2026 Baucus Climate Scholars Application
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The Max Baucus Institute
The Max Baucus Institute invites applications from undergraduate and graduate students attending Montana-based universities and colleges to be 2026 Baucus Climate Scholars. This is a paid summer internship opportunity.
The Baucus Institute is a Montana-based nonprofit founded on Max's extensive public service career as the longest-serving U.S. Senator for Montana, and the U.S. Ambassador to China. We work to break down barriers so that Montana students can see, serve, and lead locally and throughout the world. We do this through three areas of focus: public service, climate, and U.S.-China relations.
Baucus Climate Scholars Program
The Baucus Climate Scholars program builds off of Senator Baucus's long and distinguished bipartisan legislative record in environmental and natural resources matters, including his sponsorship of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and his leadership in protecting wild lands along the Rocky Mountain Front. We want to continue this legacy by providing opportunities to students with an interest in natural resources and environmental and climate issues to intern with organizations working on these issues.
Baucus Climate Scholars are placed with host organizations as summer interns. Climate Scholars work full-time for about two months, usually June and July.
The 2026 Climate Scholar placements is not yet finalized, but will be similar to previous years. Examples of partner organizations include:
- The Nature Conservancy (Singapore)
- The Climate Reality Project (DC, founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore)
- The International Energy Agency (Paris, France, preference given to law students)
- New Leaf Climate (NYC)
- Disneyland Shanghai
- The Nature Conservancy (Montana)
- City of Missoula Climate Team (Missoula, MT)
- Centigrade (Bay Area or NYC)
- Northwestern Energy (Helena, MT, law students only)
- Henry's Fork Foundation (Ashton, ID)
- South China Morning Post (Hong Kong, journalism students)
- Big Sky Sustainability Network (Big Sky, MT)
Projects that Baucus Climate Scholars have worked on include literature reviews, collaborating on original research, writing research reports and briefs, creating resource packets, creating maps, writing recommendations, and assisting with trainings/meetings.
Dates & Funding
Each internship will be full-time. Interns will start on or around June 1 and end on or around August 1. Baucus Climate Scholars will be given a $5,000 stipend to cover living and travel expenses during their internship. The students in DC will have the option to participate in group housing (shared rooms) at a very discounted rate. The Baucus Climate Scholar will be solely responsible for any expenses incurred during the internship period over and above the stipend amount.
Qualifications
Baucus Climate Scholars are selected based on commitment to public service, academic performance, and interest in climate change and environmental policy. The program is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students at Montana-based colleges and universities. Students must be in good academic standing at the time of applying and must be enrolled as full-time students at a Montana public college or university during Spring Semester 2026. Students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+2S, and under-resourced communities are highly encouraged to apply.
The skills required will vary by organization and year. We are updating the Climate Scholars page on our website as we finalize placements for 2026. For all positions, a successful Climate Scholar will be reliable, motivated, and communicative. We encourage our Scholars to get out of their comfort zones, ask questions, and take initiative to learn and grow.
Application Materials
- Resume (upload)
- 500 word statement about why you want to be a Baucus Climate Scholar & your commitment to/interest in climate change and environmental policy
- Academic Transcript (can be unofficial)
- Letter of Recommendation. NOTE: We recommend contacting your letter-write early in the process so that they have time to complete this by the deadline.
Applications are due Friday, January 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (end of day) MST.
Please contact us at hellol@baucusinstitute.org with any questions. We look forward to reviewing your application.