Urban Ocean Lab: Senior Fellows

Strengthening Urban and Coastal Climate Resilience

Overview

As coastal cities face intensifying climate impacts, many of the federal systems they rely on — for resilience, data, permitting, disaster recovery, coastal management, environmental justice, and more — are being actively dismantled, weakened, or eroded. Despite this, cities, often working alongside states and regional partners, remain the most durable and ambitious engines of climate leadership. Senior Fellows will focus on the systems, programs, and institutional conditions that shape urban climate resilience and adaptation in coastal cities.

UOL’s theory of change rests on two principles:

Local action is where climate solutions take root. Municipal and state climate leaders need support to continue advancing climate initiatives while navigating the funding, regulatory, and data gaps.
Governance systems must evolve — structurally, programmatically, and culturally — so they meaningfully support local climate leadership, even during times of political change or federal retrenchment.

Project Focus Areas

The fellowship is designed to generate visionary, strategic, and implementable ideas, tools, and pathways that strengthen coastal and urban climate resilience, supporting near-term progress while also informing longer-term systems change at the local, state and federal level. The project proposal should be grounded in real-world conditions and may focus on one or more of the following interconnected areas:

Strengthening urban climate resilience delivery under instability

Creating durable frameworks, tools, or platforms that help cities become more resilient to climate impacts, such as flooding, heat, storms, or infrastructure stress
Identifying pathways to influence climate priorities across levels of government that affect urban resilience outcomes

Reimagining governance and partnerships for coastal resilience

Designing federal–state–local or public-private partnership and coordination models that improve delivery, equity, and implementation of resilience programs
Building coalitions, networks or governance innovations that advance coastal and urban climate programs

Rebuilding climate programs and functions critical to coastal communities

Reimagining programs, authorities, or institutions that have been weakened or no longer meet the needs of coastal cities
Mapping or prototyping next-generation climate program functions such as resilient funding infrastructure, modernized data systems, or new mission areas

These examples are illustrative, not limiting. We welcome any ambitious idea that strengthens how climate programs and policies are implemented in coastal cities.

What We’re Looking For in Proposals

Please submit a 1–2 page proposal including:

1. Problem + Opportunity: A sharp, locally grounded problem statement.

What challenge are cities or coastal communities facing in advancing climate action, and how is it shaped or constrained by existing programs, systems, or policies?

2. The Idea: A compelling vision for the program, system, or delivery approach you aim to strengthen or reimagine.

What system, concept, or approach will you strengthen or redesign?
What is the intended impact, and how does it align with UOL’s strategy?
How would this work meaningfully benefit cities and frontline communities, especially in the near term?

3. Plan of Work (12 months): A clear, phased roadmap with engagement and early value creation.

A thoughtful milestones and engagement strategy, including who you would work with (e.g., cities, states, communities, agencies, networks) and how their input would shape the work
Clear proposed outputs (e.g., blueprint, prototype, roadmap, model, strategic framework)
At least one interim product or engagement milestone that could provide value to cities or partners within the first 6–9 months of the fellowship period, even as longer-term systems change continues

4. Partnerships + Impact: How the work gains traction and scales.

Cities, agencies, community organizations, or networks you expect to work with
How coastal cities or federal partners might use the product
A plausible pathway to influence, uptake, or future scaling

6. Qualifications

Why you are well-positioned to lead this work
What existing relationships you will leverage to help this work gain traction

7. Project-Related Expenses

A brief estimate of anticipated project costs (excluding compensation)

8. Additional Materials

Optional writing samples or alternate project ideas
Two references
Resume

We do not expect a full business plan — only a strong, well-reasoned idea. This fellowship is not intended to support stand-alone academic research or climate action plans unless they are clearly designed to inform or reshape how climate programs and systems function. Proposals should reflect the applicant’s own thinking, experience, and judgment. Submissions that are primarily generated by artificial intelligence tools will not be considered. We value clear, authentic articulation of ideas over polished or generic responses.

Who Should Apply

We are seeking senior climate and policy leaders who can translate real-world insight into forward-looking concepts for strengthening climate action amid evolving governance structures.

Strong candidates will bring:

Direct experience working in or with cities, states, tribal governments, or coastal communities — including local implementation, resilience planning, or community-driven climate work
Insight into how government systems affect local action, including where they succeed, where they fail and how recent federal changes impact cities and frontline communities
A track record of producing rigorous policy, strategy, or systems-level work
Creativity, independence, and strong execution ability
Ability to engage diverse partners across government, community organizations and other partners

Support Provided

Fellows will spend up to 12 months visioning answers to these questions, guided by milestones co-developed with Urban Ocean Lab to ensure relevance, rigor, and real-world applicability. The fellowship may be extended based on project needs and mutual interest. Support will include:

Up to 12 months of full-time compensation and benefits, with a salary range between $100-150K commensurate with experience
Limited funding for project-related expenses, including travel, convenings, research assistance, or technical needs
Strategic partnership and collaboration with UOL’s leadership and policy team
Connections across UOL’s network, including city leaders, federal partners, researchers, and community organizations
Visibility and amplification for fellowship outputs through UOL communications, convenings, as well as broader press and media partnerships, and public-facing events

Timeline

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a priority deadline of March 20, 2026. We aim to announce fellows selected by May 2026.

Informational Webinar

To learn more about the fellowship, join us for an informational webinar on March 5th at 1:00 PM EST, where prospective candidates can hear more about the opportunity and ask questions.

About Multiplier

Multiplier accelerates impact for innovative projects focused on protecting and fostering a healthy, sustainable, resilient and equitable world. At Multiplier, program teams can turn game-changing ideas into planet-saving impact, and they can do it faster and better than they otherwise could.

Multiplier celebrates diversity and is committed to building teams and partnerships that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Multiplier is also committed to providing an environment of mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment. Multiplier prohibits discrimination in its governance, programs, and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, marital status, amnesty, status as a covered veteran, because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from public assistance, or for any other factor that is not based on merit.

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