Science Fellow (Grant Funded)

Union of Concerned Scientists•Berkeley, CA

3h•$109,232•Remote

About The Position

Under the direction of the Climate Science Director, the Science Fellow will conduct research and analysis and expert representation in support of two foundations that are grant-funded and term-limited projects. The first project housed in the Western States Program explores questions at the intersection of just land transitions, clean energy transitions, and climate resilience, primarily in California’s Central Valley. The second focuses on a climate-resilient grid in collaboration with the Climate and Energy Program transmission team’s science-based advocacy for grid infrastructure planning and investments. The ideal candidate will have strong training in applied climate science, with interdisciplinary knowledge and experience in clean energy and power sector infrastructure and markets. The fellow will have explicit responsibilities for both projects, with on average 50% of the time spent on each, which will vary as project timelines demand. The Fellow will also be expected to communicate their learnings and findings and advocate for technology and policy solutions to build broader knowledge and support for a climate-resilient grid, in the context of California’s just land transitions. In sum, this position carries out research including publishing in peer-review journals, and aids in background research, planning, and works collaboratively with coalition and grassroots partners, as project scope demands. UCS employees center their work on UCS’s core values, including racial equity and environmental justice. They work collaboratively to ensure the effective operations of the program/department, center anti-racism and equity in internal and external work, and foster a welcoming, inclusive, and transparent environment where all staff can thrive and grow.

Requirements

A Ph.D. in a climate science or energy systems-related field. A broad and in-depth knowledge of climate change and its impacts on energy systems, and familiarity with generation (especially renewable) and transmission systems, including benefits and negative side effects, and how energy projects intersect with land use decisions.
Strong research skills, experience in designing and carrying out transdisciplinary scientific research and analysis, and ability to identify key policy-relevant questions, ability to write and speak clearly for technical, policy, and non-technical audiences.
Systems thinker,i.e., ability to think at the systems level, integrating the perspectives of all the multiple interested parties, with the capacity to work across engineering, physical sciences, and social science approaches.
Strong communication, relationship-building, and teamwork skills, i.e., preference for a team-science approach to work.
Mission-driven with a demonstrated interest in principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, especially as it relates to the fields of science and advocacy. Includes an understanding of procedural equity, distributional impacts, and grassroots organizing, and the ability to accommodate local needs and perspectives into large-scale projects.
Experience working in or for or navigating Federal, state, or local regulatory and decision spaces is critical to being an effective team member on both projects.
Current research collaborations and other successful expert engagements within the scientific community are important.

Nice To Haves

Preference for experience with underserved communities and with co-created projects that center community decision- making.
Preference for the ability to work with frontline communities and being able to learn from and integrate local knowledge and lived experience.

Responsibilities

Contribute to future project scoping in coordination with Just Land Transition allies and aligned with UCS's recent Roadmap (outlining guiding principles and recommendations), to advance UCS's clean energy, water sustainability, and equity goals by driving a community-centered vision of agricultural land transition in the Central Valley.
Provide analytical and project support as needed as part of ongoing Western States program projects, e.g.,a co-developed community needs assessment for just land transitions with UCS's Western States program NGO partner.
Work closely with the Western States Energy team to evaluate the climate resilience of California grid planning and investment decision processes and support team engagement with the California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees these. This may include evaluating existing transmission systems and busbar mapping processes (mapping electricity generation or storage resources to the transmission system), to assess the extent to which they plan for climate change. With the team, make recommendations for improvements and identify lessons learned from beyond California as appropriate.
Work closely with C&E's Associate Director, Transmission Policy to support UCS interventions at relevant regional transmission operators (e.g. Midcontinent Independent System Operator or MISO) and MISO's external consultation processes to advocate for the best available climate science and advanced climate modeling tools to be integrated into MISO and state-led long-term planning processes and to create a consistent and informed drumbeat of advocacy within MISO spaces for more transparent, science-driven climate risk assessments and climate informed planning processes.
With UCS staff, lead/design a set of expert dialogue convenings that bring leading climate and energy researchers together with grid practitioners and key influencers (e.g., NGOs, state commissioners, etc.) for shared learning across Independent System Operators/RTOs, e.g., how did California's CPUC adopt the most comprehensive climate decision-making framework? What lessons are transferable to MISO or other states?
Work closely with a set of convened experts to develop targeted recommendations that can be filtered up by the public and advocates at key decision points along MISO's Long Range Transmission Planning processes and relevant state proceedings.
Support UCS development of policy recommendations and education for policymakers, experts, and the public.
Provide expert contributions, review, and support for energy team colleagues engaging in utility commission dockets around climate risk and vulnerability.
Conduct an independent research project aiming for at least one peer review article submission by end of fellowship term, co-authored with UCS and external collaborators as appropriate. This may focus on community benefit agreement best practices in the just land transition domain, to co-develop policy recommendations for public funding agencies investing in land transition projects.
The fellow will uphold principles of scientific excellence (e.g., regarding plagiarism, conflicts of interest, intellectual property and copyright, data governance and archiving, use of artificial intelligence), and in support of programmatic goals will ensure accuracy, credibility, readability, and timeliness of all authored material.
Represent UCS, its values, and positions in coalitions, conferences, workshops, stakeholder negotiations, testimony, and congressional hearings, national and state regulatory commissions, legislative committees, other government agencies and commissions, market operators, and other key forums, including the development of testimony, letters, and technical comments for legislative and regulatory proceedings.
Influence the development and implementation of policies and strategies within government and nongovernment institutions to advance UCS goals; collaborate with campaign and legislative staff to develop and effectively promote UCS-supported positions with senior government officials, legislators, regulators, opinion leaders, stakeholders, non-traditional allies, coalition partners, public, and media representatives at local, state, regional, and national levels.
Establish and maintain alliances with advocates, other organizations, community leaders, businesses, academics, and researchers, including regulatory and legislative staff and governmental agencies, to exchange information, provide technical information/education and guidance, share resources, advance shared objectives, engage in collaborative projects, and participate in coalitions.
Represent UCS in the media, traditional and social; work with UCS Communications staff to identify key media opportunities, help draft materials, and serve as direct contact to the media, including providing rapid response to relevant media requests as opportunities arise.
Report research results and recommend research directions in oral and written form to experts, public, media, and decision makers.
Serve as an internal resource to expand UCS staff expertise and visibility. Share research and insights with UCS staff and collaborate on understanding and applying that research to advancing UCS's strategic priorities.
Present work to scientific, advocacy, coalition, and community partners, including across disciplinary lines.
A strategy for project goals: write blog posts for UCS's blog, The Equation.
Act as a UCS spokesperson for UCS's climate resilient grid work, including contributing to webinars, training, or fielding media requests with short deadlines.
Work with UCS staff to ensure that the projects' public-facing materials and talking points are scientifically robust, clearly communicated, and compelling.