Chesapeake Rising Symposium Author and Presenter Application Guidelines

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Calling All 2nd and 3rd Year Law Students and Recent Graduates

Apply to Present and Publish Your Research on Coastal Communities in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Don't miss our Q&A session on December 20. Register for the webinar here.

Do you have a passion for innovative solutions to climate change? We’re looking for new voices to contribute research on issues facing coastal communities for our upcoming symposium, Chesapeake Rising: Innovative Law and Policy Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Coastal Communities

Law students and recent graduates are invited to apply to present their research at the symposium and submit a law review article to the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal.

What’s the Opportunity? 

Selected candidates will:

  • Present their research at the symposium on April 2 in Washington, DC
  • Network with professionals and peers
  • Receive feedback from experts to refine their research
  • Be published in the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal

This is an amazing opportunity to get feedback on your research, network with experts in the field, and make a real contribution to the ongoing conversation around coastal community resilience. We look forward to seeing your innovative ideas!

How to Apply

Submit the following materials by January 9:

  • An abstract outlining your research
  • A detailed outline with a bibliography (complete but bulleted sentences are fine)
  • Two experts you'd love to hear from at the symposium and why
    Maryland Sea Grant will invite these experts to attend and participate in the symposium.
  • Three experts who would serve as peer-review committee members
    Peer-review committee members will be asked to anonymously review journal articles before publication.

Application materials are due January 9, 2025.

Check back soon for details on how to submit your application!

What Happens Next?

We will host a Q&A session webinar for interested applicants December 20! All are welcome to join to learn more about the project.

Register for the Webinar

After the submission deadline, application materials will be reviewed by a steering committee. Selected candidates will then be invited to present their research at the symposium in April, and following the symposium, submit a law review article for publication in the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal.

Selected candidates will be notified by email in mid-February.

  • Before the symposium, candidates will have access to professional development, including a workshop on effective presentations and the use of PowerPoints as visual aids.
  • At the symposium, candidates will have time to present their research and answer questions. During the day, candidates will participate in interactive brainstorming sessions with participants where they can connect about new ideas. 
  • After the symposium, candidates are required to write and submit a law review article for the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal. A peer-review committee will anonymously review journal articles before publication. Authors will also receive editing feedback and bluebook citations from the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal.

First drafts of journal articles will be due in fall 2025.

FAQs

Why is this research important?

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.

What topics or key issues should my research cover?

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.

What are the page limits for the abstract and outline?
  • The limit for the abstract is 500 words.
  • The page limit for the outline is 10 pages.
What should my outline include?

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.

What is the format for the symposium, and what materials should I prepare?

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.

Can the experts I want to hear from at the symposium be the same as the experts I recommend to serve as peer review committee members?

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.

What if I don't have specific experts in mind for my application?

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.

What is the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal? Who receives it, and is it published online?

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.

If I'm selected to speak at the symposium and write a law review article, will I still need to pay the symposium registration fee?

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

 

Have additional questions? Please contact Kerry McClaughry at kerrymcc@umd.edu.

 

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