King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme: Climate Resilience Fellowships – Apply Before 19 November 2025
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the world’s oldest international university network established in 1913, continues its legacy of advancing global collaboration through the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme Climate Resilience Fellowships. Inspired by His Majesty King Charles III, the programme aims to equip mid-career professionals across Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) with practical expertise in climate adaptation. These fellowships are designed to strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and support climate-responsive development in some of the world’s most vulnerable nations.
Supporting Climate Adaptation Across the Commonwealth
Commonwealth SIDS face enormous and escalating challenges brought on by climate change, including intensified storms, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and socio-economic disruptions. The fellowship seeks to address these pressures by empowering professionals who work at the frontlines of climate adaptation within government, civil society, and the private sector.
Building long-term resilience requires practical, community-centred solutions rooted in scientific understanding, cultural knowledge, and collaborative leadership. The programme therefore focuses on strengthening participants’ capacity to design, implement, and scale adaptation strategies that meet the specific needs of their national contexts.
Fellowship Objectives
The fellowship aims to promote climate adaptation through four central objectives:
- Strengthening the skills and leadership capacity of mid-career professionals working in climate adaptation roles within SIDS.
- Establishing a collaborative platform where solutions to climate-related challenges can be tested, refined, and implemented.
- Building an international, cross-sectoral network of climate adaptation professionals to foster shared learning and joint action.
- Ensuring adaptation strategies are inclusive, gender-responsive, and considerate of local and Indigenous knowledge systems.
These goals reflect the ACU’s commitment to supporting sustainable development through education, capacity building, and global cooperation.
What the Fellowship Includes
Participants will benefit from a fully funded, one-year blended professional development programme supported by expert mentors and facilitators. Core elements include:
- An 18-week online training course (February–July 2026) comprising live workshops, self-study modules, and assignments covering:
- Climate literacy
- Inter-sectoral collaboration
- Policy influence
- Climate finance
- A five-day residential workshop in Fiji (August 2026), providing hands-on learning, peer collaboration, and exposure to regional adaptation practices.
- A five-month workplace-based applied learning project (August–December 2026), enabling fellows to apply their new knowledge directly within their professional contexts.
- Access to a virtual Community of Practice, offering ongoing knowledge sharing, collective problem-solving, and opportunities for continued collaboration.
Participants will complete the fellowship while maintaining their employment, allowing them to think critically about real-world climate challenges and implement new approaches immediately. The ACU is also working towards formal accreditation, with the goal of awarding a Postgraduate Certificate upon completion.
Eligibility Criteria
The programme is open to mid-career professionals with 5–15 years of experience (or equivalent) in climate adaptation practice. Applicants must demonstrate a long-term career vision, with an anticipated 10–20 years of progressive responsibility in the field.
Additional eligibility requirements include:
- Employment at an organisation registered in an eligible country, with a contract valid until at least February 2027.
- Citizenship or refugee status in an eligible SIDS.
- Permanent residency in one of the eligible countries.
Eligible countries include:
- Africa: Mauritius, Seychelles
- Asia: Maldives
- Caribbean and Americas: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
- Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Application Process
Applications for the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme Climate Resilience Fellowships are now open and will close at 13:00 UTC on Wednesday, 19 November 2025.
Applicants employed at ACU member universities should apply directly via the designated ACU portal. Those not employed at a member institution must first create a MyACU account before submitting their application. All applicants are strongly encouraged to read the FAQs and application guidance before beginning.
The ACU also provides access to experienced trainers who guide fellows through the full duration of the programme, offering mentorship and sector-specific expertise.
A Commitment to Global Climate Resilience
Through this fellowship, the ACU reinforces its commitment to supporting communities most affected by climate change. By equipping professionals from SIDS with advanced skills, international networks, and adaptive leadership tools, the programme aims to spark immediate action while building long-term capacity for climate-resilient development.
The initiative reflects the ACU’s broader mission: strengthening higher education, advancing global cooperation, and empowering leaders to shape a sustainable future for all Commonwealth nations.
VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE HERE
For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram
Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the fellowship organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
