Science Management and Policy Internship

Are you a recent or soon to be college graduate looking for an opportunity in science policy or management? Apply to join the Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) team as a Science Management and Policy Intern. This one to two year internship will offer experience working with an environmentally focused university organization dedicated to research, education, and outreach. This position will provide fundamental training for interns to transition to graduate school or the private, nonprofit, or governmental sectors. As part of the internship, you will be expected to complete 2-3 special projects, participate in several professional development trainings, and contribute to the administration of our main office.

Maryland Sea Grant, located in College Park, is a federal-state partnership that supports scientific research, education, and outreach focused on restoring and preserving the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s coastal bays and watershed resources. We serve as a bridge between scientific expertise and the needs of people who manage, conserve, enjoy, and make their living from the Chesapeake Bay, America’s largest and most productive estuary.

Potential Projects and Responsibilities

• Education: Working with our MDSG assistant director for education, the intern may work on projects related to K-12 education in Maryland schools that employ project-based learning through the use of instructional strategies related to aquaculture, aquatic ecology, and water quality and pollution. 
• Research: Working with the MDSG Research office, the intern may support grant requests management, workshop and meeting planning, developing research proposals, and the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.
• Aquaculture Extension and Community Outreach: Working with the MDSG aquaculture projects coordinator, the intern may support stakeholder outreach and engagement on projects related to sustainable marine aquaculture siting and development, as well as land-based salmon aquaculture research and extension.  
• Outreach: Working with the MDSG Communications team, the intern may contribute to science communications efforts, including blogs, website content, social media, and developing materials for Congress. The intern may also visit Capitol Hill with the MDSG director to experience legislative outreach.
• Administration: Working with the MDSG director and Administration office on various projects, including external communication; generating and researching reports; project file management; scheduling; job searches; oversight and management of meetings, conferences, and events; record keeping; and office reception.

The intern will also be exposed to the cutting-edge research funded by Maryland Sea Grant and environmental organizations throughout the state of Maryland. The intern will have a direct supervisor at the Maryland Sea Grant office to help guide them through learning the various duties. Other mentors will provide guidance for specific projects throughout the internship. There may also be other special project opportunities outside of those discussed above as the internship evolves.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this internship, you must complete your bachelor’s degree in natural, social, or environmental sciences or policy by the end of the spring semester (June 2024). The program is targeted to recent graduates (within 3 years of your undergraduate degree). Individuals with a master's or other higher degree are not eligible. 

Maryland Sea Grant and the National Sea Grant College Program champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by recruiting, retaining, and preparing a diverse workforce, and proactively engaging and serving the diverse populations of coastal communities. Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive research, extension, communication, and education programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking. We encourage applicants of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures, religions, citizenship types, marital statuses, veteran status types, and socioeconomic status types to apply for this opportunity.

What We Are Looking For in a Candidate

We are seeking a motivated candidate that is open to learning about and tackling new challenges, brings a positive, inquisitive attitude towards projects and tasks, and has an interest in the Chesapeake Bay science policy and management. Some specifics include:

• Problem solving skills
• Ability to work in a team and as an individual
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Computer and internet skills, including Excel, Word, Google suite, and internet searching skills
• Ability to communicate effectively over the phone and in person
• Strong interest in Maryland Sea Grant’s mission

Compensation and Location

This internship term will be for one year with the potential to renew for a second year based on funding availability. The intern will be a full time, contractual employee of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-MDSG receiving a base annualized annual salary of $37,500 plus access to fringe benefits including health insurance, tuition remission, and generous leave. The internship will be a mix of in-person and remote work.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your application through our application portal by Friday, April 26, 2024. From the landing page, or under the 'Internship' tab, click 'Add' for the Science Management and Policy Intern position and enter or upload the requested information. Your application must include the following:

• Responses to four short answer questions.  Treat these questions as your cover letter -- telling us why you want this internship, what you bring to it, and why it's important for your career. (maximum 300 words each)
  • What are you passionate about and why is that related to this internship?
  • What experiences do you have that will contribute to your success in this internship?
  • What are your career goals and how might this internship help you achieve them?
  • Maryland Sea Grant funds a variety of research throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Peruse our website and let us know which research project in the last ten years interests you the most and why.
• A resume
• An undergraduate transcript (released to student acceptable)
• A writing sample of no more than 1000 words
• A list of three references

Selection Process

We will seek to identify interns who most closely identify with MDSG’s mission to support research, education, and outreach to advance understanding and sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland Coastal Bays, and their watersheds. We are particularly interested in individuals that demonstrate how this internship will jumpstart their career. Applications will be reviewed by the selection committee based on the quality of the personal and career goals statement; academic record; additional relevant experience related to diversity of education, extra-curricular activities, honors and awards work and life experience, and interpersonal communication skills; and the potential impact of the internship on the applicant's career.

The most qualified applicants will be selected to interview with the Maryland Sea Grant selection committee.

Past Interns

Hannah Cooper

Hannah graduated from North Carolina State University with degrees in Biological Oceanography and Zoology and a minor in Applied Ecology. Throughout her undergraduate career, she enjoyed learning about and participating in a mixture of ecological research and environmental management and policy. Hannah particularly enjoyed exploring the impacts of climate change on environmental and community health and was interested in working with an organization committed to addressing climate change.

As a Science Management and Policy Intern, Hannah contributed to several workshops on topics including large-scale marsh restoration, sustainable aquaculture siting, and resilient community design. She also contributed to strategic planning and managed social media accounts for the SEAS Islands Alliance. After her internship, Hannah plans to complete a master’s degree at the University of Maryland.  

Eva May

As a student at Duke University, Eva May received a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, with a minor in biology, as well as a certificate in marine science and conservation leadership. Her time at Duke taught her what a career in marine science could look like. While she enjoyed rehabilitating and researching sea turtles and parrotfish hatchlings, she also learned the ways in which her research could facilitate changes in fisheries management and in ecosystems as a whole.

May’s course work exposed her to several marine coastal areas, including the Chesapeake Bay. Her knowledge of the region, combined with her broad interest in marine sciences, made her a great fit for Maryland Sea Grant.

As a Sea Grant Fellow, May worked on education, policy and law projects, culminating in the Maryland Sea Grant Coastal Law and Policy Roundtable in 2019. After the fellowship, she returned to Duke to pursue a master's degree in coastal environmental management .

Maryland Sea Grant Contact

Dr. Michael Allen, Associate Director for Research and Administration
Maryland Sea Grant College
(301) 405-7500
mallen@mdsg.umd.edu

Photograph credit: Lisa Tossey / MDSG