Boundless Fellowship Application (2026-2028 Cohort)

***** If you are a WWF employee, please use this application form instead. *****

Thank you for your interest in the Boundless Fellowship. Please note the following before you begin your application:

• We welcome written responses in either English, Spanish, or Portuguese. However, please note that your video response must be in English. 
• We welcome creativity and sincerity over polish. You do not need to worry about submitting perfectly grammatically correct sentences or high production value videos. Because we care about getting to know you, we ask that you refrain from using AI software in your application.  
• Some applicants, including government employees of any kind, may be required to obtain approval from their employer in order to join the fellowship. Boundless may ask for a demonstration of support from an employer during later stages of the selection process. 
• This application will close at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Applicants may be asked to provide additional information or participate in a brief interview at later stages of the selection process. 
• All applicants will be notified by mid-May 2026 about the status of their application. 

We're Looking for Fellows Who:

Are at an inflection point of responsibility in their careers. We're seeking Fellows who have recently taken on big new responsibilities, or are about to do so. 

Are seeking community, mentorship, and collaboration. Fellows build a tight-knit network over the course of two years. That requires everyone to arrive with a predisposition towards kindness, collaboration, and respect. 

Are deeply connected to particular biomes, ecosystems or landscapes. Fellows should bring a commitment to protecting the vital ecosystems of the Americas and a sense of rootedness and connection to a place, as well as passion for nature.

Bring a creative, interdisciplinary, bridge-building edge to conservation. Fellows may bring extensive technical expertise in a particular area, but should fundamentally be drawn to reaching across disciplinary divides and working across different sectors, from business to policy to science and beyond.

Are drawn to understanding the global forces shaping local environments. The fellowship will cultivate leaders who can see the whole picture, including global forces (capital flows, supply chains, geopolitics, climate change, etc.) that have implications for local contexts. We're seeking fellows who are drawn to this type of systems-level thinking.

Understand the time and travel commitments. The fellowship is a substantial time commitment, including four 10-day international encounters over the course of two years. We expect 100% attendance as a condition of participation, and are seeking fellows who will enthusiastically engage with the programming and their peer cohort.

Are actively working in the Americas. We are seeking to build a diverse cohort of fellows from across North America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Have spent roughly a decade working on questions related to conservation, broadly defined. Ideally, candidates for the Boundless Fellowship would bring around a decade of professional experience. We are seeking candidates who may or may not work in traditional conservation roles. A University degree is not a requirement.

Are comfortable in English. Fellows need not speak flawless English, and whenever possible programming will be trilingual (in English, Spanish, and Portuguese) — but fellows should be prepared to use English as their shared "meeting" language.

Are insatiably curious and eager to learn. Boundless Fellows will be offered access to leading thinkers and numerous opportunities to develop new skills.

If you have any questions about the application process or the fellowship, do not hesitate to contact us at alexis.massenburg@wwfus.org.