Sea Grant sponsors a variety of marine research, outreach and education projects, primarily through the 33 state Sea Grant Programs.

The National Sea Grant office offers several fellowship opportunities for graduate students with an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, including the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. In addition, there are often other federal and state-fellowships in the field of marine science. A student applicant guide to Sea Grant fellowships can be found here.

Current Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities

2026 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

Submission Deadline: 5PM local time (ET) February 19, 2025

The NOAA Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship application period is now open. The Knauss Fellowship, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean and coastal resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid fellowship. CTSG is now accepting applications from graduate students for the one-year period anticipated to begin February 1, 2026. Each award will be $78,100 for salary/stipend and personnel expenses as well as additional funding for allowable expenses and office-related travel. For more detailed information please look at the Knauss Fellowship website: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Knauss-Fellowship-Program. Interested students should discuss this fellowship with the Connecticut Sea Grant Director, Dr. Sylvain De Guise (sylvain.deguise@uconn.edu). A copy of the RFP can be obtained here.

For more information, contact the National Sea Grant Office, at: OAR.SG.Fellows@noaa.gov. Complete applications must be submitted to the CTSG office no later than 5:00 pm (ET) local time February 19, 2025. Those intending to apply should contact the CTSG Director (sylvain.deguise@uconn.edu) as early as possible in the application process.

Key talking points for Knauss Fellowship applications can be found here.

Knauss Fellowship student guide can be found here.

A PowerPoint presentation about the Knauss Fellowship can be found here.

Please contact Dr. Syma Ebbin at the CTSG office, (syma.ebbin@uconn.edu) for additional information.

2025 NMFS-Sea Grant Graduate Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics

Applications due Jan. 23, 2025

The 2025 Sea Grant Graduate Fellowship in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics is open for submissions by interested students. The fellowships are available to U.S. citizens who are graduate students enrolled in PhD degree programs at an accredited university in the United States or its territories in population dynamics, ecosystem dynamics, resource or environmental economics, or a related field such as wildlife biology, fishery biology, natural resource management, marine biology, quantitative ecology, applied mathematics, applied statistics, or simulation modeling.

Alternatively, a prospective fellow may submit a signed letter from the institution indicating provisional acceptance to a Ph.D. degree program conditional on obtaining financial support such as this fellowship.

Sea Grant and NMFS expect to support up to four new Fellows in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and at least one new Fellow in Marine Resource Economics, both commencing August 1, 2025. Fellows will work on thesis problems of public interest and relevance to NMFS and will be required to work closely with an expert (mentor) from participating NMFS Science Centers or offices. Mentors may provide data for the fellow’s thesis, serve on the fellow’s committee, and/or host an annual summer internship at the participating NMFS facility.

Eligible interested students must submit application materials to their local state Sea Grant program (Connecticut Sea Grant if you are a student in Connecticut) by January 23, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. ET. Those intending to apply should reach out at least one to two months prior to this deadline and contact the Connecticut Sea Grant Research Coordinator, Dr. Syma Ebbin (syma.ebbin@uconn.edu).

Download the NOFO for the Fellowship in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics HERE. Additional Information for students is available https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/357167 (You need the free Adobe Reader to read these documents.)

For more information, contact Dr. Syma Ebbin at syma.ebbin@uconn.edu at the CTSG office or the NMFS Sea Grant Fellowship Program Manager by email at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov; by phone at: 240-507-3712 or refer to: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/NMFS-SG-Fellowship.

2025 NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship

Application deadline: Jan. 25, 2025

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management is recruiting candidates for the 2025 Coastal Management Fellowship Program. This program provides on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students, while offering project assistance to state and territory coastal zone management agencies and other key NOAA partners. A fact sheet on the program can be found here.

The six fellowship positions, starting in August 2025, are available with the following host organizations:

Maine Coastal Program/Maine Department of Marine Resources
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
New Hampshire Coastal Program
North Carolina Division of Coastal Management
Oregon Coastal Management Program
U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Program

Eligibility requirements, project descriptions, and application guidance can be found on our website and in the attached information.

To be eligible for the 2025 Coastal Management Fellowship, applicants must have completed a master’s or other advanced degree at an accredited U.S. university between August 1, 2023, and July 31, 2025. A wide range of degrees are applicable due to the diversity of projects among the host organizations.

This two-year fellowship offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and reimbursement for travel and relocation expenses.

Application packages must be submitted to the Sea Grant office in the state where you earned your degree by Friday, January 24, 2025.

NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship opportunity

Application deadline: Feb. 29, 2025

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is pleased to announce the Coastal Resilience Fellowship, which will place 33 fellows with Climate Resilience Regional Challenge projects and will be funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. This fellowship is a two-year opportunity (June 2025 to June 2027), offering a competitive salary of $42,000 to $56,000, depending on the cost of living in the fellowship location, plus medical benefits and travel and relocation expense reimbursement. Eligibility requirements can be found on the Coastal Resilience Fellowship webpage.

In July 2024, NOAA announced recipients of the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge awards. This one-time funding opportunity of $575 million was provided through the Inflation Reduction Act, and 19 projects received between $1 million and $75 million for work focused on increasing resilience to extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes and storm surge) and longer-term, chronic hazards (e.g., sea level rise, drought, wildfire, extreme heat, and coastal erosion). Each project is eligible to receive up to two fellows to support implementation of the projects and provide learning and professional development opportunities for the selected fellows.

The application period opened on December 2, 2024, when descriptions of the fellowship opportunities will be posted on the NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship website. Interested applicants should apply by February 29, 2025. Selection will occur in the spring prior to the June 2025 start date.