Applications open for the 2025-2026 IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship

The International Water Association and Grundfos are pleased to announce the call for applications for the next IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship. The deadline for application is 14 November.

The IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship was established in 2022. Since then, it has been recognised by the global community as one of the most impactful youth engagement initiatives in the water sector. Building upon the success and momentum generated by its first edition, the 2025-2026 Fellowship seeks to address the evolving needs and priorities of the water sector in the context of a rapidly changing world.

The 2025-2026 Fellowship will engage fourteen (14) IWA Young Water Professionals (YWPs) in a series of exclusive online and in-person events aimed at co-developing a publication centred around local-led solutions to promote resilience and adaptation in the water sector. For IWA, YWPs are individuals aged 18 to 35 years old.

The Fellowship is scheduled to commence in February 2025 and conclude in September 2026, at the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition (WWCE), in Glasgow, Scotland, when the joint Grundfos-IWA publication will be launched. The 14 YWPs will attend mandatory monthly online meetings and a series of online (4-5 sessions) and in-person events. The topics of the online sessions will be related to key areas identified by the IWA Secretariat, Grundfos, and the Fellowship Committee.

The 2025-2026 IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship will support the 14 YWPs in the following activities:

• Participate in an in-person gathering hosted at the IWA headquarters in London, United Kingdom. This gathering might also feature visits to partner organisations (to be decided by IWA and Grundfos), workshops and capacity-building activities (April 2025).
• Participate in an in-person gathering hosted at Grundfos HQ, Denmark (April 2025).
• Participate in an in-person gathering in a high-level event in the water sector (congress, date and place to be defined).
• Participate in the 2026 IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland (September 2026).
• Support the publication costs (design, proofreading, printing, and launching) of their projects.

Following IWA’s vision and strategic goals to promote and create a gender and geographically balanced water sector, the selection of the YWPs will consider regional and country representation and gender diversity. This inclusive approach ensures gender and geographical representation, fostering a rich exchange of perspectives.

 

Application

The application period will be open from 14 October 2024 to 14 November 2024. Applications will be accepted only in English. Candidates must fill out this online form, send the necessary documents to ywp@iwahq.org, and accept the terms of the selection process.

It is recommended that the candidates provide as much detail as possible to support their application. Candidates must provide:

• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages);
• Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages) including the following points (as many as possible):

• • Relevant professional experience, particularly projects related to SDG 6.
  • Your motivation for applying and how the fellowship aligns with your career goals.
  • Skills or knowledge you hope to gain, and areas for development.
  • How you plan to contribute to the fellowship’s goals, especially local-led water management solutions.
  • A project you have led or contributed to that aimed to improve water management or SDG 6 targets.
  • How you’ll apply the fellowship experience to address water challenges locally or globally.
  • An example of effective teamwork and an innovative solution you’ve developed in the water sector.

• Letter of reference, ideally from an IWA member (maximum 1 letter, 1 page);

• Project proposal (maximum 2 pages) – The project proposal should outline how you intend to contribute to the Fellowship’s final publication. You should describe your proposed topic, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. This should reflect your vision for the contribution you wish to make.

All documents must be compiled and saved in a single pdf file named as FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME_COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. Example: JANE_DOE_UK

Candidates must follow the instructions stated above when preparing the PDF file.

The applications will be reviewed by the IWA Secretariat, who will perform a preliminary assessment. Following this, shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by a panel including a representative from Grundfos, the IWA Secretariat, and the Fellowship Committee. Interviews will run during the first week of December 2024 and the selected candidates will be notified by mid-December 2024.

 

Eligibility

The applicants are required to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be between 18 and 35 years old. The minimum age to apply is 18 years old and the maximum 35 by the end of the Fellowship (September 2026);
• Be an IWA member – membership status will be verified by the IWA Secretariat;
• Show evidence of commitment to delivering positive change in the water sector;
• Demonstrate leadership capacity;
• Be addressing key local and/or global issues in their current work;
• Have a track record of generating impactful and innovative ideas in the water sector;
• Have a working knowledge of English.
• Former IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellows are not eligible to apply.

 

Funding

The Fellowship will cover:

• Air travel and subsistence (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) costs;
• Accommodation (single occupancy);
• Ground transportation from and to the airport and from the hotel to the venues;
• Travel insurance;
• Visa application fees.

• • The selected individuals will be responsible for applying for their visa(s) in their countries.
  • IWA and Grundfos cannot guarantee any candidate that their visa application will be successful.

More details will be provided to the selected candidates. The IWA Secretariat will be responsible for booking airline tickets and accommodation. Participants are responsible for booking their travel insurance, following their country requirements.

To submit your application, click here.

 

Further Information

Read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here. 

In case you wish to withdraw or edit your submission, please contact the IWA Secretariat at ywp@iwahq.org.

If you have any questions regarding the IWA YWP Community or the call, please contact Dr Isabela Espindola, IWA Membership Engagement Senior Officer.

To connect with the #IWAYWP community, please link with them directly on our global platform IWA Connect Plus, and start a conversation!

Not an IWA member yet? Join IWA today! Unlock a world of opportunities and boost your global connections. For more information, visit: iwa-network.org/join/