For immediate release
August 22, 2000

Contact: Dr. Michael J. Donahue
Phone: 734-665-9135
Fax: 734-665-4370
E-mail: mdonahue@glc.org
 

The Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship

This is the second year of the fellowship being sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program, the Great Lakes Commission, and the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.

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 economic 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.

Length of Assignment: The length of assignment is for one year and is non-renewable. The inclusive dates of the official fellowship are January 1, 2001 until December 31, 2001; however, these dates can be slightly adjusted to accommodate academic semester or recipient needs.

Who Can Apply: Students who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree program in a marine or aquatic-related field at a U.S. accredited institution of higher education may apply through their local Sea Grant program.

How to Apply: Interested students should discuss this fellowship opportunity with their local Sea Grant programs. Interested individuals should submit their applications to local Sea Grant programs which then screen the applications for forwarding to the Great Lakes Commission. Each application must include:

personal and academic resume or curriculum vitae (not to exceed 2 pages);

education and career goal statement from the applicant with emphasis on what the prospective fellow expects from the experience in the way of career development (1000 words or less);

no more than two letters of recommendation with at least one from the student's major professor; thesis papers are not desired;

a letter of endorsement from the sponsoring Sea Grant director; and,

a copy of all undergraduate and graduate student transcripts.

Award: The 2001 Great Lakes Commission-Sea Grant Fellowship award is $38,000 of which $32,000 is provided to each Fellow for stipend and living expenses (per diem). The remaining $6,000 will be used to cover mandatory health insurance for the Fellow and moving expenses. In addition, any remaining funds shall be used during the Fellowship year, first to satisfy academic degree-related travel, and second for Fellowship-related travel. Indirect costs are not allowable for either the Fellowships or for any costs associated with the Fellowships [15 CFR 917.11(e), Guidelines for Sea Grant Fellowships]. During the fellowship, the host may provide supplemental funds for work-related travel by the fellow. The fellowship is managed by the Great Lakes Commission with shared oversight by the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO).

Selection: Each local Sea Grant program may submit up to two applicants to the regional competition conducted by the Great Lakes Commission in coordination with the National Sea Grant Office and Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Selection criteria include: academic ability, communications skills, diversity and appropriateness of academic background, additional qualifying experience, support of major professor, and support of Sea Grant director. Other factors such as geographical representation, disciplinary balance, and ability to work with others play a role in the selection.

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, 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. Extensive interaction with Knauss Sea Grant Fellows will be a priority, 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 Fellow will report to his/her sponsoring Sea Grant program during the one-year term. However, they will be responsible to the technical and administrative direction of the Great Lakes Commission. The NSGO Manager for Fellowship Programs will have overall program management responsibility and will serve as counselor and final arbitrator on problems should they arise. Fellows will be required to submit an exit report to the NSGO at the conclusion of the fellowship on December 31.

Timetable:

September 29, 2000 - Application materials from each student are due to the state Sea Grant Director.

October 11, 2000 - Nominees from Sea Grant Programs are sent to the Great Lakes Commission

October 27, 2000 - The finalists are selected by panel at the Great Lakes Commission.

January 1, 2001 (approximate) - start of the fellowship.

More information can be obtained from:

Dr. Michael J. Donahue, executive director , Great Lakes Commission, The Argus II Building, 400 Fourth Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103-4816, Ph: 734-665-9135, Email: mdonahue@glc.org;

Ms. Nikola Garber, National Sea Grant College Program, 1315 East-West Highway, Sliver Spring, Maryland 20910, Ph: 301-713-2431 extension 124, Email: Nikola.Garber@noaa.gov

Your nearest Sea Grant program

University of Illinois - 765-494-3573

University of Michigan - 734-763-1437

University of Minnesota - 218-726-8106

State University of New York - 631-632-6905

The Ohio State University - 614-292-8949

Penn State Erie - 814-898-6420

Purdue University - 765-494-3573

University of Wisconsin - 608-262-0905