Florida Sea Grant announces a new program that will provide financial support to high-achieving graduate or undergraduate students who are enrolled full-time at Florida universities, in order to support timely and innovative ocean and coastal-related research. The simple application process is outlined below. Two scholars will be awarded at the start of each summer and fall semester.

Selected projects must align with one or more of the goals identified in our current Florida Sea Grant Strategic Plan.

Students are eligible to receive the award just one time, as our aim is to support a diversity of projects and establish a cadre of scholars over the lifetime of this award. During their academic career in Florida, we will support the selected students with research funds and also provide them with opportunities to become familiar with our statewide program, including our extension, education and outreach faculty.

To apply, a student needs to submit the following items and follow the specifications provided below. All application materials must be sent by e-mail directly to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and for this first iteration of the award, be received no later than September 10, 2012. 

Applications must include the following:

1. A two-page description of the proposed project, with the following sections. Proposals can be single spaced, have margins no smaller than ½ inch, and use 12 point New Times Roman font. At the top of the first page, give a short title for the project, your name, your academic affiliation, and your email address and phone number. Then address these three items.

a. Rationale – why is the project needed? What information gap will be filled?

b. Response – what methods will you use to address your project objectives? Be concise, but give us enough information to evaluate the merits of the proposed work.

c. Expected Results – what major results do you expect to obtain and how do you expect that they might be used?  

2. A brief explanation of how you intend to use the funds to support the project. The intention is to support the research project, not to pay for traveling to scientific or other conferences.

3. Your one-page resume.

4. A brief letter from your faculty mentor indicating that you are enrolled full time in a degree program at the university, that he/she supports your submittal of the proposal and that he/she will allow you to work on the project if it is funded and that your university will provide our required 50 cents on a dollar of non-federal matching funds.

The maximum amount of each award will be for $2,000. Awardees will work with our program to fill out standard Program Development proposal forms and route them through their university sponsored programs office in order to receive the funding, and they will need to report their results within 90 days of project completion in our online activity reporting system.