Open Environmental Data Project is seeking a Civic Science Fellow to co-lead research and resource development on responsible innovation in open environmental data governance systems. The Fellow will anchor three connected bodies of work:
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A demonstration build: Co-designing the deployment of a small, locally governed model of accessible hardware with a community partner facing a concrete environmental challenge.
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A working documentation series on small/local AI: Documenting the demonstration build as part of our working documentation series to show our approach, what we tried, what broke, and what we learned, as well as to produce a reusable design and implementation framework. The Fellow will also contribute in other ways to research and developing resources explaining how participatory principles can be built into model design and evaluation from the start.
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Resources and tools for communities exploring AI use: Contributing to existing OEDP research and resources to produce additional written guidance and tools for communities and organizations navigating AI adoption in the environmental data space.
The Fellow will also be part of a cohort supported by the Rita Allen Foundation. Positioned across different scientific associations, organizations, and institutions, this cohort will provide a peer learning group focused on scientific and societal challenges. The duration of this Fellowship is expected to be 18 months.
The priority application deadline is July 31, 2026. A full job description can be found here. Happy to answer questions, and feel free to share this widely!