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Goal 8. Graduate Education: Produce a Highly Trained Workforce in Marine- and Coastal-Related Sciences
The investment of significant Florida Sea Grant and private funding has trained a cadre of professionals. Past analyses of FSG graduate student programs supported by federal SG funds indicate that the top disciplines (of about 35 supported) are biology, engineering, chemistry/biochemistry, fisheries/aquatic sciences, food science and human nutrition and oceanography. Fifty-two percent of the graduates are working in Florida, 42 percent in 28 other states and 6 percent internationally. They are working in the following classifications (by percent): industry/non-governmental organizations (19); government agencies (16); university teaching/research (17); pursing additional education (12); in degree progress (19); not known (17). Of FSG’s 28 completed Knauss Fellows, 11 now work for NOAA. FSG has the opportunity to contribute to the national pool of trained professionals from its base of 11 public and three private universities functioning in the nation’s fourth largest state.
The future quality of science related to ocean and coastal economic well-being, environmental quality and national security depends on high-caliber graduate education programs. Nowhere is this more critical than in state and federal agencies that manage the coast and in industries that rely upon coastal resources. Over the past several decades, graduate education support for the ocean sciences has been less than the support for the life sciences. The looming "bubble" of retirees during the first decade of the 21st century is compounding the situation and a critical shortage of scientists, ocean policy experts and industry leaders is predicted. That is why producing trained scientists is a high priority.
For a number of years mission agencies, particularly in the federal sector, have been encouraged to support a significant number of graduate student opportunities in a range of marine fields to ensure well-educated professionals in the coming decades. The NOAA strategic plan for 2003-08 includes a priority to increase the number and diversity of college students each year in ocean, climate, atmospheric and social sciences. Of NOAA's employees, 58 percent are in scientific and technical occupations and about 70 percent of NOAA employees retire by the fifth year of eligibility. It is expected that NOAA will lose a large number of its senior scientists during the next decade. The Department of Interior, the Forest Service and the Environmental Protection Agency will lose over half of its Senior Executive Service by 2007. NSF's goal statement in 2003 stated a priority to prepare the future environmental workforce at many levels-researcher, teachers, resource managers and technicians. These large departures in such a short time create difficulties in maintaining core scientific competencies and lost institutional memories.
Florida Sea Grant is responding to this challenge. Financial support is provided to graduate students for scientific investigation guided by a faculty mentor. The results are answers to scientific questions and solutions to real-world problems. Another result is the completion of a masters or doctoral degree with the student graduating to become a part of the highly trained work force. These individuals will one day design the creative management concepts to protect the coastal environment and provide economic sustainability to the industries that use coastal resources.
The measurable goal is the production of a highly trained workforce of interdisciplinary professionals that are hired to work in the academic sector, in government and in industry and who will make major contributions to science and management.
The first line audience for this goal area is both undergraduate and graduate students in Florida's universities and their faculty mentors. The indirect audience is the academic, agency and industry groups that hire the students.
The products and activities used to achieve the goal are: 1) assistantships and student support, 2) industry fellowships, 3) Knauss Fellowships, 4) SG/NMFS fellowships, 5) Aylesworth and Old Salt scholarships, 6) Skoch Scholarships, 7) seminars, and 8) workshops.
The performance indicators will be the percentage of SG funds that are used to support assistantships; tracking disciplines funded to ensure students are being supported in disciplines where graduates are in short supply; success rates in national fellowship program competitions; the amounts of private funds that are raised for student scholarships; the numbers of students completing degrees; and tracking the employment locations of graduated students by academic, agency and industry employment status.
A. Train future decision makers and scientists
- Encourage and prepare student applications for national competitions. These include the:
- John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
- Sea Grant Industry Fellowship
- National Marine Fisheries Service and Sea Grant Fellowship in Population Dynamics and Marine Economics
- NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship
- Solicit and use funds from private, state and federal sources to support students. Sources include:
- Aylesworth Foundation for the Advancement of Marine Science
- Old Salt Fishing Club
- Skoch/Sea Grant Scholarship through the Florida Science and Engineering Fair
- Involve students as a priority consideration in funding research projects, among successful peer-reviewed projects. At least 30% of Florida Sea Grant federal research funds will be used for student support.
- Develop Florida’s position of leadership in coastal and ocean subject areas to promote the flow of information and expand the funding base to build a responsive marine academic resource capability.
- Examine opportunities and programs to increase the involvement of undergraduate students.
B. Promote faculty and staff development
- Enhance faculty and staff development through an annual statewide Newell seminar series.
- Encourage faculty and staff participation at in-service training workshops.
- Support faculty and staff participation at appropriate professional association and industry association meetings.
- Encourage sabbatical and/or exchange programs with other universities, agencies or industry.
Florida Sea Grant's support for graduate and undergraduate education includes various scholarship and fellowship opportunities, as
well as traditional research assistantships funded from both public and private sources. Sea Grant's multidisciplinary approach gives
students scientific knowledge with interdisciplinary perspective; they use multiple contexts to solve problems; and they learn to
communicate complex ideas. Over time, this support has produced significant results. Former scholars now hold professional roles
in education, resource management and business. They have indeed positively influenced sustainable use of marine and coastal resources
- in Florida, nationally and internationally. Their performance affirms Florida Sea Grant's role in the training of future
scientists as part of its total commitment to "Science Serving Florida's Coast."
From 1972-1986, Florida Sea Grant supported an average of 40 graduate students per year using federal Sea Grant funds. Level federal budgets and the effects of inflation reduced the average to about 22 from 1987 to 1996. The implementation of management policy to give priority to federal research proposals that included graduate student support and the addition of funds from private sources caused an increase in the number of graduate students supported from 1997 to 2004 to 25 from federal Sea Grant funds and 9 from private sources, for a total of 34. Additional funds are needed to support at least 30 additional graduate student assistantships.
Undergraduate students have been heavily involved in supporting research projects, but they often become involved in the project after the principal investigator received funding for the project. Summer internships devoted to undergraduates would enhance undergraduate involvement in programs. Ten summer internships are required.
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