Chesapeake Rising Symposium Author and Presenter Application Guidelines

Coastal communities in the Mid-Atlantic area, particularly those historically underserved and overburdened, are on the front lines of climate change. Rising sea levels, more frequent and severe storms, and shifting environmental conditions are already posing significant challenges. Adaptability is crucial for long-term sustainability, and your research could be part of the solution.

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the largest estuaries in the United States, comprising 64,000 square miles of watershed and 18 million people. The Chesapeake Bay faces a number of challenges due to climate change, most notably sea level rise and extreme weather events. Coastal communities within the Chesapeake Bay region are particularly susceptible to climate change effects because of the Bay’s naturally flat and low lying terrain, land subsidence, and high coastal population density. Additionally, many communities within the Bay region have traditionally faced disproportionate challenges.

Moderate predictions from the U.S. Geological Survey estimate 1.3-5.2 feet of sea level rise in the Bay over the next century. This could mean water intrusion onto miles of land in coastal areas, affecting areas like Maryland's Eastern Shore; Baltimore City; Washington, DC; and Virginia Beach, among others. Sea level rise also contributes to an increase in severe weather events. Heavy storms lead to soil erosion, increased stormwater runoff, and flooding. All of this causes devastation in coastal communities.

Due to the vast size of the Chesapeake region, management and restoration efforts necessitate collaboration between multiple states and their agencies, as well as federal agencies. The Bay is unique in its legal organization, with collaboration spearheaded by the Chesapeake Bay Program Office and the Bay Commission located within the Program. Additionally, all watershed states signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement in 2014 to implement adaptive management throughout the watershed to improve the quality of the Bay.

All innovative ideas are welcomed and encouraged! To view a list of suggested research avenues and key issues facing coastal communities, visit our suggested topics page. Ideas from this list and new ideas will both be considered during application review.

• The limit for the abstract is 500 words.
• The page limit for the outline is 10 pages.

This should be a detailed outline of the law review article you intend to write. It should be similar to a rough draft but can be in bulleted format.

Candidates should be prepared to present their research, questions, and conclusions in an oral presentation. You may prepare PowerPoint slides as a visual aid for your presentation.

We will also have interactive brainstorming sessions pertaining to your research avenues, where you should expect to contribute additional information and questions to the discussions.

One subject matter expert may double as a suggested peer reviewer. Suggested peer reviewers can be personally connected to you. We hope to broaden your network at the symposium by inviting experts you have not had the chance to connect with. Suggested peer reviewers do not need to be lawyers, so long as they are knowledgeable in the subject matter.

If you don't have the name of a specific expert, you may include an agency, organization, or department that you believe could provide expert advice on your research question.

The Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal is an online, scholarly publication of the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) that provides a forum for the timely discussion and exploration of legal topics of relevance to the Sea Grant network of extension agents, researchers, coastal managers and users, and local decision-makers. The journal features concise articles on a range of subjects that should be of interest to anyone involved in ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes resource management, lawyer and non-lawyer alike.

The NSGLC strives to support the creation of new law and policy knowledge through rigorous, peer-reviewed research competitions.

No, applicants who are invited to speak at the symposium and write a law review article will not be charged a registration fee.