Information for Knauss Applicants

Next available fellowship: Starts between February 1 and June 1, 2027

Thank you for your interest in the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. We encourage you to learn as much as possible before you begin the application process.

• Please review our website and the NOAA Knauss website before starting your application. NOAA provides guidance for developing your essays and how fellowship applications are evaluated.
• We recommend you meet with Mike Allen, our associate director for research and administration, or Annie Schatz, our aquaculture projects coordinator, to discuss the fellowship and application requirements. Book a meeting here.
• Applicants from institutions in Maryland and the District of Columbia will apply through us in 2026.

Eligibility (rules have changed in 2026)

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

1. The student is a US citizen (born or naturalized), a US lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or a dual national with at least one citizenship as the US;
2. The student is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2025 fall term (quarter, trimester, semester, etc.) and June 3, 2026; 
3. The graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher education in the US or US territories, and; 
4. The student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

Students from a broad range of environmental programs are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Step 1: Contact Maryland Sea Grant well before the application deadline to set up a virtual meeting. We will answer questions about the fellowship and the application process and discuss your draft application package. Maryland Sea Grant must receive your draft application package one week before the interview in eSeaGrant or by email. See our calendar for available appointment slots in April and May.

Step 2: Register for an account to prepare your application on Maryland Sea Grant's eSeaGrant portal, eseagrant.mdsg.umd.edu. Click "Add Fellowship Application" to navigate the system and create your fellowship proposal.

Step 3: Upload all pieces of your application to the "application" section of the eSeaGrant portal. See a list of required application materials below.

Step 4: Attend your meeting with Maryland Sea Grant to discuss your background, educational plans, goals for the fellowship, and draft fellowship package.

Step 5: Submit your package to Maryland Sea Grant by the official state deadline. Make sure your letter writers also submit their letters of recommendation by this date.

After the application deadline, a Maryland Sea Grant panel will review all applications based on the criteria in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and select the top candidates to submit to the national competition.

Step 6: Selected applicants will meet with Maryland Sea Grant's director in June for a one-on-one interview about your application, career goals, and plans for the fellowship. This interview will inform the director's letter in your application package.

See the 2027 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Student Guide here.

Required Application Materials

The following application materials should be uploaded to eSeaGrant as part of your application package. Please upload all application materials one week prior to your meeting with Maryland Sea Grant. Materials may be revised up until the official submission deadline. Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the formal application deadline.

Knauss Fellowship Application Narrative 

Upload the following documents as a single PDF.

1. Curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages). The student should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.).
2. Personal education and career development response. The student should emphasize their abilities and expectations of the fellowship experience in terms of their career development. Each section and subsection should be answered separately using the headers below. The entire personal education and career development section should not exceed 1,500 words. Suggested word counts are included below (section headers will not count toward the overall word count). The student should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources.
   1. Section One: Career Path and Objectives (750 words).
      1. Prompt A (250 words): The student should discuss any experiences (research or otherwise) that support or relate to the mission of the National Sea Grant College Program or Maryland Sea Grant. The student does not have to have had a direct connection to Sea Grant. The student should emphasize, if relevant, any experience extending and distilling science for non-scientific audiences. 
      2. Prompt B (250 words): The student should discuss their interest in the Knauss Fellowship with a specific focus on how the fellowship supports the student’s career pathway. The student should focus on how the fellowship would further support their professional development.
      3. Prompt C (250 words): The student should discuss the transferable skills (skills that can be applied across a variety of disciplines) they would bring to the Knauss Fellowship. In this response, students should highlight experiences from their personal, professional, and academic background.
   2. Section Two: Career Path Experience (750 words)
      1. Prompt A (250 words): During the fellowship, fellows may serve in a range of capacities, including developing and delivering public programs or services, informing policy-making, and providing evidence-based advice to leaders. The student should discuss how they have or will embrace the concept of public service. 
      2. Prompt B (250 words): The student should discuss a situation in which they have managed or supported a project or activity that included collaborators, community members, or interested partners with the intent to achieve a common goal. The student is encouraged to use examples. 
      3. Prompt C (250 Words): The student should discuss a situation in which they overcame a challenge specifically as it relates to how they took a leadership role (e.g., within a community or institution, personally, professionally, etc.). The student should also consider including a reflection on what they learned from this experience.
3. Relevant Coursework and Future Year Plans (not to exceed one page, single-spaced): The student should discuss any relevant coursework and their future year activities.
   1. Relevant Coursework: The student may discuss any completed or in-progress classes they deem relevant to their success in the Knauss Fellowship.
   2. Future Year Activities: The student should include a list of classes or plans for spring 2026, summer 2026, and fall 2026.

Invite Letter Writers

Provide names and contact information for two individuals who will submit letters of recommendation using the following instructions.

1. Two letters of recommendation from individuals who have worked with the student, including at least one from a faculty member associated with the student’s current enrollment who has knowledge of the student’s academic and research (when applicable) performance. Each letter should not exceed two pages, single-spaced and should clearly indicate the letter writer’s name and position. These letters should:
   1. Discuss the following attributes of the student: self-motivation, response to setbacks, skills and involvement in teamwork, collaborative leadership skills, willingness to learn a new skill or topic, academic performance and potential; and
   2. Speak to anything else the review panel should know about the strengths the student will bring to the fellowship.

The letters should not include personal contact information or web links to external resources (e.g., LinkedIn, articles, blogs, etc.). If included, programs should redact prior to submission. Any letters beyond the two letters of recommendation and the eligible Sea Grant director’s letter will be disregarded by the selection panel. Letters of endorsement from members of Congress, friends, or relatives will not be accepted. 

Note: Students will receive blinded reviewer comments, including discussion of the letters of recommendation.

Other Uploads

1. Upload clear digital or scanned copies of current graduate student transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
2. For applicants in a state or territory not served by an eligible Sea Grant program, but applying through an eligible Sea Grant program, a written statement from the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship program manager referring the applicant to the most appropriate eligible Sea Grant program must be included as part of the application package.

Contact Maryland Sea Grant

Michael Allen, Associate Director for Research and Administration
mallen@mdsg.umd.edu
Phone: (301) 405-7500

Mailing Address:
Maryland Sea Grant College
5825 University Research Court Suite 1350
College Park, Maryland 20740