John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

Introduction

The Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program was established by Congress in 1979 and is named in honor of one of Sea Grant’s founders, former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss. The fellowship offers a unique educational experience to graduate and professional students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches the students with hosts in the legislative or executive branch of the federal government for a one-year, paid fellowship (13-month award term) in the Washington, D.C. area.

Applications are due to Texas Sea Grant by June 3, 2026 5:00 p.m. CST for the fellowships beginning June 1 of the following year. The final decision is made by a review panel convened by the National Sea Grant Office. While the number of fellowships offered varies with the availability of positions, Texas Sea Grant has had at least one to three accepted almost every year.

Fellows from Texas have served their fellowship year in legislative offices or at agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. The majority have gone on to careers in federal agencies, higher education institutions, or non-governmental organizations related to coastal or marine resources or policies.

Please consult the Federal Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) # NOAA-OAR-SG–2027-32433, which contains the guidelines/requirements for documents and content (summarized below), selection criteria, as well as the review and selection process.

Eligibility

An eligible applicant is any student who can meet the following requirements:

1. The student is a U.S. Citizen (born or naturalized), a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), or a dual national with at least one citizenship as the U.S.
2. The student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2025 Fall Term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and June 3, 2026;
3. The graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories; and
4. The student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

Other Criteria That Affect Eligibility

• The one-year fellowship will take place in the National Capital region. Applicants must be prepared to relocate to the Washington, D.C. area.
• Student applicants who are dual nationals, please note: while this fellowship is open to dual nationals, a significant number of participating federal host offices are unable to accept dual nationals as Fellows. This may reduce the number of placement opportunities available to dual nationals. Dual nationals are eligible for both the Executive and Legislative cohorts.
• Applicants must be able to pass a federal background security check.
• Prior contact/arrangements made with possible host offices before the start of the placement week will be cause for immediate disqualification from the process.
• Applicants who have been accepted as National Finalists and/or become Fellows are not eligible to apply again without the written permission of the NSGO Fellowships Manager, which will only be granted in response to exceptional life events. A National Finalist is defined as an applicant who goes through the review process and is selected at the national level for the fellowship program. If Alternates are selected, they are eligible for re-application if they withdraw prior to accepting a finalist position or are not offered a finalist position and would otherwise still be eligible to apply. Student applicants are considered Finalists until they are placed into a host office during the placement process.

Length of Assignment

NOTE per NOAA/National Sea Grant Office guidance:

The Start Date on all applications is June 1, 2027, regardless of the NOFO’s verbiage on page 2 of “Period of Performance: Projects must have a start date no earlier than February 1, 2027, and an end date of no later than June 30, 2028.”

The fellowship is a 12-month nonrenewable, non-deferrable term. The inclusive dates of the award are June 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028; however, these dates can be slightly adjusted to accommodate academic semester needs. The award runs for 13 months, with the 13th month for relocation purposes.

Before Applying

• Review the 2027 Knauss Fellowship Summary for Applicants document;
• Review the NOFO Updates from Prior Year NOFO, References, and Recommendations document;
• Visit and review all resources at the NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Prospective Fellows Webpage and pay particular attention to the 8 blue cards entitled, Knauss Fellowship Tips for Applicants.
• Familiarize yourself with the 2027 General Student Applicant Guide to Sea Grant Fellowships for helpful tips and a better understanding of the different aspects comprising a fellowship package.
• Review and study the 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide for detailed information on application criteria and requirements. This guide provides exact specifics for each application element required, including funding opportunity guideline Review Criteria and provides suggestions and tips for successful completion of each element. This document contains the answers to the exam, so to speak.
• Review and understand the Knauss Fellowship Applicant Presentation for an overview of the program, including new application requirements.
• Review the Spring 2026 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program fact sheet.
• Take advantage of this special opportunity to watch a recorded webinar with Dr. Nicolás Alvarado, Knauss Fellowship alum, as he shares his story from Knauss Fellow to integral NOAA Navigation Manager. Feel free to access Dr. Alvarado’s PowerPoint presentation as you follow along with the recording.
• News Article: “Sea Grant Knauss Fellows Reflect on Year-long Marine Policy Experience” From the Coast to the Capital.
• See what other Knauss Fellows say about their experiences during their Fellowship at the link: Texas Sea Grant Knauss Fellows blog.

How to Submit an Application

• Students should submit applications to a State Sea Grant Program Office and not submit information directly into eRA grant system.
• Submit an application consisting of one PDF document containing the 4 required elements listed below, to Mia Zwolinski, Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, at: mzwolinski@tamu.edu. Applications should be received by Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CST. This is a firm deadline. An email submission receipt will be provided to the applicant.
• All 4 elements of the application must be completed by the student and submitted in one combined PDF in the exact required order as noted in the Federal Funding Opportunity guidelines and as listed below. 
  • NOTE: ensure that you have followed the guidelines below, under Application Elements Required, for developing PDF documents that are newly required for applications that will be submitted via the eRA grant system. This includes “flattening” a PDF document and other tips for preparing PDFs without using the “bundling” or “portfolio” feature when compiling into one PDF, per the eRA guidance, noted on page 5 of the NOFO.
  • Additionally, electronic signatures cannot be retained in a PDF for applications submitted in eRA. Best practice to retain the electronic signature: after the electronic signature is signed within the PDF, “flatten” the document by printing the PDF to a PDF, and save with a different filename. Then compile into your one PDF application document and save with the required filename as noted below under Application Elements Required.
• It is recommended to contact your letter writers 4-6 weeks before the submission due date, ideally before the last week of April, to provide adequate time for you to work with your pending referees.
• Texas Sea Grant will complete the sub-elements of the Director Letter of Recommendation, 90-4 Budget Form, Budget Narrative, Project Abstract and other Research Related Federal forms.
• Do not contact the Director of Texas Sea Grant for the Director Letter of Support; this letter is not required at the application stage; the Research Coordinator Team will reach out to the applicant as noted below, week of June 25-26, to prepare for scheduling applicant meetings with the director, for development of the Director Letter of Support.
• Texas A&M Sponsored Research Services will complete the eRA application file and submit the selected applications via eRA grant system by July 22, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CST.

Application Elements Required

Applicants please note: NOFO guidelines have changed; for each of the 4 required application elements listed below, it is extremely important that you reference the helpful 2027 Knauss Student Guide, the 2027 Knauss Fellowship Summary for Applicants, and the 2027 NOFO Updates from Prior Year, References and Recommendations documents, linked above, that have summarized the specific requirements; follow the instructions exactly; and follow and understand the Review Criteria to which each specific section will be judged by the reviewers.

Submit ONE PDF consisting of the following 4 elements IN THE FOLLOWING SEQUENTIAL ORDER:

Required Filename: TXSG_2027_Knauss_Student’s Last Name

1. Curriculum Vitae
   Not to exceed two pages. The student should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). Recommended minimum 11 pt. font, 1” margins. See 2027 Knauss NOFO page 8 and 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide pages 9 and 10.
2. Personal Education and Career Development Response
   The statement should emphasize the applicant’s abilities and expectations from the fellowship experience in terms of their career development; see new guidelines and criteria. Each section and subsequent subsection should be answered separately using the following section headers below. The entire personal education and career development section should not exceed 1,500 words total. Section headers will not count as part of the overall word count. Recommended minimum 11 pt. font; 1” margins. Exclude personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). 
   • Section One: Career Path and Objectives. The suggested word count is 750 words for this section; do not exceed word count. See page 8 of 2027 Knauss NOFO, and pages 10-12 of 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide, for details.
   • Section Two: Career Path Experience. The suggested word count is 750 words for this section; do not exceed word count. See pages 8 and 9 of 2027 Knauss NOFO, and pages 12-13 of 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide, for details.
3. Relevant Coursework and Future Year Plans 
   Not to exceed one page single-spaced. Recommended minimum 11 pt. font, 1” margins. See page 9 of 2027 Knauss NOFO, and pages 13-14 of 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide, for details. Do not just list plans and coursework; elaborate on your plans, why the plans will benefit you and why the plans will benefit the Knauss Fellowship. Use the whitespace of the page to elaborate on the benefits.
4. Two letters of recommendation
   Applications must submit 2 letters of recommendation:
   
   4a. Faculty Letter: Academic letter from a faculty member, familiar with the student’s current enrollment who has knowledge of the applicant’s academic and research (when applicable) performance; see guidelines, criteria, page limits.
   
   4b. Other Letter: Additional letter of support, from another reference.
   • Include letters in the application pdf file – do not send separately. Should a referee desire confidentiality, they may email their letter directly to:  Mia Zwolinski, Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, at: mzwolinski@tamu.edu.
     • If this is the case, the applicant should include a blank page with the name of the referee as a placeholder page in the application. Texas Sea Grant will compile the letter(s) into the application file on your behalf. 

These 4 elements comprise the one combined application PDF file.

• Combine all 4 elements into a single PDF, save and use the required filename (TXSG_2027 Knauss_Student’s Last Name).
• Submit the application PDF file, along with the 2-3  additional documents listed below. The 3^rd document, include only if applicable. Submit all documents in an email, to the Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, Mia Zwolinski, at mzwolinski@tamu.edu.

Additional Documents Required

These 2 to 3 ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS are required to be submitted with your one application PDF file:

1. Current Graduate Student Transcript Only
   Transcripts are no longer required to be included within the application documents that are submitted to the sponsor. However, the state Sea Grant program is required to confirm ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY when we submit the Letter of Intent to nominate Knauss applicants to the National Sea Grant Program Office. Eligibility, as defined above is “(2) The student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2025 Fall Term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and June 3, 2026. Therefore, the Current Graduate Student Transcript is required to be submitted with your application PDF and will be used to satisfy the ENROLLMENT eligibility. We will NOT include the transcripts with the application submission to NOAA.
   • Requirement: Attach the transcript with the application PDF file submission email. Required filename: GradTranscript_Student Last Name.
2. List of Current and Pending Support for the student, for any fellowships or internships:
   Complete the Current_Pending_Support_Knauss Applicant.doc. This document is not required for inclusion within the application documents that are submitted to the sponsor.However, the state Sea Grant program is required to receive documentation of any applicant having a current award, pending not yet received award, or future application submission of any other fellowships or internships, when we submit the Letter of Intent to nominate Knauss applicants to the National Sea Grant Program Office. Therefore, completion of the Current_Pending_Support_Knauss Applicant.doc will satisfy this requirement. Per guidelines, we will NOT include the Current and Pending Support document with the application submission to NOAA.
   • Requirement: Attach the Curr/Pending document with the application PDF file submission email. Required filename: CurrPending_Student Last Name.
3. If applicable, include the written statement from the National Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship Program Manager: For applicants from states not served by an eligible Sea Grant Program, but applying through an eligible Sea Grant Program. The statement should refer the applicant to the most appropriate eligible Sea Grant Program.
   • Requirement: Attach the NSGO Referral Letter, if applicable, with the application file submission email. Required filename: NSGO Referral Letter_Student Last Name.
   • Per National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) guidance, although NOT stated in the NOFO, should you have a NSGO Referral Letter, the NSGO has guided for us to insert the letter, on your behalf, at the end of your application PDF file.

Evaluation Criteria and Other Information

All applicants will be evaluated on their application package according to the application content; Evaluation Review Criteria used by the NOAA/National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) may be found in the NOFO guidelines, (NOFO numbered pages 12-15) and are specifically referenced in the helpful 2027 Knauss Student Guide noted and linked above.

• Up to six applicants may be selected by the Sea Grant Program, plus up to an additional six from states not served by an eligible Sea Grant Program, but approved to apply through an eligible Sea Grant Program.
• Prior contacts / arrangements made with possible host offices before the start of placement week will be cause for immediate disqualification from the process.
• The Knauss Fellowship is a learning opportunity. All applicants will be provided with BLINDED review comments. This will include reviews of Letters of Recommendation. Applicants will not receive a copy of the letters.
• State-level review is scored out of 100 points (excluding Criteria Director Letter, 10 points, reviewed at the national level), while national-level review is scored out of 110 points.
• Evaluation criteria are largely the same at both levels, but national review also considers the Sea Grant program director’s endorsement letter.

Stipend and Expenses

The Knauss Fellowship is administered through the state Sea Grant program, all student applicants should be made aware of the anticipated salary, benefits, etc., that the state Sea Grant program will be providing. The Texas Sea Grant Knauss Fellow is considered as an Independent Contractor, not as an employee, and will be setup as a vendor for receiving quarterly stipend payments and reimbursement of Professional Development costs.

• As an Independent Contractor, benefits are not taken from the stipend;
• It is the responsibility of the Fellow to budget to pay for taxes; and to
• Secure health insurance from your stipend funds;
• A Fellow may continue as a student to finish their advanced degree. As a student, your stipend may be able to be paid via AggieBuy after being setup as a vendor, (rather than being paid via Texas A&M Scholarships and Financial Aid, through your student account, as was done historically);
• TXSG will hold a Finalist Award Review Webinar with our Fiscal Officer, after the Finalists Welcome Workshop in early October, 2026, to ensure your understanding of the NSGO Knauss Fellowship Financial Conversation Guide and how TXSG manages the award funds.

The Sea Grant Program receives and administers the overall cooperative agreement of up to $95,600 per student on behalf of each Fellow selected from their program, with the option to add additional funds if allowed by the host office with which the selected applicant is placed.

• Application packages will propose a total of $97,200 in funding; this includes base funding for each award of $79,700 with optional host office-approved travel up to an additional $17,500.
• $74,700 is to be used by the eligible Sea Grant Program to cover the fellow’s salary/stipend for the 12 months of the fellowship (paid to the fellow in $18,675 quarterly stipends). $5,000 is available for allowable Professional Development costs.
  • Allowable expenses could include, but are not limited to, relocation prior to/following the fellowship, academic tuition, journal publication fees, academic- and fellowship-related travel, conference fees, in-person and online trainings and workshops that support the successful completion of the fellowship and future career development of the Fellow. Relocation costs are allowable in compliance with 2 CFR 200.464 and university policy.
  • Unallowable Costs: Costs for equipment or supplies (including books) for the student’s permanent use, costs for membership to professional societies, indirect costs, the purchase or rental of any land, or the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of any building, dock, or vessel; except that payment under any such grant or contract may be applied to the short-term rental of buildings or facilities for meetings which are in direct support of any Sea Grant Program or project and may, if approved by the Secretary, be applied to the purchase, rental, construction, preservation, or repair of non-self-propelled habitats, buoys, platforms, and other similar devices or structures, or to the rental of any research vessel which is used in direct support of activities under any Sea Grant Program or project.
  • Fellowship funds may not be used to travel to State Department Orange or Red Listed countries without prior approval of the National Sea Grant Office.
• Applications should also include travel costs totaling $17,500, of which $15,000 will be budgeted for optional host office related travel and training (if the host office approves), and $2,500 will be budgeted for optional placement week expenses, which would be provided at the discretion of the National Sea Grant Office.

The Fellow is responsible for managing the planned budget.

Types of Placements

Fellows’ placements may be in the Legislative or Executive Federal branches. After Finalists are selected, a Knauss Finalist Welcome Workshop webinar will be held on September 24, 2026, to describe the next steps, including the difference between Executive and Legislative Fellowship placements. The Finalist will then be asked to write a 300-word or less justification for wanting to be placed in the Executive or Legislative class. Writing Training and Writing Samples will occur during the Finalist Welcome Workshop. See Appendix C, page 22, 2027 Knauss Student Guide.

The National Sea Grant Office will announce the split of the Executive or Legislative cohort classes in October, 2026.

In February 2027, Legislative Finalists or April 2027, Executive Finalists, will participate in Placement Week. Placement Week is filled with interviews, networking with potential hosts, and then host position-fellow pairing.

To learn more about the types of placements available through the fellowship program please review the list of prior potential Knauss positions, 2023 Knauss Executive Positions. Please note that for most positions, selected Fellows must be able to pass a federal background security check. Most positions require a public trust clearance; some require a secret clearance. You will be asked detailed questions about your personal history. This includes answering questions about your previous citizenship, residence, education, employment, character references, selective service, military service, and illegal drug use. An example of a security background form is available HERE. Please note that federal laws supersede state laws.

See the video “The Knauss Legislative Fellowship: Why It Might Be Right For You” (produced by Maryland Sea Grant), which provides information regarding legislative placement.

Reporting Requirements

Overview

Sea Grant Fellows will be administratively responsible to their sponsoring State Sea Grant Directors during their terms in Washington, D.C., but must be responsive to the administrative and technical direction from the host to whom they report. The role of the Knauss Program Manager in the NSGO is one of the ombudsman between the Fellow, the host, the Sea Grant Programs and the sponsoring institution. The Fellow is responsible for managing the planned budget and for reporting progress.

Reporting

Financial and project progress (technical) reports must be submitted semi-annually in accordance with federal regulations and award terms. Fellows are required to submit a mid-year and a final performance report (summary of accomplishments and activities) to their Sea Grant program. Sea Grant programs will submit all reports to the NOAA Grants Office via eRA.

The mid-year report (details the first 6 months of their fellowship), is submitted to their home Sea Grant program by November 12, 2027 and their final report by May 12, 2028 (before the end of their fellowship, 5/31/2028). Final deliverables require the Final RPPR, Final Signed Professional Development Plan, and also a Knauss Fellowship Blog post and the student Performance Measure Data submission on May 12, 2028.

The report template is the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) format. A template geared towards the Knauss Fellowship will be provided for completion. Fellows should also include the Professional Development Plan approved by their Host Office Supervisor. Submit all documents to Mia Zwolinski, Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, at: mzwolinski@tamu.edu.