Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be prospective 1st-year PhD students at Johns Hopkins University with a specific interest in the Center for a Livable Future (CLF)-Lerner Fellowship Program’s Steve Wing Track as outlined below.

Application Deadline: Application materials must be received by Thursday, February 6th, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Interview Dates: Mid-February 2025 (Specifics TBD)

Interview Location: Online via Zoom

Anticipated Date of Selection Decision Notification: Late February 2025

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2025-26 Fellowship Application Focus: Steve Wing Track

For this application cycle, CLF is only accepting applications for the fellowship’s Steve Wing Track, honoring the pioneering epidemiologist and professor Steve Wing (1952–2016). The focus of Dr. Wing’s work was environmental justice and public health, including the impacts of industrial food animal production on rural communities. He collaborated with these communities to gather evidence, advocate for justice, and amplify the voices of those most impacted.

In this spirit, a CLF-Lerner fellow in the Steve Wing track will adopt a community-based participatory research approach to address the environmental justice and public health implications of industrial food animal production. Applicants should express dedication to advancing environmental justice through community-based participatory research (CBPR) and/or similar collaborative research approaches in the context of industrial food animal production. Competitive applicants will demonstrate an interest in a career in community-engaged research and practice.

About the CLF-Lerner Fellowship

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) announces the 2025-26 application cycle for the Center for a Livable Future-Lerner Fellowship Program. Established in 2003, the CLF-Lerner Fellowship supports PhD students at the Johns Hopkins University who are committed to the discovery and/or application of knowledge about public health challenges associated with current food systems, and helping build healthy, just, equitable, and sustainable food systems. CLF-Lerner Fellows receive up to four years of full tuition support[1], stipend, individual health insurance coverage, and coverage of the yearly health clinic and one-time matriculation fees. Fellows may also be eligible to apply for additional support for thesis research activities after passing their school-wide preliminary oral examination.

A key component of the CLF-Lerner Fellowship Program is a series of “co-curricular” activities involving the cohort of fellows each year. These include opportunities to meet with CLF staff and visiting experts, participation in CLF program activities, and attendance at CLF-sponsored lectures and seminars. The co-curricular activities provide opportunities to learn about food system issues, improve translational research skills, cultivate community and camaraderie among fellows, learn from one another’s research experiences, and expand professional networks. Competitive applications should highlight a desire to participate in and lead these important co-curricular activities. Strong preference will be given to applicants who will be in residence in the Baltimore area during all or most of the duration of their doctoral studies.    

Each fellow will have the opportunity to explore and develop collaborative activities with CLF program staff to share expertise with the public, community-based organizations, and/or policymakers. Fellows and fellowship alumni may also serve as a scientific resource to CLF program staff and be invited to attend meetings or events on behalf of CLF. Fellows are recommended to take food system classes taught by CLF staff members and JHU faculty—and to complete the Certificate in Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health.

Evaluation and Selection of Fellows

Applicants will be considered for the CLF-Lerner fellowship within the context of multiple factors and criteria, including the content of a personal statement, relevance of the research interests to the stated purpose of the Steve Wing Track, academic merit and achievement, the fellowship interview, life experience, and recommendation letters.

Application Instructions

Applicants must compile items 1-4 below into a single PDF file before submission. In order to be considered for the CLF-Lerner Fellowship, all application materials must be received by CLF via email attachment by 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 6, 2025. Please use the following subject line in your email: “CLF-Lerner Fellowship Application: LAST NAME.

1. Cover sheet providing the following information (one page): 
   1. Applicant’s name and full contact information (address, phone number & email)
   2. Anticipated PhD program/department
   3. Eight or fewer keywords to describe your main areas of interest (e.g., industrial food animal production)
   4. Names of JHU faculty you hope to work with/be advised by
2. Personal statement (no more than three pages)   
   Applicants are required to submit a personal statement that articulates their (1) research interests and alignment with the Steve Wing Track (as described above); (2) dedication to advancing health equity through an inclusion, diversity, anti-racism, and equity (IDARE) framework; (3) career goals; and (4) research skills, relevant experience, and hopes for gaining additional skills or knowledge through the PhD program. Prior experiences working with community-based participatory research partner(s), community organizations and/or stakeholders working to address environmental justice issues related to industrial food animal production are highly desirable. The personal statement should be double-spaced with 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Please indicate the applicant’s last name in the upper right header of each page.
3. Transcripts:
   Applicants must submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. (Official transcripts may be requested later.)
4. Curriculum Vitae or resume:
   Applicants must include an updated curriculum vitae or resume.
5. Letters of recommendation: 
   Applications should include two letters of recommendation outlining the applicant’s suitability for the fellowship. Letters of recommendation must be sent directly by the recommenders to Phil McNab (pmcnab1@jhu.edu). (Applicants should NOT be copied on this email.) Letters of recommendation are also due Thursday, February 6, 2025 by 5 p.m. EST.

If applicable, one of the letters of recommendation may be provided by a community partner organization. This letter can highlight the applicant’s prior experience and/or future potential to advance community-based research addressing environmental justice and public health concerns related to industrial food animal production. While strongly encouraged, a letter from a community partner is not required.

Email all materials by 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 6, 2025, to:

Phil McNab, PhD, Assistant Scientist
Email: pmcnab1@jhu.edu
Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future

Interview Dates:
CLF will interview a selected number of applicants via Zoom in mid-February 2025.

NOTE: The Center for a Livable Future-Lerner Fellowship recipients will not perform any services to benefit the University in exchange for receiving fellowship stipend payments. The activities performed during the Fellowship award period are for the benefit of the student’s independent study and training.