depth understanding of the IPBES assessment process
- Fellows will be paired up with a mentor for the assessment period
- Fellows are expected to participate in the author meetings and training workshops
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Mentorship
As part of the programme, fellows are paired up with a senior expert in their assessment that will act as a mentor for the fellow for the duration of their fellowship. There are no limits on the content of the collaboration between mentors and fellows, and there are a number of examples of fellows and mentors working together on joint projects, publications, and funding applications beyond the scope of their collaboration under the IPBES assessment.
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Benefits of hosting an IPBES fellow
The fellowship programme is a great opportunity for organisations to contribute to the work of IPBES. Institutions hosting IPBES fellows directly support the implementation of the IPBES work programme by allowing the fellows to spend up to 15% of their working time on IPBES. The programme also offers an excellent opportunity for organisations seeking to strengthen the capacities of their early-career experts/researchers in working on international biodiversity assessments and contributing to intergovernmental policy processes.
Institutions and organisations that are interested in supporting the fellowship programme can do so by:
- Nominating their outstanding early-career experts/researchers to participate in IPBES as fellows in response to calls made by the secretariat
- Supporting fellows’ participation in meetings and workshops; and
- Arranging or supporting activities, in collaboration or dialogue with the capacity-building task force, for fellows or alumni
IPBES Fellowship Alumni Network
The IPBES Fellowship Alumni are an important resource for IPBES, both as a pool of experts for upcoming assessments, mentors, and resource persons for new cohorts of fellows, and as ambassadors for IPBES in their local institutions and countries.
Represented in all UN regions, the IPBES Fellowship Alumni represent a community of practice, working together to mobilize resources and expertise to develop cross-cultural collaborations and support IPBES’s mission to strengthen knowledge foundations for better policy through science for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being, and sustainable development.
Support
The fellowship programme is an unpaid scheme in which selected fellows are expected to work pro bono, as all other IPBES experts. Expenses for attending selected meetings will be covered for fellows from developing countries and countries with economies in transition in accordance with UN rules. Fellows from developed countries are expected to cover their own expenses and are encouraged to seek support from their home institutions.
Nomination and selection process
You can read about the process for nomination and selection of IPBES fellows in this document.
Deadline is 28 March 2025.