Fellowship Programme on Enabling Thermal Comfort, Skill and Livelihood in Self-built Housing

1. About the fellowship:

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an established research and advocacy institute, announces a two-month long fellowship with the sustainable habitat programme. CSE has been advocating for ‘green recovery’ in the housing sector, post the COVID-19 pandemic. This involves skill development to achieve region-appropriate and climate-responsive housing while also maximizing livelihood options for the local community. The selected fellows would be required to investigate and document pre-assigned construction materials-techniques and skilling-livelihood efforts prevalent in regions of Odisha or West Bengal. This would entail conducting field visits, collecting data and conducting structured interviews amongst other tasks. The collected data will be weaved into a knowledge repository to guide the construction of self-built houses using region-appropriate materials and building techniques.

2. Eligibility and required skillset

Candidates (from Odisha or West Bengal) who are currently pursuing architecture or civil engineering (3^rd year or above) or graduates of architecture/civil engineering are eligible for the fellowship.

The interested candidates must consider the following:

• The fellowship will require the selected candidates to travel within or neighbouring state based on the construction material/technique allocated.
• S/he must have strong inclination towards vernacular, alternative, and upcoming construction materials/techniques.

The interested candidates must possess:

• The ability to convey issues analytically with clarity through reports containing visual and textual data.
• Proficient English language skills. Good understanding of Hindi, Odia, or Bengali language (oral) will be a bonus.
• Good networking skills for carrying out interactions with local community.
• A decent camera and basic photography skills to carry out visual documentation.
• Basic knowledge of sheet composition softwares such as MS Powerpoint etc. and basic sketching skills. 

3. Tasks and deliverables

Selected candidates would be required to carry out the following tasks:

• Conduct field visits to study and document designated construction technique/s and material/s used in multiple formats which may include report, sheets, and multimedia: photographs, videos, audios, etc.
• Conduct physical meetings with the government officials to understand the work being done under the skill building and livelihood schemes and missions across Odisha and West Bengal.
• Conduct focused interviews with local community, master masons, construction workers, NGOs, etc. to capture deeper understanding of the materials/techniques.

Please note: The selected candidates will have to undergo trainings which will set the context and debrief them about the technical requirements related to the fellowship.

4. Payment

The selected candidates will be granted a sum of Rs 50,000. This amount is inclusive of

compensation for level of efforts and the travel and logistics related expenses (including taxes and other sundries.) 

5. Other Benefits

The selected candidates will be offered following additional benefits:

• Access to training programmes organized by CSE, subject to availability.
• Access to the online course/module developed using the outcomes of this fellowship program 

6. How to apply?

Interested candidates should click here to apply for this fellowship. An application form and a CSE developed format (which comprises of CV, statement of purpose, exercises, and brief portfolio) to assess the candidature needs to be duly filled and submitted. The form maybe downloaded here.

7. Timeframe:

Application opens	November 22, 2021
Application closes	November 29, 2021
Interview of shortlisted candidates	December 2021
Orientation programme of selected fellows	December 2021
Submission of final deliverables	February 13, 2022

8. Selection committee:

The selection of the candidates will be done by a committee formulated by CSE. This committee shall evaluate the candidates based on their applications and submissions using the following criteria:

• Knowledge on subject
• Written communication skills
• Documentation and reporting skills
• Interpersonal skills 

9. Contact details:

For seeking any additional information or queries related to the fellowship or the project in general, please get in touch with:

Fellowship Coordinators–

Sugeet Grover
Deputy Programme Manager,
Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme,
CSE, New Delhi
Mobile: 9818443366
Email: sugeet.grover@cseindia.org

Mitashi Singh
Deputy Programme Manager,
Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme,
CSE, New Delhi
Mobile: 9999705515
Email: mitashi.singh@cseindia.org 

Fellowship Director –

Rajneesh Sareen
Programme Director,
Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme,
CSE, New Delhi
Email: rajneesh.sareen@cseindia.org