IISG funding opportunity for research on Lake Michigan, aquaculture, accessible science, and more

Posted January 9th, 2025 in Aquaculture, Education, Featured, Funding
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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program (IISG) today announced a new funding opportunity for promising two-year research projects addressing issues relevant to the southern Lake Michigan ecosystem and the surrounding communities in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

The competitive grant program funds research projects aligned with the goals outlined in the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Strategic Plan 2024-2027. These goals include Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Resilient Communities and Economies, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development.

IISG plans to award successful projects up to $200,000 per project ($100,000 per year) with a 50% non-federal match requirement. Applications are due March 5, 2025.

View the full request for proposals for more information.

Focus Areas and Research Topics

IISG will consider any proposal that is aligned with the goals of the strategic plan. However, two focus areas will receive special prioritization in this funding competition.

  1. Projects with outcomes that demonstrate broad scientific accessibility for veterans, rural populations, or other groups that face science-accessibility challenges.
  2. Projects exploring social, economic, or legal barriers to aquaculture production of Illinois- and/or Indiana-grown fish or shellfish.

In addition, there are several other topics of interest this cycle, including:

  • Helping communities or ecosystems adapt to changing lake levels in southern Lake Michigan.
  • The development, deployment and/or analyses of novel sensors and resulting data for studying physicochemical and biotic dynamics of southern Lake Michigan
  • Analyzing contaminant levels in fish or shellfish that are or can be used for food.
  • Addressing environmental justice concerns associated with restoration of degraded southern Lake Michigan coastal sites (e.g., decommissioned power plants, industrial parks).
  • Analyzing contaminant input into southern Lake Michigan associated with roads, road traffic, and driving.
  • Conducting human dimensions research on fisheries on Lake Michigan or its tributaries.

Questions regarding eligibility or submission requirements may be directed to Stuart Carlton at carltons@purdue.edu.

 

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

Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:

- Natural processes in the Great Lakes
- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes
- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approaches

Find our two new video series at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18075599984541727
Do you work or live along the Great Lakes coasts? Watch our newly released video series collection, containing several short videos that overview the range of coastal protection options in the Great Lakes, including:- Natural processes in the Great Lakes- Hard coastal protection structures and how they interact with/alter natural processes- Nature-based coastal solutions in the Great Lakes, ranging from green to gray approachesFind our two new video series at the link in bio.

Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.

Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.

Application deadline: June 3, 2026.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18136822375511465
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.

Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!

Learn more about the event at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 17881364454503601
Science is Survival at C2E2 2026! Catch us at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (March 27–29) as we explore the underwater world of Subnautica through the lens of Great Lakes science.Stop by our booth to discover how Great Lakes food webs, invasive species, and aquaponics stack up against your favorite survival game!Learn more about the event at the link in bio.