NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship and Digital Coast Fellowship

About the Fellowships

• A fellowship established for postgraduate students to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management, policy or coastal issues.
• A two-year opportunity that offers a competitive salary, medical benefits and relocation and travel expense reimbursement.
• The Coastal Management Fellowship: This program matches postgraduate students with state coastal resource agencies to work on coastal projects proposed by the state and selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center. A broad range of degrees are applicable for the Coastal Management Fellowship because the state projects are new and different each year. Previous fellows have had degrees in environmental studies, natural resource management, marine affairs, marine science, geology, public affairs and regional land management. The most important prerequisite is an interest in coastal issues.
• The Digital Coast Fellowship:  This fellowship is open every other year; it is not open for 2025 applicants.
  The program has the same requisites, policies and procedures as the Coastal Management Fellowship program. This program matches postgraduate students with an interest in coastal issues, with members of the Digital Coast Partnership. Digital Coast is a collection of data, tools, training, and information for those working to preserve our coastal communities and natural resources. A broad range of degrees are applicable to the Digital Coast Fellowship because the projects are new and different each year. Previous fellows have had degrees in environmental studies, natural resource management, marine affairs, marine science, geology, public affairs and regional land management. The most important prerequisite is an interest in coastal issues.

Eligibility

Any U.S. citizen who will complete a master’s or other advanced degree at an accredited U.S. university between August 1, 2023, and July 31, 2025, is eligible to apply for the Coastal Management Fellowships. A variety of degrees are applicable to the fellowship because the projects are new and different each year.

How to Apply

Application Submission:

Students should submit an application consisting of one PDF containing the four required elements listed below, to Mia Zwolinski, Texas Sea Grant Research Coordinator, by email at mzwolinski@tamu.edu by Friday, January 24, 2025, 5:00 PM CST. This is a firm deadline. Applicants will receive a confirmation receipt of the submission.

All four 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.

Each Sea Grant program office may select and nominate up to three candidates from their state to the NOAA Office for Coastal Management for review. In order to support an increase in diversity in the Fellowship, the Sea Grant office may select one additional application from a candidate who attended a minority-serving institution, resulting in a total of four nominees. The fourth nomination spot is reserved solely for minority-serving institution candidates

All application elements must be submitted in one combined PDF document in the exact order as noted below:

1. Resume or curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages using 12-point font).
2. Statement of the applicant’s goals with emphasis on what the applicant expects from and can contribute to the fellowship experience. This should also include how the fellowship can help reach goals that may be difficult to reach without the fellowship opportunity. Include any obstacles that have been overcome to reach this point in your academic career (500 words or less).
3. Two letters of recommendation, including one from the applicant’s principal professor. If no principal professor exists, the faculty member who is most familiar with the applicant’s academic work may be substituted.
4. Unofficial copies of all undergraduate and graduate student transcripts.

Any additional materials submitted will not be considered in the selection process. If after the NOAA National review process, you are selected as a finalist, an additional writing sample will be requested.

Review Criteria & Other Considerations

Applicants are encouraged to review the Frequently Asked Questions contained within the 2025 Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship Announcement linked above.