Research Fellow

About the role

In July, the Breakthrough Institute (BTI) released a pivotal report titled “Understanding NEPA Litigation: A Systematic Review of Recent NEPA-Related Appellate Court Cases.” This research provided critical data to inform Congressional discussions on permitting reform. Building on that success, BTI is now expanding this research and is seeking a team of Research Fellows to support the work.

As a Research Fellow, you will play a key role in advancing our understanding of how permitting lawsuits impact decarbonization. Under the guidance of BTI’s Associate Director of Federal Policy, you will be responsible for reading, analyzing, and cataloging NEPA lawsuits into a database that will later be used for analysis. This role offers an invaluable opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the permitting process, making it an ideal position for students or early-career professionals interested in environmental law, regulatory advocacy, or decarbonization research.

The specifics

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed research on permitting lawsuits, contributing to the expansion of BTI's existing report.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Federal Policy to ensure accurate and thorough documentation of findings.
• Gain expertise in permitting reform and its implications for decarbonization efforts.

Qualifications

• Academic or professional background in relevant fields such as energy policy, permitting reform, environmental studies, or public administration of environmental laws.
• Strong research skills with the ability to analyze complex data and produce detailed academic research.
• A demonstrated interest in environmental law, regulatory processes, or decarbonization.

Compensation and logistics

• The fellowship requires a full-time commitment of 40 hours a week for 8 weeks.
• Fellow will receive a weekly stipend of $800 for successful analyses and coding of 50 cases, for a total of 400 cases completed by the end of the Fellowship. Weekly invoice will be paid upon approval of deliverables.
• Preference will be given to candidates who can work from our Washington, D.C. office at least three days per week.
• If you feel you’re a good candidate, but unable to commit to these terms, please explain why in your application materials.

Applying

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until September 20th.
• To apply, please submit your resume along with a short writing sample (under 2500 words) on a topic relevant to this project to jobs[at]thebreakthrough.org. Please do not submit your application through alternate job sites.
• Your email subject should say: :
• Your email should state how you heard about this position.