Georgia Sea Grant State Fellowship

The Georgia Sea Grant State Fellowship Program provides a unique educational and professional opportunity to eligible graduate students who are interested in coastal and marine resources in Georgia, and the policy and management decisions affecting those resources.

Modeled after the highly successful Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program, the State Fellowship Program is designed to provide recent graduates an opportunity to acquire “on the job” experience in planning and implementation of coastal and marine policies and programs in Georgia. The program matches highly motivated graduate students who have recently graduated or are near completion of degree with select host local, state and federal government agencies as well as non-governmental partners and industries in Georgia. The fellowship program serves to increase the capacity of our partners in Georgia, promote integration of diverse perspectives into problem-solving for Georgia to provide richer and more inclusive solutions and facilitate training and development of the next generation of coastal and marine leaders.

For our 2025-2026 State Fellowship program, we have the following positions available: 

• Georgia Conservancy
• Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
• Manomet
• Nutter and Associates 

Eligibility: Applications may be submitted by a graduate student close to completing their degree (Masters, Ph.D., or J.D), or within a year of their graduation, in a field related to conservation, management, protection, stewardship, public policy, or law of marine or coastal environments, or areas that impact marine and coastal environments. Applicants should address their degree of interest and experience in either marine/coastal/watershed science, natural resource management, public policy or law. Fellows must complete all degree requirements before starting the fellowship. 

Length of the Assignment: The fellowship begins in July/August 2025 and ends in June/July 2026 (exact dates are determined by host and fellow).

Stipend and Expenses: Sea Grant State Fellows receive a stipend of $45,000 for 12-month assignments. Additional travel or professional development funding associated with the fellowship may be covered by the host agency at the agency’s discretion.

Application Materials: A complete application will include the following items: 

1. Personal and academic curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages using 12-point font). 
2. A statement of career goals that emphasizes the applicant’s abilities and interests, and the applicant’s expectations of the career development experience (two pages). 
3. Two letters of recommendation including one from the applicant’s major advisor.
4. Copies of all undergraduate and graduate student transcripts. Unofficial copies will be accepted. 

How to Submit: Applications must be submitted using Georgia Sea Grant’s online submission portal: https://eseagrant.uga.edu. Applicants should read eSeaGrant instructions before filling out their application. Late applications and applications that aren’t submitted through eSeaGrant will not be accepted.   

Application Deadline: March 10, 2025 5:00 p.m. EST 

Selection: Selection of a finalist is made by a review panel composed of academic and professional experts and Sea Grant staff members. Selection criteria used by Georgia Sea Grant include: academic ability, communication skills, diversity and appropriateness of academic background, career goals, additional qualifying experience, and support of referees.  

Questions? For questions regarding the State Fellowship program or the application process, please contact Mona Behl at mbehl@uga.edu.