The National Energy Codes Collaborative is establishing an Energy Code Implementation Fellows Program that seeks to attract professionals in areas of expertise that may be currently missing in the codes community and/or to focus on timely areas of interest necessary to effectively implement updated energy codes. During the two-year Fellowships, Fellows will be encouraged to maintain their existing positions and/or professional practices to ensure a strong connection between their roles and networks. To enable this, these two-year fellowships are anticipated to be at approximately 40-50% time with flexibility for work hours.
Two Fellows are expected to be contracted by the end of 2024 with one new Fellowship starting every six months thereafter. The application window for the first two Fellowships will close on November 1, 2024; beyond this date, we will accept applications on a rolling basis for future Fellowships.
What is the Codes Collaborative?
The National Energy Codes Collaborative is a nationwide network that will empower states and jurisdictions to effectively and sustainably implement updated building energy codes. The Codes Collaborative will drive innovation and generate cross-functional resources through three core activities: 1) collaboration, 2) technical advisory and assistance, and 3) capacity building. By forging new connections and engaging stakeholders from the local to the national level, the state and jurisdictions who are members of the Codes Collaborative will be supported along their own paths to advance their building codes, reduce environmental impacts, promote equity, and ensure high quality careers.
Codes Collaborative Fellow Program – Overview
Fellows will be engaged as contractors of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the lead organization for the Collaborative, with a budget $160,000 per Fellow over the two-year period. This amount is inclusive of up to $10,000 in travel expenses – including requirements to participate in annual in-person Codes Collaborative meetings at the Department of Energy National Codes Conference and Urban Sustainability Directors Network’s member meetings. Fellows are expected to take on a long-term project of importance to effective energy code implementation that produces resources for Codes Collaborative members and the field, while providing technical assistance to member states and local agencies in the applicable topic area. Fellows are generally expected to lead a new Codes Collaborative Technical Advisory Group or significantly contribute to an existing TAG relevant to the proposed project; however, we will consider innovative applications that do not include this component.
Fellowships are currently being considered for the following topics: 1) career transition roadmaps, 2) ensuring compliance with US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)/US Department of Agriculture (USDA) minimum energy standards, 3) community-based organization engagement, 4) uplifting energy-focused builders, 5) labor engagement. Applicants may also propose other projects/topics. See below for more details. If you have an idea for another Codes Collaborative Fellow project, you may submit your own idea to codesfellows@aceee.org in 250 words or less; we will review and respond whether we would consider a full application in the proposed topic area.
Contracts can be with an individual or an organization. An organization must propose that one individual will be the named ECI Fellow and single point of contact even if drawing on resources of the organization to accomplish tasks.
- Bring new understanding of challenges, opportunities, and best practices to critical areas for effective energy code implementation.
- Grow and support state and local capacity building.
- Bring in expertise/stakeholders who may be missing from the codes community.
- Provide technical assistance based in practice to Codes Collaborative members.
- Forge new connections across stakeholders.
- Opportunity for immediate real-world impact to effectively and equitably reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Connection to network of states, local governments, practitioners, NGOs, national labs, and more.
- Collaboration with the US Department of Energy and all 52 US Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program’s Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) grant recipients.
- Visibility as a national energy codes leader.
- Professional development within an impactful, growing, and lively industry.
- Free USDN membership with access to professional development resources and networks.
Submission Requirements
To apply, submit the following:
- A three-page maximum application letter including:
- An overview of the proposed Fellowship project.
- A detailed description of the proposed scope of work and methods, including proposed technical assistance, state, and local capacity building, and expected impacts. Include anticipated months or quarters during which proposed activities are expected to occur.
- Expected products and/or outcomes of the Fellowship.
- Goals for positive impact on energy code implementation.
- How the Fellowship will contribute to the Fellow’s ongoing practice and professional development, including anticipated continuing activities beyond the Fellowship period.
- Proposed budget, including the following:
- Labor hours and rates for the Fellow (minimum 50% overall effort if proposing as part of an organization/team) and any other proposed organization staff. (Note: Labor rates must be appropriate for a government subcontract with fringe and indirect cost rates included with the budget proposal.)
- Anticipated supplies and other non-travel expenses.
- Proposed travel in addition to required travel to Codes Collaborative and USDN Annual Meetings.
- The budget for these items is limited to $150,000 with an additional $10,000 travel budget to be provided for the required travel over two years. Actual proposed budget will be evaluated for its reasonableness to complete the proposed effort.
- Budget Template for Application
- Description of Qualifications:
- A one-page description of the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the Fellow and, if applicable, organization and other staff.
- Resumes, CVs, and/or portfolios of Fellow, and if applicable, all involved staff (no more than two pages each)
- References:
- Please submit three professional references that can speak to the applicant’s past successful professional experience. We will not contact references without first confirming with the applicant.
Selection Criteria
Strength and clarity of the application’s proposed project.
Importance and impacts of proposed project outcomes.
Relevance and adherence of the proposed project to one of the topic areas listed below or another pre-approved topic.
Applicant’s qualifications, experience, and capabilities to successfully carry out the proposed project and contribute to the National Energy Codes Collaborative.
Special consideration will be given to applicants from minority and women-owned enterprises, community-based organizations, and minority-serving institutions. Please note if you qualify in your submitted Description of Qualifications.
Fellowships are currently being considered for the topic areas below. If you have an idea for another Codes Collaborative Fellow project, you may submit your own idea to codesfellows@aceee.org in 250 words or less; we will review and respond whether we would consider a full application in the proposed topic area.
1. Career transition roadmaps
Unprecedented funding and ambitious energy goals are creating a surplus of jobs but there remains a shortage of workers to fill them. There are many interested and highly-skilled individuals who recently graduated, already work in fields related to energy codes that may not know about the field, or those with other skillsets/experiences that do not see a pathway to energy efficiency jobs. The Codes Collaborative looks to define these pathways, so they are clear to the current and future workforce. The fellow will work with career and technical education (CTE) providers, national code collaborative members, and building energy codes employers (codes officials, regional energy efficiency organizations, contractors, etc.) to create a curriculum of necessary skills and training to expand the worker pool and to support those seeking to transition to an energy codes career. The goal of the curriculum is to provide states, jurisdictions, and CTE providers with clear pathways to educate, engage, and employ interested workers and workers in the buildings professions. The fellow will compile best practices in CTE workforce development programs, interview energy code professionals on their career transition, and identify gaps in skills needed by employers to shape the curriculum.
2. Ensuring compliance with HUD/USDA minimum energy standards
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently adopted the most recent model energy codes – 2021 IECC for single-family homes and low-rise multifamily buildings, ASHRAE 90.1-2019 for multifamily buildings over three stories – as their minimum energy standards across their programs, which include FHA-insured homes and those guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). HUD/USDA programs will generally be required to comply with these standards by April 2025 or November 2025, depending on the program. With approximately 26% of single-family homes in the U.S. financed by FHA- or VA-backed loans, the potential energy savings are significant. However, HUD and USDA currently rely on builder self-certification (i.e. without enforcement by local building officials), and many localities currently have energy codes far older and less efficient than the current standards.
The Fellow will undertake a comprehensive program to understand, synthesize and disseminate best practices for state and local agencies, builders, and other stakeholders to ensure new covered homes and apartment buildings comply with the energy standards for relevant federal loan programs. The effort is expected to include recommendations specific to unique needs of urban and rural communities and to HUD and USDA program administrators. The Fellow is expected to lead a Technical Advisory Group under the Codes Collaborative, produce a published toolkit in coordination with ACEEE and other Codes Collaborative partners early in Year 2 of the Fellowship, and provide technical assistance to states, localities and other stakeholders seeking to ensure compliance with HUD/USDA standards.
Note: If the U.S. Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA) announces similar standards, we expect the Fellow’s project to also incorporate those standards.
3. Community-based Organization engagement
Many community-based organizations are working directly on energy efficiency, energy burden and insecurity, or related public health, sustainability, or related issues but may not have a seat at the table on building energy codes discussions and decision-making. The Codes Collaborative wishes to engage community-based organizations to ensure they and their critical stakeholders are a part of the energy code process and receive the benefits energy code updates can provide. Fellows will identify best practices to ensure mutually beneficial relationships between community-based organizations and the energy code community that can be replicated across the country. The Fellow will participate in and potentially co-lead a Community Engagement Technical Advisory Group.
The fellow will have experience working with community-based organizations, community engagement, or community organizing. The goal of the fellowship is to establish relationships with community-based organizations, understand their needs in an energy code update, and serve as a liaison between the community-based organizations and other stakeholders in energy code adoption and implementation processes. The fellow will document the process to create a guide on how to create sustainable relationships with and support community-based organizations in the energy code update process.
4. Uplifting energy-focused builders
The Codes Collaborative believes that builders’ perspectives are key to shaping successful building energy code updates and implementation. However, they are often not in the discussions where these perspectives are needed and that needs to change. Many builders are leading the way and constructing above code. Their insight can aid in the development of accessible energy code trainings and resources to enable other builders to meet or exceed minimum energy standards.
The fellow will be a current or former high-performance builder and engaged with energy code updates such as an Energy Star builder, Energy & Environmental Building Alliance member or another green building association member. The goal of the fellowship is to establish relationships with high performance builders and their associations, understand their needs in building to strong building energy codes, and serve as a liaison between builders and the Codes Collaborative members. The fellow will create and implement an outreach roadmap to reach builders outside of the high-performance community that may not normally participate in energy code discussions. The fellow will document the process to create a strategy on how to create sustainable relationships with and support high performance builders. Fellow applications are anticipated to include leading a Technical Advisory Group on builder engagement for Codes Collaborative members; including state and local agencies and other key stakeholders; however, we will consider innovative applications that do not include this component.
5. Labor Engagement
A “high-road” labor strategy is key to ensuring broadly shared benefits of energy efficient construction and to ensuring a well-trained workforce is developed to effectively implement updated energy codes. Goals of the Codes Collaborative include those of the Department of Energy to “ensur[e] design and construction professionals, labor unions, apprenticeship programs, as well as the broader construction workforce, are familiar with the latest technologies and practices.” The Codes Collaborative’s Community Benefits Plan includes commitments to incorporate labor priorities into Collaborative design and operating procedures, strategic engagement with labor organizations, and supporting member states and jurisdictions to ensure a well-paid and well-trained workforce.
The Fellow will undertake a comprehensive program to understand, synthesize and disseminate best practices as to how government-business-labor partnerships, labor unions, apprenticeship programs, and broader labor engagement strategies can provide the workforce needed for effective energy code implementation. The Fellow will be expected to develop a labor engagement toolkit in coordination with ACEEE and other Codes Collaborative partners. The Fellow will be expected to lead a Codes Collaborative Technical Advisory Group to solicit input from Collaborative members, provide thought leadership and identify technical assistance needs in member states and jurisdictions. Following publication of the toolkit, the Fellow will be expected to provide assistance to member states and jurisdictions looking to enact its recommendations.
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FAQ
Is there an official start and end date?
- The Fellow is expected to start in January 2025 and then complete a two-year term so that the end date will be early 2027.
When and how often do the National Energy Codes Conference and USDN member meetings occur?
- The National Energy Codes Conference is held every year around the beginning of May. The USDN Member Meeting is switching to every other year beginning in 2026. There will also be opportunities to attend regional USDN meetings.
What rates are considered appropriate for a government subcontract?
- Please let us know if you have any questions. This may be a helpful resource in understanding profit capping requirements. Note that an indirect agreement is NOT required.
