About
Maryland Sea Grant is a university-based partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), administered by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The organization works to apply science to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's coastal resources. Maryland Sea Grant funds and communicates scientific research to help leaders and communities address the state's major environmental challenges while promoting a sustainable coastal economy. The organization supports research, education, outreach, and extension work throughout the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's coastal waters.
Funding Opportunities
Environmental Science Outreach Internship (Bilingual)
Maryland Sea Grant is seeking a bilingual, biliterate (Spanish-English) intern to expand capacity in community engagement, environmental literacy, and workshop development, particularly with Maryland's Spanish-speaking communities. The internship focuses on learning about and sharing community priorities on coastal issues, working on science adoption and tool utilization applicable for community priorities, and investigating how outreach can best foster behavior change in terms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change impacts. As part of the internship, participants will pursue 2-3 special projects, participate in several professional development trainings, and contribute to the administration of the main office. The internship term is for one year as a full-time, 40-hour per week position at Maryland Sea Grant's office in College Park, Maryland. The intern will act as a community liaison, help determine best practices in community outreach, assist with current community engagement and co-production projects, assist in climate and coastal resilience themed workshops, and support Maryland Sea Grant's role in the built environment community. The internship includes direct supervision and mentorship from both Maryland Sea Grant and ecoLatinos, Inc.
State Science Policy Fellowship
Maryland Sea Grant's year-long State Science Policy Fellowship places fellows in coastal sustainability, coastal management, and environmental policy positions within Maryland. Modeled after the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, this program helps graduates increase their professional skills and gain experience working for state agencies at the science-policy interface. Fellows work closely with state agency and legislative leadership, providing science expertise to develop policy relevant to Maryland's progressive program to address state challenges in sustainability and action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This is a full-time, one-year, non-renewable position where fellows will be embedded in their host office, work with mentors to understand responsibilities and major projects, and develop fellowship goals and a professional plan for the year. Fellows will have professional development opportunities during the year to strengthen networking, build professional skills, and discuss relevant issues across their respective organizations as part of a small cohort of Maryland Sea Grant supported fellows.
Sea Grant Spark Award
The Sea Grant Spark Award provides funding to support graduate student research and career advancement. Initiated by generous support from Sara Gottlieb, a Sea Grant alumna, and supported by other philanthropic gifts to Maryland Sea Grant, this award helps graduate students advance their marine and coastal science research and professional development. Graduate students may apply for up to $2,000 for materials, supplies, and analytic services to advance their research, or up to $1,000 for travel to meetings to present research findings or for professional development activities to build career-relevant skills. Funds may be used for supplies and analytical services for ongoing research, journal publication fees, conference travel and training, professional development activities, outreach activities that bring marine and coastal science to broad audiences, and educational opportunities that expand graduate student skills in marine science policy. Research, conferences, and professional development activities must align with Maryland Sea Grant's mission to support research, education, and outreach related to the Chesapeake and coastal bays and their watersheds. The program anticipates supporting one to three applicants per year, with funds to be spent within one year of the award. Graduate students may be awarded these funds only once during their graduate career.
Knauss Marine Policy Fellowships
The Knauss Fellowship, established in 1979, provides a unique educational experience to students interested in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with 'hosts' in the U.S. Congress or executive branch of government located in the Washington, D.C., area, for a one-year paid fellowship. Fellowships historically run from February 1 to January 31, with the application due to Maryland Sea Grant approximately one year before the fellowship begins. In 2026, the fellowship will run from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, and in 2027, the fellowship will start between February 1, 2027 and June 1, 2027 and run for a year. The award for each fellowship covers salary/stipend for the twelve months and other allowable expenses. Support for Class of 2027 fellows will be $74,700 for salary and fringe costs with an additional $5,000 to cover allowable expenses. Additionally, up to $15,000 for host office travel and up to $2,500 for placement week expenses may be available depending on the year and placement.
Maryland Sea Grant Research Fellowships
Maryland Sea Grant Research Fellowships are awarded to graduate students through principal investigators who apply for funding in the biennial research competition. Students cannot apply directly; they must work with a PI who is submitting a research proposal. The fellowships provide support for graduate students to conduct research as part of Maryland Sea Grant-funded projects, with integrated training and outreach opportunities. Starting in 2024, the application process is embedded within the biennial research request for proposals process, with fellowships providing two years of funding support, contingent on NOAA funding. Fellows receive the administrative designation of graduate research assistant and are provided salary, benefits based on degree candidacy status, and up to 10 credits of tuition remission during spring and fall semesters. Maryland Sea Grant aims to support graduate fellows for a maximum of four years, provided they remain affiliated with a Maryland Sea Grant-funded research project, though fellowships can only be guaranteed one year at a time based on adequate progress and fund availability.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Maryland Sea Grant offers students the opportunity to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay through a 12-week summer research program. Each student works with a mentor on an individual research project, developing research skills and interests while working with top science mentors studying America's largest estuary. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Science and provides hands-on research experience in various marine science disciplines including benthic environment, climate change, contaminants, environmental chemistry, estuarine processes, fisheries, modeling and analysis, molecular biology and genetics, and physical oceanography. Fellows are placed at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Maryland or Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, Maryland. The program creates a safe and inclusive environment for participants and particularly welcomes students from colleges where research opportunities are limited and from groups underrepresented in marine and coastal science.
Program Development Funds
The Maryland Sea Grant Program Development Funds support small, targeted grants for translational watershed, coastal, and marine science that can inform broad audiences in the Chesapeake Bay region and in Maryland's coastal areas. These awards help support important new research, outreach, or education efforts or offer strategic support to emerging areas of importance. The funds often stimulate and foster small-scale innovative projects that will eventually lead to submissions for larger grants from a variety of sources. These funds may also be used to support workshops and educational opportunities that connect marine and coastal science to diverse audiences. Program Development awards are available for faculty and graduate student research, workshops and conferences, Sea Grant-sponsored publications, and education and outreach projects. All proposals must be consistent with the Maryland Sea Grant Strategic Plan and demonstrate a clear link between coastal and marine science and conservation and restoration efforts in Maryland.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 11
- Active Now
- 7
- Source Domain
- mdsg.umd.edu
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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