The KCFP Climate Resilience Fellowships offer a one-year professional development program for frontline climate adaptation professionals. The ACU is seeking academic supervisors and professional mentors to support those completing this Fellowship.
The King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme Climate Resilience Fellowships, inspired by His Majesty King Charles III, will provide professionals working on the frontline of climate adaptation from across the public sector, civil society, and the private sector in Commonwealth SIDS with an accredited one-year professional development programme focused on climate adaptation practice.
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is seeking academic supervisors and professional mentors to support Fellows completing a practical, workplace-based applied project as part of a postgraduate certificate in climate adaptation practice in Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The postgraduate certification is being delivered as part of the KCFP.
Academic supervisors will be university-based climate adaptation-focused academics. Professional mentors will be leaders within NGOs, government agencies, or private organisations working within climate adaptation practice.
The supervisors and mentors will support high quality, student-led climate adaptation projects in Commonwealth SIDS by providing expert guidance, ensuring alignment with National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and flagging potential risks, ultimately helping students to design and deliver locally relevant solutions that strengthen resilience to climate impacts.
Eligibility
The ACU reserves the right to request evidence of employment status, if appropriate and necessary to do so.
The ACU is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
Supervisors
To be eligible for this post as an academic supervisor you must be employed at an ACU member university.
The ideal candidate should have a research background in the following categories or similar:
• Climate science
• Adaptation planning
• Environmental policy
• Earth and environmental sciences
• Disaster risk reduction
• Renewable energy
• Community-based adaptation
If you are interested in being a supervisor learn more here.
Mentors
To be eligible as a professional mentor, you must be an employee of a registered organisation or registered as self-employed. Ideal mentors should combine geographic and cultural insight, technical expertise, and practical experience and place-based expertise. For example:
Practitioners - professionals from NGOs or government agencies implementing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs); private sector leaders in sustainable agriculture, water security, or green infrastructure.
Local and indigenous - community leaders or elders with expertise in traditional resource management, coastal resilience, and nature-based solutions; representatives from indigenous organisations active in climate advocacy.
Cross cutting profiles - community leaders or elders with expertise in traditional resource management, coastal resilience, and nature-based solutions; representatives from indigenous organisations active in climate advocacy.
If you are interested in being a mentor learn more here.
Funding
Successful applicants will receive an honorarium of up to GBP 200.
Timeline and scope of work
Element |
Activity |
Method |
Estimated time input |
|---|---|---|---|
|
April 2026 Introductions and relationship building |
Getting to know each other Initial project idea(s) |
Online meeting | 60 minutes |
|
May-August 2026 |
Providing guidance and feedback to student to ensure high quality project plan Ensuring alignment of project plan to existing national adaptation plans Providing suggestions of stakeholders to engage |
Document review 15-minute online drop-in sessions |
120 minutes 30 minutes (2 x 15 minute sessions) |
|
September-December 2026 Project delivery |
Provide advice as necessary during | 15-minute online drop-in sessions | 15 mins x 4 (60 mins) |
|
December 2026-January 2027 Project reporting |
Providing guidance and feedback to student to ensure high quality project report |
Document review 15-minute online drop-in sessions |
120 minutes 30 minutes (2 x 15 minute sessions) |
A total of 7 hours per student will be required per student throughout entire duration of the Fellowship.
Applicants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the application requirements before starting the application form.
Applications must be submitted by 15:00 UTC on 26 March 2026.
Shortlisted applicants will be asked to participate in a remote interview via a virtual meeting platform in April 2026.
