Student Opportunities

Hints for success! Applications must come through the Duluth Sea Grant office. Pay attention to our deadlines, which often supersede those listed on applications. Students applying for fellowships are advised to contact Minnesota Sea Grant research coordinator Valerie Brady so that she can assist with the application process. Students wanting to intern with Minnesota Sea Grant should contact Doug Jensen.

Internships

Internships with Minnesota Sea Grant

Minnesota Sea Grant offers internships to graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in Minnesota colleges and universities. Interns apply their knowledge and skills acquired through coursework to help Minnesota Sea Grant fulfill its mission. Interns can work in the areas of outreach, communication, education or research. Contact Doug Jensen for details.

Undergraduate Fellowships

NOAA Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program

This scholarship pays up to $8,000 per school year for up to 2 years and includes a 10-wk, paid summer internship at a NOAA facility. Applicants must be US citizens, college sophomores, have a GPA at least 3.0, and be in a NOAA-related major. Applications available here from November to January (due at end of January)

Other NOAA Undergraduate Scholarships

Graduate Research Support Fellowships

NOAA NERR Graduate Research Fellowship

Support to conduct masters or doctorate research in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS has 27 locations, including one on Lake Erie and in the new Lake Superior NERR on the St. Louis River estuary; www.nerrs.noaa.gov). Up to 22 fellowships will be awarded at $20,000 per year for up to 3 years. Please note that this application requires applicants to submit a research proposal, so potential applicants are urged to contact Valerie Brady very early in the process for assistance. For assistance submitting an application, contact Minnesota Sea Grant by early October.

National Marine Fisheries Service — Sea Grant Joint Graduate Fellowship Program in Population Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics

These fellowships strengthen ties between Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD program at a U.S. university, and some institutional matching funds are required. Four fellowship awards are usually given, each with 2-3 years of support. Population Dynamics fellows will work on the dynamics of living marine resources and the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing their status. Marine Resource Economics fellows will work on development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing the status or economics of the conservation and management of living marine resources.

Fellowships include summer internships at participating NMFS Science Centers or Laboratories under the guidance of NMFS mentors. MN Sea Grant will assist applicants in writing a research proposal and locating an appropriate NMFS mentor, so applicants should contact Valerie Brady before the end of December. Applications are due to Minnesota Sea Grant Jan. 25, 2013.

• Application information for Population Dynamics fellowship (PDF)
• Application information for Marine Resource Economics fellowship (PDF)
• See information about all students who have received these fellowships (XLS)
• See abstracts of projects by last year's fellows (PDF)

Graduate Policy Internship Fellowships

Great Lakes Policy Fellowship

The selected Fellow will work with members of the Great Lakes' science, policy and information/education communities to advance the environmental quality and sustainable economic development goals of the Great Lakes states. In so doing, the Fellow will contribute to and benefit from research coordination and policy analysis activities. The Fellow will be housed at the Great Lakes Commission offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for one year (June 1 to May 31). Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate program at a U.S. university. Applications due Feb. 1, 2013 to Minnesota Sea Grant.

Knauss Fellowship

This fellowhip provides a unique educational experience to students who have an interest in marine/ocean/Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. It is open to all students enrolled in a graduate or professional program in a marine- or aquatic-related field at a U.S.-accredited institution of higher learning. Fellows spend one calendar year (Feb. 1 – Jan. 31) in Washington, DC. The fellowship allows students to share their expertise with policy makers in Washington, and provides a first-hand look at how science is used in the policy arena and how decisions are made. Applicants must contact Valerie Brady by mid-Jan. to start the application process. Applications are due to Minnesota Sea Grant Feb. 15, 2013.

Minnesota applicants are often successful; we have placed five Knauss Scholars in the last six years.

See what Alaska Knauss Fellows think of their experience
(but apply through Minnesota Sea Grant)

NOAA Coastal Management Fellowships for Recent Graduates

Support for recent graduates with a master's, doctorate, or professional degree to provide assistance to state coastal zone management programs. Fellowships are for two years and match students to projects in one of these coastal states: California, Maine Oregon, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or New York (see projects at: www.csc.noaa.gov/cms/fellows/stateprojects.html). Competitive salary, benefits, travel, and relocation expenses. Degree must be completed between Jan. 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013. Contact Valerie Brady for application assistance. Applications are due to Minnesota Sea Grant Jan. 25, 2013.