2012 Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship

Application deadline: Jan. 31, 2012

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Download the 2012 fellowship announcement flyer (PDF)

Position
The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellow will work with members of the Great Lakes' science, policy and information/education communities to advance the environmental quality and sustainable development goals of the Great Lakes states. In so doing, the Fellow will contribute to and benefit from research coordination and policy analysis activities. The Fellow will be housed at the Great Lakes Commission offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

This will be the 13th year this fellowship has been sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.

Assignment
The length of assignment is for one year and is nonrenewable. The inclusive dates of the official fellowship are June 1, 2012 until May 31, 2013; however, these dates are flexible to accommodate academic semester or recipient needs.

Eligibility
Eligible applicants include students who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree program in public policy, public health, natural resources, aquatic sciences or other related field at a U.S. accredited institution of higher education in the United States.

• Personal and academic resume or curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages);
• Education and career goal statement with emphasis on what the prospective fellow expects from the experience in the way of career development (1,000 words or less);
• Two letters of recommendation one being from the student’s faculty advisor or major professor. For continuing students, this letter should clearly state the professor’s endorsement of the student’s acceptance of the fellowship if offered.
• A letter of endorsement from the sponsoring Sea Grant director; and
• A copy of undergraduate and graduate student transcripts.

Note: Thesis papers are not requested or desired.

Award
The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship award is $41,000 over a one-year period. Of this amount, $35,000 is provided to each Fellow for compensation. The remaining $6,000 will be used to cover health insurance for the Fellow and support fellowship-related travel. During the fellowship, the Great Lakes Commission may provide supplemental funds for work-related travel by the Fellow. The fellowship is managed by the Great Lakes Commission in consultation with the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO).

Selection Process
Each Great Lakes Sea Grant program (IN/IL, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, WI) may submit up to two applicants to the Great Lakes Commission for consideration. Selection criteria include academic ability, communications skills, diversity and appropriateness of academic background, additional qualifying experience (e.g., relevant work experience), support of applicant’s major professor, support of a Great Lakes State Sea Grant director, and relevance of applicant academic background and/or interests to the fellowship experience the Great Lakes Commission can provide.

A selection team evaluates each candidate using the above criteria. This team consists of 1) the executive director of the Great Lakes Commission, 2) NSGO Manager for the Knauss Fellowship Program or NSGO Education Program Leader, and 3) an elected representative from the Great Lakes Sea Grant Program directors. One Fellow will be selected.

Responsibilities
The Fellow will be assigned responsibilities in the area of science/policy research, analysis and interjurisdictional coordination. It is anticipated that the Fellow will work on one or more issues in depth, while also being exposed to a range of salient science, resource management and public policy issues. An emphasis will be placed on networking; the Fellow will participate in various activities and events, and interact with senior level officials at all levels of government. Interaction with the Knauss Sea Grant Fellows will occur as opportunities arise, and travel to Washington, D.C. will be arranged for an introduction to federal legislative, appropriations and policy processes.

Reporting Requirements
The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship will be conducted under the technical and administrative direction of the Great Lakes Commission. The executive director of the Great Lakes Commission and the NSGO Manager for Fellowship Programs will share overall program management responsibility and will jointly address any problems/matters that arise over the course of the fellowship. Fellows are required to submit semi-annual reports (and an exit report) to the Great Lakes Commission for distribution to the NSGO and all Great Lakes Sea Grant directors.