Ocean Acidification Graduate Research Fellowship

Note: The following information is for the 2018 application cycle and is for reference only. Applications are currently closed.

Fellowship Description

The Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Programs (MASGP), in partnership with the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), are pleased to announce the availability of Ocean Acidification (OA) Graduate Research Fellowships for the two-year period covering the 2018 and 2019 academic years. The fellowship is open to full-time graduate students at any academic institution in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia who are engaged in coastal and marine research relevant to regional ocean, coastal, and estuarine acidification. In addition to supporting the student's academic expenses, the fellowship will provide additional professional development opportunities throughout its duration, focusing on science communication, management application, outreach, and other Sea Grant and OAP activities and mission priorities.

The overall goal of the fellowship is to develop OA researchers for the Mid-Atlantic in order for the Mid-Atlantic region to respond rapidly to the anticipated ocean acidification. The Ocean Acidification Graduate Research Fellowship will support exceptional graduate students who are engaged in education and research that furthers the goals of the MASGP and OAP (together with the 'sponsors'). The fellowship also provides hands-on experience in translating research results to coastal and marine stakeholders, through a professional mentor, and offers fellows professional development training opportunities. Through these fellowships MASGP and OAP will achieve their goals of 1) increasing OA knowledge and research capacity in the Mid-Atlantic region through education and workforce development; 2) addressing key priority research needs on OA within the Mid-Atlantic region, and; 3) transferring fellowship research OA knowledge to relevant stakeholders through outreach and extension.

Ocean Acidification Graduate Research Fellows address issues relevant to coastal ecosystems and communities related to coastal and ocean acidification. The focus should be on improving understanding of the potential ecological consequences of increasing carbon dioxide concentration in regional coastal waters. Projects may encompass natural and/or social science research topics.

Eligibility

Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time graduate or professional degree program at an accredited academic institution in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York or Virginia prior to the awarding of the fellowship, no later than the fall 2018 semester. Students are expected to complete the fellowship while enrolled at their home institution. Students may be working toward a degree in any discipline as long as they are engaged in research that is coastal- or marine-related and relevant to the mission of the MASGP and OAP. The sponsors strongly encourage students who are from underrepresented groups in marine science, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans to apply.

Award Information

The fellowship provides a total award of $47,000 per year for two years. For this fellowship, a yearly nonfederal match of at least $12,500 is required. Only non-Federal funds may be committed as matching contribution. Pursuant to federal regulation (15 C.F.R. § 917.11), no overhead is permitted on Sea Grant Fellowships. It is acceptable to the MASGP for the difference between an institution's federally negotiated overhead rate and the Sea Grant 0% Fellowship overhead rate to be applied toward the match. See Fellowship Announcement - Budget and Budget Justification section for more details.

Contingent upon available federal funding, fellowships are available for two years for M.S. and Ph.D. students. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2018. We anticipate supporting approximately five fellowships, one in each of the five participating states, starting the fall of 2018. The MASGP will make all awards to the student's primary academic advisor, as required by most university-sponsored programs. However, the sponsors expect that students will lead in developing and submitting the fellowship proposal.

How to Apply

For full details on the application requirements, and review and selection process, please download the Fellowship Announcement. For additional information on the how to submit your application, please refer to the Fellowship Announcement and eSeaGrant Instructions, available on this page.

Intent to Apply

Delaware applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Delaware Sea Grant's Director, Dr. Kathryn Coyne (kcoyne@udel.edu) to indicate their interest in the fellowship and to discuss the application process. Applicants can express their interest in the fellowship by sending a short, simple email - please include "Ocean Acidification Fellowship" in the subject line.

All Delaware applicants must contact Lori Hans (lhans@udel.edu) to seek guidance/assistance with creating their budgets and submitting their proposal through UD’s Sponsored Programs Office. This is required 3 business days prior to the sponsor deadline of 4/13/18 and prior to submitting the proposal through eSeaGrant.

Applications Submission & eSeaGrant

Applications must be submitted online via eSeaGrant (http://vaseagrant.ecsion.com). If you plan to apply, we recommend registering for eSeaGrant at least two weeks in advance of the deadline. The sponsors will not accept late applications under any circumstances (e.g., internet delays), so please allow ample time to submit your application in advance of the deadline.

Recommendation Letters

To maintain confidentiality, the sponsors require that letters NOT be submitted with the student's application; instead, letters should be requested and uploaded through eSeaGrant. Letters must be submitted by the deadline.