Several opportunities are available to graduate students and faculty members in the Illinois-Indiana region. Graduate student fellowships include governmental internships in Washington D.C., funding to support research and a yearlong assignment at the Great Lakes Commission in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Graduate student fellowships are typically announced in the late fall with applications due in the early winter, although dates vary from year to year. Faculty scholarships are currently limited to the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Faculty Scholars Program.

For fellowship opportunities, please contact Angela Archer, amcbride@purdue.edu, before submitting any application. This is for intent and to ensure that the application has all required materials.

If you would like to receive announcements when the following competitions are open, please subscribe to our mailing list.

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John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program

The Knauss fellowship provides a unique educational experience to students who have an interest 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 legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, D.C. area for a one-year paid fellowship. Please download the Knauss 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity and Student Applicant Guide to the Knauss Fellowship for details about this fellowship and others.

What’s it like to be a Knauss fellow? Read this creative, visual end-of-year report by former Knauss fellow and IISG staff member Katie O’Reilly.

Application deadline: February 19, 2025, 5:00pm CT
Start date: February 1, 2026
Length: One year

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National Marine Fisheries Service Fellowships

These fellowships are aimed at PhD candidates, who are United States citizens, interested in the population dynamics of living marine resources and the development and implementation of quantitative methods for assessing their status. The marine resource economics fellowship concentrates on the conservation and management of marine resources. Please download the general Student Guide for full details about the fellowship and application process. 

Application deadline: January 23, 2025
Start date: August 1, 2025
Length: up to three years

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NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship

The Coastal Management Fellowship was established to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and to provide project assistance to state coastal zone management programs. The program matches postgraduate students with state coastal zone programs to work on projects proposed by the state.

NOAA Coastal Management offers additional opportunities through the Coral Reef Management Fellowship, Digital Coast Fellowship, and the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship.

Application deadline: January 24, 2025
Start Date: August 1, 2025
Length: two years

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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Scholars Program

This is a professional networking and development opportunity to support graduate students and faculty from institutions of higher learning in Illinois and Indiana who wish to develop extension, education, or communication capacities related to their scholarly interests.

For graduate students, deliverables depend on the student’s primary research interest, as the funding is primarily intended to help the student improve their research. Graduate student scholars are also expected to take part in professional development activities throughout their tenure.

For faculty, specific deliverables depend on a given scholar’s interests but include products such as literature reviews, needs assessments, and proposals to external funding agencies. Faculty scholars are expected to participate in networking activities with IISG staff and stakeholders throughout their tenure.

Learn about past scholars in our newsroom. 

Application deadline: CLOSED
Length: One year

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