YESI Fellows scheme: Pioneering research across boundaries

The YESI Fellows scheme is a groundbreaking environmental sustainability research initiative led by the York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI). It supports short-term, high-impact projects led by University of York (UoY) staff and collaborators that:

• Cross disciplinary and faculty boundaries
• Foster deep collaboration with external partners
• Accelerate environmental sustainability solutions that wouldn't be possible otherwise

What makes the YESI Fellows scheme unique?

Unlike traditional funding schemes, YESI Fellowships are designed to break silos and spark innovation at the intersection of disciplines, sectors, and geographies.

• Researchers from across all faculties are brought together to co-create new knowledge.
• Partnerships span local to international, academic and non-academic sectors.
• Projects are solution-focused, addressing urgent sustainability challenges.

These Fellowships catalyse work that is only possible through cross-disciplinary engagement and diverse collaboration.

Outputs and Impacts

The YESI Fellows scheme has been shortlisted for the THE Awards 2025 in the Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership category.

Check out some of the great outputs and impacts we've had so far: 

YESI Fact Sheet: Outputs and Impacts (PDF , 3,306kb)

Our inclusive eligibility criteria have been recognised as an example of EDI best practice in the University of York’s EDI Research Framework February 2025 (page 23).