The Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship provides unique educational and professional experiences to graduate students and recent graduates who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Selected fellows are matched with host offices in the legislative and executive branches of government in the D.C. area for a one-year paid fellowship.
The Knauss fellowship offers direct experience working on the latest issues in ocean, coastal management and research. Created in 1979, the National Sea Grant College program’s Knauss Fellowship has become one of the nation’s most prestigious marine policy fellowship programs. The program has hosted over 1,662 fellows with 1,180 fellows placed in federal departments and agencies and 482 fellows placed in the U.S. Congress. The program continues to provide consistent opportunities for fellows to explore the national policy process as it relates to marine, coastal and Great Lakes resource issues.
The program provides ample opportunities for students to experience the policymaking process, develop transferable skills, and fine-tune the ability to distill complex scientific information into common language making it accessible to policymakers and the general population. It also allows participants to step outside of their comfort zone, navigate new challenges, collaborate across disciplines, and further develop a career path.
This fellowship runs for a 12-month period beginning on February 1st each year. The application window opens in October, with applications due to local Sea Grant offices no later than February 19, 2025 by 5:00 pm.
To be eligible for a Knauss Fellowship students/graduates must be enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2024 fall term and February 15, 2025. They must also have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.
Students are eligible regardless of nationality, domestic and international students enrolled at accredited U.S. institutions may apply.
This is a paid one-year fellowship. For more information please consult the link to information for prospective fellows listed below.
Applicants from Virginia are highly encouraged to contact the Virginia Sea Grant Office to indicate their interest in the fellowship, discuss the application process, and schedule their interviews. Interest can be sent via email to Lisa Eddy (lmeddy@vaseagrant.org), using the following subject line “Knauss Fellowship.”