New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium Seeking Fellowship Candidates

(Sandy Hook, NJ) –The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) has issued its annual call for graduate students interested in policy issues related to marine, ocean and/or Great Lakes resources to apply for the prestigious Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship for 2015. The 34-year old fellowship, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, places select graduate students within the legislative or executive branches of the United States government or other related federal organizations in Washington, D.C.

NJSGC Director of Research and Extension Dr. Peter Rowe noted the important role the fellowship program plays in contributing to the nation’s marine policy process. “The Knauss Fellowship allows young marine scientists and researchers the opportunity to learn how their host government agency or Congress functions in developing and achieving management, policy or legislative objectives.  The government agency or Congressional  host in turn receives scientific knowledge and expertise from the fellow which fosters better management and policy.”

Rutgers University Graduate Research Assistant Anna Hermes is currently representing New Jersey in the 2014 Knauss Fellowship Program. Hermes is a biogeochemist whose research has already led to important advances in the understanding of organic carbon processing in estuaries. She was assigned to the Office of Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes and NOAA Science Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce Office of NOAA.

Fellows selected for the 2015 program will receive $56,500 to cover salary, living expenses, travel funds, moving costs and health insurance. Interested applicants must be enrolled in a marine-related field in a graduate or professional degree program at an accredited institution of higher education. New Jersey residents must apply for the program through the NJSGC by February 14, 2014. Program details and application materials may be found at http://seagrant.noaa.gov/FundingFellowships/KnaussFellowship.aspx

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment. NJSGC meets its mission through its innovative research, education and outreach programs. For more information about the organization and its activities, visit NJSGC on the web at njseagrant.org or on social media at facebook.com/NJSeaGrant and twitter.com/NJSeaGrant.