DRW Fellows

Applications for select Summer 2026 fellowships are now closed.

DRW fellows have the opportunity to carry out individual research projects while also working alongside faculty to develop their research skills. These fellowships are available to accepted University of Chicago graduate students.

EPIC launched the DRW Graduate Fellowship in Economics & Policy in 2017 to support students focused on contributing to energy, environment or climate research while pursuing advanced degrees at the University of Chicago. In addition to rigorous academic training, DRW fellows have opportunities to work closely with EPIC affiliated faculty on a variety of research initiatives.

“I was fortunate enough to learn a great deal about the relationship between federal and state regulations, statutes, and guidance. It was enlightening to see the role that the various nuances in this relationship can play when considering innovative approaches to improving the environment or advocating for the use of the best available science in environmental regulatory decisions. I loved that this experience exposed me to environmental issues not only through a legal and economic lens, but also through a local lens with respect to water quality issues in Illinois. This exposure has inspired me to continue to explore how transportation policy and environmental policy can be better integrated to achieve more meaningful pollution reductions.” 

– Jaymal Patel, Summer 2020 DRW Fellow

As an example of the types of experiences DRW fellows gain, one of the first DRW fellows, Harshil Sahai, spent a summer working with EPIC-India to explore a range of possible research topics. In one project, he is looking at the long-run effects of extreme temperatures on educational outcomes to better understand how climate change might affect a country’s economic growth. In another project, he is exploring why fewer people use pollution masks in some cities, such as Delhi, compared to others, such as Beijing. He will be delving further into these research projects over the course of his studies.