National Sea Grant welcomes 2026 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship finalists

Posted January 26th, 2026 in Featured, Fellowships, News, Program
2026 Knauss Finalists, Anupama Chandroth and Laura Gray

The Sea Grant program has selected 48 finalists for the 2026 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship program. Two of those finalists were submitted by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, with the rest from 25 other state Sea Grant programs.

The Knauss Fellowship places early-career professionals in legislative and executive branch offices in the Washington, D.C., area, where they contribute scientific and technical expertise to the federal policymaking process for critical marine, coastal and Great Lakes issues. Established in 1979, the program has supported more than 1,762 fellows, many of whom have gone on to careers in public service, academia, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, and have significantly contributed to environmental policy and management.

As part of their fellowship, the 2026 finalists will participate in professional development and mentorship opportunities and build their networks. This spring, the finalists will participate in the placement process, during which they will connect with one another and potential host offices. Sea Grant’s 47th class of Knauss fellows will officially begin their year in D.C. in June of 2026.

Both Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant finalists will be placed in the executive branch; they are Anupama Chandroth, a PhD candidate in geobiology at Indiana University, and Laura Gray, PhD candidate in environmental engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

The 2026 finalists represent 40 universities across the country, and include 17 master’s candidates, 29 Ph.D. candidates and two J.D. candidates. They are biologists, resource managers, engineers, ecologists, lawyers, and more. They represent communities across the nation and are committed to making meaningful contributions to marine policy.

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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.