The WFI Fellowship Program hosts natural resource professionals from around the world at the World Forest Institute’s campus in Portland, Oregon, for 6 months. Applicants propose a research topic to focus on during their Fellowship, and WFI uses its extensive network of public and private forestry and natural resource professionals to assist Fellows in gaining the knowledge and exposure they seek.
Oregon is an ideal learning ground for the program because of its rich natural resources, innovative history in forest management, an important timber sector, and academic centers of excellence in both forestry and urban forestry, as well as green building and sustainability. Fellows leave the program with a solid understanding of how the US forestry sector operates and who the key players are. Additionally, Fellows gain invaluable cultural experience and English language skills. Over 130 Fellows from more than 40 countries have participated in the program.
There are three main components to the program:
1. Conducting a Project
60% of your time is spent on your own research project.
Fellows propose a research topic developed in conjunction with his/her sponsor or that is relevant to their work. We favor proposals that are policy, industry, or market-oriented and employs good use of being situated in the Pacific Northwest.
2. Networking with public and private forestry organizations in the US, especially in the Pacific Northwest.
30% of your time will be spent on group and individual study tours and meetings.
Networking is largely accomplished by site visits to forestry agencies, research labs, universities, public and private timberlands, trade associations, mills, and corporations. The program manager will organize approximately one group study tour per week for all Fellows to participate in. These trips are a required part of the program and can be very diverse in scope. Fellows will need to be able to arrange their own individual meetings and site visits to fulfill their specific research project needs.
3. Educational Outreach
10% of your time is spent on presentations, in-house events, and public outreach. Outreach could include formal presentations to forestry professionals, general public or to schools, writing articles for newspapers, fielding public inquiries, or attendance and participation at conferences and events.