Sustainable Futures Fellows
Imagining and Implementing Sustainable Solutions for Society
About the Sustainable Futures Fellows Program
Tackle Sustainability Challenges. Shape A Sustainable Future.
NC State students eager to imagine, explore and develop sustainable solutions are encouraged to apply to the Sustainable Futures Fellows program. Through the redesign of the United Parcel Service (UPS) Foundation Endowment agreement between the UPS Foundation and NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education, the Sustainable Futures Fellows program engages interdisciplinary student teams in a unique 15-week exploration of the sustainability challenges and opportunities across key sectors of the economy, such as energy, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, transportation and more.
This year, we are asking teams to explore the short, medium and long term futures of one of these sectors (10, 50, 100 years). Working with their faculty mentors, teams should envision, explore and analyze the opportunities for their selected sector, as well as the research, education and collaboration elements necessary to achieve the best of those futures.
Eligibility
- Full-time undergraduate or graduate students pursuing any course of study.
- Open to national and international students.
- Students applying as interdisciplinary teams of four, with at least two of NC State’s academic colleges represented on each team.
Reasons to Apply
Sustainable Futures Fellows will receive a number of benefits:
- Join a community of futures thinkers
- Build skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, interdisciplinary team building, and collaborative work
- Receive a $1,600 scholarship stipend for the Spring semester
- Apply for supplemental summer funding to continue work through research or experiential opportunities
- Under the guidance of a mentor, explore the sustainability challenges and opportunities across key sectors of the economy
Program Requirements
During the spring semester, all teams will:
- Meet with their faculty mentor*
- Attend the kickoff event and orientation (January 2026)
- Attend Envisioning Urban Futures (March 2027)
- Complete a Futures thinking workshop hosted by the Long View Project
- Attend biweekly SFF cohort meetings
- Present their work at NC State’s Celebration of Sustainability event (April 2027)
- Submit a final report and/or product (May 2027)
*Fellows are expected to work in their teams for five hours each week, receiving a $1,600 stipend for the semester. The stipend is classified as financial aid and students are required to enroll in direct deposit. International students must also complete a tax assessment to receive payment.
Program Timeline
- Applications Open: September 30, 2026
- Application Deadline: November 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Acceptance Letters: November 20, 2026
- Program Begins: January 11, 2027
- Program Ends: April 27, 2027
Selection Process
- This year, we will only accept student applications as complete four-person teams.
- A team letter of support from a faculty mentor committing to serve as the team mentor is strongly encouraged, but not required as part of the application process. At minimum, teams should include the name(s) of potential faculty members who may have expertise in the area the team seeks to explore on their application.
Faculty Mentors
Each team must have a faculty mentor, who will receive a $2,000 stipend for the semester. Teams are strongly encouraged to reach out to faculty mentors before the application deadline and include a letter of support from the faculty. Faculty members who have an interest in serving as a mentor are welcome to email Dawn Rodriguez-Ward (dtward2@ncsu.edu) about potentially being matched with a team.
Interested in learning more?
Click here to watch our 45-minute information session. Passcode: sYgw.*3h
Reach out to Dawn Rodriguez-Ward (dtward2@ncsu.edu) with any questions.
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