Show NOAA John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship

Founded in 1968, the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program is part of a national network of 33 programs that promote better understanding, conservation and use of coastal resources. It works to identify Hawai'i’s resource management issues and guide scientific research.

The call for student applications for the 2027 NOAA John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is now open. Applications are due to Hawaiʻi Sea Grant via eSeaGrant by June 3, 2026. We encourage interested students to be in contact with our office early in the application process (email Maya Walton, waltonm@hawaii.edu). Graduate Students nearing completion of their degrees who are interested in ocean and coastal resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources are encouraged to apply.

The 2027 Knauss Fellowship begins June 1, 2027 and ends on May 31, 2028.

Students are eligible if, 

• The student is a U.S. Citizen (born or naturalized), a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), or a dual national with at least one citizenship as the U.S.;
• The student is enrolled towards a degree in a graduate program at any point between the onset of the 2025 Fall Term and June 3, 2026;
• The graduate degree will be awarded through an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or U.S. Territories, and;
• The student has an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.

Important dates and deadlines

• Friday, April 17, 2026, 12:00 PM HST: Knauss Fellowship Info Session in person in HIG 210 and on zoom (register in advance HERE)
• Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 5 pm HST: applications due to Hawaiʻi Sea Grant through eSeaGrant
• June 1, 2027 start date for Knauss Fellowship in Washington, D.C.

Knauss Fellowship description

Are you a graduate student with an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources? If so, consider applying for the NOAA John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, a one year paid fellowship where highly qualified graduate students are matched with hosts in the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government (e.g., Congress and federal agencies like NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and NSF). Knauss fellows receive a $74,700 stipend and $5,000 to support professional development during the length of their fellowship (12 months). Knauss fellows who complete the program and are U.S. citizens are eligible for Direct Hire Authority. 

For more information please visit http://seagrant.noaa.gov/Knauss or contact Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Associate Director for Research, Fellowships, and Administration Maya Walton (waltonm@hawaii.edu).