The International Water Association (IWA) and Grundfos Youth Action for SDG6 Fellowship will mobilise twelve Young Water Professionals (YWPs) from around the globe to actively participate in the UN 2023 Water Conference, in New York, USA. After the conference, the selected YWPs will work together with Grundfos staff and IWA to co-develop a publication that provides insights into the critical role that young people have in the implementation of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal Agenda. The publication will focus on how the water sector can maximise the benefits of integrating young professionals to achieve sustainable development.

A joint Grundfos-IWA publication will be launched during a three-day gathering at the Grundfos HQ, in Denmark (date to be defined, after March 2023), where the twelve selected YWPs will have the possibility to present their key learnings from the UN 2023 Water Conference. All financial support for the twelve participants will be provided through this fellowship.

Additionally, the twelve selected YWPs will attend the IWA 2023 Water Development Congress in Kigali, Rwanda (date to be defined). During the Congress, the selected candidates will (1) participate in a workshop organised by the IWA Secretariat in collaboration with Grundfos and the IWA YWP Steering Committee, where they will present the learnings from the Water Conference, and (2) participate in the launch of the Grundfos and IWA Handbook.

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 countries representation and gender diversity. A maximum of two YWPs can be selected per region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, North America and Oceania). The selection will also ensure that at least six participants are from low-income countries*, and at least half are women.

The selected individuals must join online training sessions on the current challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (date and detailed content to be confirmed), organised by the IWA Secretariat prior to the UN 2023 Water Conference. The topics of these sessions will also be related to key areas identified by the IWA Secretariat and the IWA YWP Steering Committee (e.g., intergenerational dialogues, entrepreneurship, and science communication).

IWA will progress efforts to ensure the YWP delegation can participate in panels, workshops, round tables, and other activities related to the conference. These sessions will provide them with the opportunity to meet world leaders, interact, learn, and network.

After the conference, in addition to the publication previously mentioned, the selected candidates are expected to participate in an IWA webinar series and an IWA YWP Global Coordination Call (organised by the IWA Secretariat and the IWA YWP Steering Committee), to share their learnings from the UN 2023 Water Conference, as well as key decisions and commitments made during the event.

Application

The application period will be open until 25 November 2022. Applications will be accepted in English. Candidates must fill out this online form, send the necessary documents, 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 1 page);
• Letter of reference from an IWA member (maximum 1 letter);
• 1-page writing sample about the water topic that the candidate wants to contribute to the publication and cover during the UN Water Conference;
  • The joint IWA-Grundfos publication will focus on how the water sector can maximise the benefits of integrating young professionals to achieve sustainable development. Your contribution must be connected to the theme of the publication.
• 1-page project proposal about the candidates’ contribution to the publication.
  • The project proposal should include (1) title, (2) a brief description about the project (maximum 5 lines), (3) objectives, (4) methodology, and (5) scope.

All documents must be in English and must be compiled and saved in a single pdf file. It is recommended that the candidates follow the order stated above.

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 IWA YWP Steering Committee. Interviews will run during the last week of November 2022 and the selected candidates will be notified by mid-December 2022.

Eligibility

The applicants are required to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be between 18 and 35 years of age on the date of the UN 2023 Water Conference (22 to 24 March 2023);
• Be an active 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.

Funding

The Fellowship will cover:

• Air travel and subsistence costs;
  • Subsistence (breakfast, lunch, and dinner – 5 days in New York, 4 days in Billund and 4 days in Kigali);
• Accommodation in a hotel (single occupancy, 5 nights in New York, 4 nights in Billund, 4 nights in Kigali);
• Ground transportation from and to the airport and from the hotel to the venue (5 days in New York, 4 days in Billund, and 4 days in Kigali);
• Travel insurance;
• Visa application fees.
  • The selected individuals will be responsible for applying for their USA, Rwanda and Schengen area 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 relevant applicants during the selection process.

The IWA Secretariat will be responsible for booking airline tickets and accommodation, as well as travel insurance on behalf of the selected candidates.

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 Isabela Espindola, IWA Membership Engagement Officer.

To connect with the #IWAYWP community, please link with them directly on our global platform IWA Connect, 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/

*Please, note that IWA uses a high- and low-income country (HIC and LIC) classification for its membership. The HIC/LIC classification is based on the country of residence and not on the country of origin. The IWA Country Classification table can be found here.