A blue background with the wording IISG Funding Opportunity in white.

The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) Scholars program announces a new funding opportunity for graduate students interested in developing extension, education or communication capacities relating to their scholarly interests.

The program supports one of IISG’s long-term goals to build a community of researchers and outreach professionals with a focus on solving critically important Lake Michigan issues. IISG Scholar programs are designed to introduce researchers to these issues—as well as the people, organizations and communities most affected. The programs also help graduate student scholars amplify the potential impact of their own current and future research.

IISG expects to support 6-10 graduate student scholars in 2025. Graduate student applicants may request up to $10,000 to support research expenses, stipends, travel and more. Applications are due by April 9, 2025.

Read the full request for proposals for more information.  

Research Focus Areas

IISG will consider any proposal that furthers its mission of empowering southern Lake Michigan communities to secure a healthy environment and economy. In 2025, the program is particularly interested in funding proposals with outcomes that support communities that historically have not had access to up-to-date scientific information.


Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.

 

 

 

IISG Instagram

Science Sips is a series hosted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, Sketchbook Brewing Company, and Northwestern University’s Center for Water that brings together researchers, scientists, and curious minds over good conversation and cold drinks. Each event features experts sharing their work in an accessible, informal setting. No lab coat required.At this gathering, Chicago author Dick Lanyon will take us back in time with a look at the history behind the construction of the Calumet and Chicago waterways and how these feats of engineering shape the region we live in today. Austin Happel from Shedd Aquarium will also share the latest research on fish communities in the Chicago River, including what the science is telling us right now about the health of this urban waterway.Stick around to test your Great Lakes knowledge with a round of trivia!Details at the link in bio.
A flooded street isn't just a local problem. When roads flood, the ripple effects reshape how an entire city moves, and IISG grad student scholar, Tianle Duan, is building the tools to track it in real time.Using remote sensing, aerial imagery, and AI, this Purdue PhD student maps flood impacts on road networks so first responders and city officials can act faster and smarter.🔗 Learn more about Tianle’s research at the link in bio.
Teaching plastic pollution? There’s more to it than the 3 Rs. @NAAEE’s Plastics eeResearch collection pulls together six studies on how to meaningfully educate students, from preschool through middle school, about plastic pollution.Research-backed, classroom-ready, and free to access.🔗 Link in bio📷 Photo credit: NOAA#TeachingTuesday #PlasticPollution #EnvironmentalEducation