ELEVATE: Elevating Equity Values in the Transition of the Energy System in the face of climate change

The School of Earth & Sustainability (SES) is excited to announce ELEVATE, a new PhD fellowship program supported by the National Science Foundation. ELEVATE is led by the College of Engineering, and was created in partnership with SES and colleagues from across campus to train the next generation of leaders in solving the planning, climate change, equity, and technical challenges in the transition to renewable energy sources. The program includes a core course based on an electricity market simulation game, training in leadership and public engagement, and interaction with communities and stakeholders. Students conduct research that is rooted in their own discipline and bridges knowledge to other fields through transdisciplinary collaboration with students and faculty from diverse departments. ELEVATE is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment. Equity is a core tenet of the program, both as a research topic and a principle of program management.

ELEVATE students will conduct research at the intersection of climate science, social equity, energy economics and policy, and electricity technology. They will produce resilient and equity-driven innovations, while also developing effective leadership, communication, and engagement skills. Through strategic partnerships with stakeholders and organizations on the front lines of climate resilience and the energy transition, the program will develop a collaborative community to find optimal energy solutions with local to global-scale benefits. Example projects include the use of future climate simulations and energy equity metrics to support robust decision making for long-term planning of electricity infrastructure, and community co-design of policies to enhance energy resilience of low-income and marginalized communities.

Participating Departments and Programs

The ELEVATE Program recruits from departments and graduate programs within SES and across the university, including:

SES departments

  • Environmental Conservation
  • Geosciences
  • Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning

Other participating departments

  • Anthropology
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Resource Economics
  • ...and more!

The application period for ELEVATE is now closed.

More Information

For more information about ELEVATE, please visit the program website.