Fellowship -HeatAI: Harnessing Equitable Actionable Technologies through Artificial Intelligence

About the organization

Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a not-for-profit civic tech company that works at the intersection of emerging cutting-edge technological tools and their applications by equipping young professionals to solve emerging challenges in our community. YI-Lab’s mission statement is, ‘to engage young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation’. YI-Lab harnesses indigenous knowledge, citizen science approach, develops low-cost technological solutions, promotes open data, promotes entrepreneurship, and conducts evidence-based advocacy campaigns. YI-Lab provides a conducive environment for young people to co-create solutions for inclusive development. 

1. Background

Nepal’s Terai region is experiencing increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, with Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City in Banke District recording temperatures regularly exceeding 38°C and an average of two severe heat events per year over the past decade. These extreme heat events have led to rising cases of heat-related illness, school closures, productivity loss, and livelihood disruption disproportionately affecting women, children, youth, Dalit and Muslim communities, outdoor workers, and approximately 3,309 residents of informal settlements across Wards 13, 14, 19, 21, and 22.

Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is implementing the HeatAI project with support from the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) RISE grant. HeatAI is a purpose-built extension of YI-Lab’s RiskAI platform, combining AI-powered seven-day heatwave forecasting, low-cost environmental sensor networks, ward-level Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) mapping, and inclusive community engagement to strengthen urban heat resilience in Nepalgunj. The project runs from March to December 2026 in partnership with Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City.

Drawing on YI-Lab’s experience supporting over 90 local governments through fellowship-based governance models, the Heatwave Resilience Fellowship embeds a trained fellow directly within the Nepalgunj municipality office to translate AI-generated forecasts into coordinated, localized action and to institutionalise heat resilience practices for long-term sustainability beyond the project period.

2. Objective of the Fellowship

The Heatwave Resilience Fellow will serve as the critical bridge between the HeatAI technology platform and the municipal governance structure of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City. The Fellow will support the localisation of AI-driven heatwave forecasts into actionable municipal responses, build institutional capacity within the municipality, facilitate community-level engagement, and ensure the sustained integration of the HeatAI platform into the city’s heat governance frameworks after project completion.

3. Key Responsibilities

3.1 Municipal Coordination and Governance Integration

• Serve as the day-to-day liaison between YI-Lab and Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, maintaining regular coordination with ward representatives and municipal staff

• Support the integration of HeatAI platform forecasts and dashboards into municipal decision-making processes and the existing Nepalgunj Heat Action Plan (2023)

• Assist in developing ward-level emergency response protocols aligned with HeatAI early warnings

• Identify and mentor a designated municipal focal point to independently operate and sustain the HeatAI system post-project

• Document coordination meetings, decisions, and action points for monitoring and reporting

3.2 Community Outreach and Awareness

• Co-facilitate 20 community awareness sessions in high-risk informal settlements (Wards 13, 14, 19, 21, and 22), using the HeatAI Heatwave Toolkit and culturally sensitive outreach materials

• Transfer facilitation skills to local community focal persons to ensure continuity of awareness activities beyond the project

• Ensure inclusive participation of women, girls, Dalit and Muslim community members, and youth in all outreach activities

• Support sex-, age-, and group-disaggregated data (SADD) collection during community sessions using the Tathyanka app

3.3 School Engagement and Education

• Coordinate with municipal education offices to facilitate access to 20 schools selected through the participatory vulnerability mapping process

• Co-organise 20 orientation and awareness sessions for school staff and students, integrating Heatwave Toolkit content and HeatAI platform demonstrations

• Transfer facilitation skills to school focal teachers to enable peer-to-peer sharing and sustained heatwave education beyond the project

• Support teachers in accessing and using heatwave educational modules on Shikshya.org within classrooms

3.4 Capacity Building and Training Support

• Support the delivery of training sessions for 50 municipal officials, 100 teachers and school staff, and 20 community leaders on heatwave prevention, early warning interpretation, and protective action

• Assist participants in understanding and applying AI-generated heatwave forecasts to their respective roles and responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of practical guidance materials and the Heatwave Toolkit for local use

3.5 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of all fellowship activities, including attendance registers, session reports, and coordination minutes

• Contribute to data collection for project MEL indicators, ensuring SADD disaggregation across all activities

• Submit monthly activity reports to the Innovation Coordinator at YI-Lab

• Contribute to the mid-term review (July 2026) and final evaluation (November–December 2026) with field-level evidence and case documentation

4. Key Deliverables

# Deliverable                                                                                                                                                 Due Date             Linked Activity

1 Fellow Inception Report: work plan, stakeholder mapping, and initial municipal coordination                 End of May 2026 Activity 2.3

2 20 community awareness sessions completed with attendance records and SADD data                          By Sept 2026     Activity 3.2

3 20 school orientation sessions completed with facilitation skills transferred to focal teachers                 By Sept 2026         Activity 2.4

4 Municipal focal point identified and mentored; integration of HeatAI into Heat Action Plan documented By Sept 2026         Activity 2.5

5 Monthly activity reports (x5) submitted to YI-Lab Innovation Coordinator                                                 Monthly, May–Sept Activity 5.2

6 Contribution to mid-term review with field evidence and case documentation                                          July 2026         Activity 5.2

7 End-of-fellowship report: lessons learned, sustainability plan, and handover documentation                 End of Sept 2026 Activity 5.2

5. Required Qualifications and Experience

5.1 Essential

• Bachelor's degree in environmental science, Climate Change, Development Studies, Public Administration, Social Work, Geomatics or a related field

• At least one year of experience in community engagement, local governance coordination, or development programme implementation

• Strong communication and facilitation skills in Nepali (fluency required); proficiency in local languages spoken in Nepalgunj is an asset

• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, social inclusion, and working with marginalised communities

• Proficiency in computer applications, GISwillingness to learn the HeatAI platform and Tathyanka data collection app

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a municipal office environment

5.2 Preferred

• Prior experience working with local governments or municipalities in Nepal

• Understanding of disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, or heatwave management

• Experience in data collection, monitoring, or evaluation in a field context

• Familiarity with Nepalgunj’s socio-cultural and geographic context

• Experience working with Dalit, Muslim, or other marginalised communities

6. Support Provided to the Fellow

• Comprehensive induction and training on climate governance, social inclusion, HeatAI platform tools, and the Heatwave Toolkit before placement

• Regular technical supervision and mentoring from the YI-Lab Innovation Coordinator and GESI Focal Person

• Access to all project resources including awareness materials, sensor data dashboards, Shikshya.org modules, and Tathyanka app

• Coordination support from YI-Lab for engagement with municipal leadership and ward representatives

• Monthly check-ins and participation in project team meetings via YI-Lab’s OpenProject platform

• Participation in the mid-term review and final evaluation as a key project contributor

• Fellowship completion certificate and reference letter from Youth Innovation Lab

7. Working Arrangements

The Fellow will be embedded full-time within the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City office from May to September 2026 (5 months). The fellowship is structured as follows:

• Working hours aligned with the municipality office schedule (Sunday–Friday, standard government hours)

• Field visits to schools, community hubs, and informal settlement areas as required by the workplan

• Regular coordination with the YI-Lab team in Kathmandu through scheduled virtual check-ins and via OpenProject

• Monthly activity reports submitted by the 5th of each following month

• All data collected during fellowship activities must be entered into the Tathyanka app and submitted to YI-Lab within 48 hours of each session

8. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Commitments

The Heatwave Resilience Fellow is expected to actively champion gender equality and social inclusion throughout their placement. Specifically, the Fellow will:

• Ensure that women, girls, and marginalised community members constitute at least 50% of participants across all community and school sessions

• Apply gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate facilitation approaches, including creating safe spaces for women and girls to participate

• Coordinate with local leaders and religious figures to address cultural barriers to participation where relevant

• Collect and report all participant data in sex-, age-, and group-disaggregated form (SADD)

• Flag any GESI concerns or barriers observed in the field to the YI-Lab GESI Focal Person in a timely manner

9. Application Process

Interested candidates meeting the above qualifications are invited to apply with the following documents:

• Updated CV (maximum 3 pages)

• Cover letter (maximum 1 page) explaining motivation, relevant experience, and connection to the Nepalgunj context

• Contact details of two professional references.

Deadline for submission of application

Application Deadline: 30 April 2026

YI-Lab strongly encourages applications from women, Dalit, Muslim, and other marginalized community members, and from candidates with local knowledge of Banke District and Nepalgunj.