Federal Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-OAR-SG-2025-23655
Florida Sea Grant is now accepting applications for the 2025 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship from Florida graduate students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Applications are due to Florida Sea Grant by 5:00p.m. EST, on Feb. 15, 2024.
The fellowship, named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branches of government for a one-year paid immersive policy experience in the Washington, D.C. area. Fellows gain experience translating science knowledge to policy actions.
“We are seeking a wide pool of applicants from a broad diversity of institutions, disciplines and geographies,” says Dr. Sherry Larkin, director of Florida Sea Grant. “Through the Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, we strive to provide an educational and employment opportunity for graduate students of all backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives.”
Knauss fellows have worked in U.S. Senate and House offices, departments in the executive branch, NOAA programs and other agencies. More than 78 graduate students from Florida have served as Knauss fellows throughout the program’s 40-year history, including five fellows for 2023 (here), and four finalists for 2024 (here).
The 2025 fellows will serve from Feb. 1, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2026.
While I am gaining the education I need to thrive in this field, I know that being a Knauss fellow will broaden my knowledge of coastal and environmental law and management, and challenge my cognitive way of thinking.
Eligible applicants are any student, regardless of nationality, that: 1) is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2023 Fall Term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and Feb. 15, 2025, 2) will receive a degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S Territories; and 3) has an interest in ocean, costal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.
Sea Grant champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, working to create a marine science workforce that reflects the communities the program serves. We are recruiting, retaining, and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities.
Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking. We encourage applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, marital statuses, education levels, job classifications, veteran status types, and income, and socioeconomic status types to apply for this opportunity.
All prospective fellows from Florida must submit their applications through Florida Sea Grant’s eSeaGrant portal at eflseagrant.ifas.ufl.edu. Consult the 2025 Knauss Student Guide and the Student Applicant Guide to Sea Grant Fellowships for a complete list of requirements as well as tips and best practices for a successful submission of a Knauss application.
An informational webinar will be held December 19, 2023. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the application process and hear from current and upcoming fellows. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A after. Register here.
Applicants are encouraged to reach out to Florida Sea Grant at fsg-students@ifas.ufl.edu at least one month before the application deadline to provide notification of their intent to apply. Florida Sea Grant is able to nominate up to six students from Florida-based schools for the 2025 Knauss competition.
For questions, contact Florida Sea Grant Student Programs Coordinator Cassie Sexson at fsg-students@ifas.ufl.edu.
Additional information is available at the National Sea Grant fellowship website at seagrant.noaa.gov/prospective.
To learn more about other Florida Sea Grant graduate fellowships, visit flseagrant.org/student-opportunities.
About Florida Sea Grant
Hosted at the University of Florida (UF), the Florida Sea Grant College Program supports research, education and Extension to enhance coastal resources and economic opportunities through a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the State University System of Florida, and UF/IFAS Extension in counties statewide. flseagrant.org | @FloridaSeaGrant
Media Contacts
Cassie Sexson, Student Programs Coordinator, fsg-students@ifas.ufl.edu
