Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

Application deadline: February 15, 2024, 5 pm Alaska Time

Learn and network while working in Washington, D.C.

Knauss Fellowship flyer with image of Capitol building The application period for the 2025 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is open through February 15, 2024.

The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to early career professionals who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. Successful applicants are matched with host offices in the legislative and executive branches of government for one-year paid fellowships from February 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.

To be eligible, students must be enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the start of the 2023 fall term and the application deadline. Applicants are required to apply through a state Sea Grant program. If applicants are successful at the state Sea Grant program level, their applications are then reviewed by a national panel of experts.

All eligible applicants enrolled at an Alaska institution planning to apply should contact Alaska Sea Grant associate director Molly Cain at least one to two months prior to the deadline, to provide notification of the intent to apply and receive application support. Applicants are encouraged to review information about the fellowship provided in the following resources.

Knauss 101 webinars with current fellows

Current Knauss fellows recently hosted four webinars to provide information about applying for the fellowship, share first-hand experiences, and answer questions. The sessions were recorded and are available to view by registering.

Recorded webinar for prospective fellows

In January 2024, Alaska Sea Grant hosted an informational webinar for prospective applicants to the Knauss Fellowship and Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship, which you can watch here.

Application and fellowship resources Eligibility How to apply

Application and fellowship resources

Review the 2025 Knauss Fellowship Student Guide for complete application instructions.
Refer to the Student Applicant Guide to Sea Grant Fellowships for tips on how to create a competitive application.
Visit the Prospective Knauss Fellows page for additional resources, including videos, links to blog posts from current fellows and alumni, and lists of past positions.
See an overview of the fellowship in the Fact Sheet.
Detailed funding description and award information can be found in the 2025 Knauss Fellowship Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Eligibility

Any student, regardless of citizenship, is eligible to submit to this opportunity if

the student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2023 fall term (quarter, trimester or semester) and February 15, 2024;
the graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories, and;
the student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

How to apply

Alaska applicants will submit all application information and materials, including letters of recommendation, through the online eSeaGrant application portal.

To access the Knauss application for Alaska students, go to eSeaGrant using the "begin the process" button below, and select the “Register” tab to register as a PI (if you have not previously registered in eSeaGrant).

Once logged into the system, you will be able to choose the Knauss Fellowship application from among the listed research and fellowship opportunities. Once started, the application can be updated and saved within the system throughout the application period, until you are ready to submit it.

We are here to provide assistance as needed; however, please do not wait until the last minute to apply.

Begin the process

Alaska's fellows

Alaska Sea Grant‘s Knauss Fellows past and present

Knauss alumni with careers in Alaska

Some of the alums from around the nation

Molly Cain (2021) is associate director for research at Alaska Sea Grant

Maggie Chan (2018) is a fishery management specialist with NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region

Gabe Dunham (2013) is the Marine Advisory Program leader and specialist at Alaska Sea Grant

Thomas Farrugia (2015) is the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom coordinator at the Alaska Ocean Observing System

Seanbob Kelly (2008) is a fisheries biologist with NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region

Olivia Lee (2011) is a research assistant professor at the International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Jenna Malek (2016) is a marine mammal specialist in the Office of Protected Resources, Alaska Region, NOAA Fisheries

Caleb Taylor (2021) is seafood workforce development coordinator at Alaska Sea Grant