2026 California Sea Grant State Fellowship

Image
2025 State Fellows
Funding Category
Fellowships
Application Deadline
Proposal Contact: sgproposal@ucsd.edu

 

 

 

APPLY TO BE A CALIFORNIA SEA GRANT STATE FELLOW

 

Current Funding Updates
Timeline Highlights
Program Description
Eligibility
Stipend and Expenses
Length of Assignment
Extension Project Opportunity
How to Submit an Application
Application Guidance
Application Requirements
Evaluation Criteria
Matching Process
Hosts 
Past Fellows
Timeline
Contact

CURRENT FUNDING UPDATES

At this time we are expecting to receive funding from NOAA to support the fellowship opportunity for 2026 but we recently learned of delays in the review and disbursement of federal funding obligations. Prospective applicants will be notified if and when we have information that will affect this opportunity. Contingent upon available federal funding, the fellowships are expected to begin January 1 - March 10, 2026 and may be up to one year in duration. 

TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS

All times listed in Pacific Time (PT)

  • Applications Open: April 15, 2025
  • Prospective Applicants Informational Webinar/Workshop: May 14, 2025 12:00 – 2:00 PM PT
  • Applications Due: June 13, 2025 5:00 PM PT
  • California Sea Grant Informational Session for invited finalists: July 30, 2025 12:00 – 2:00 PM PT
  • Finalist presentations due: August 1, 2025 5:00 PM PT
  • Host Office Hours: August 25 – 29, 2025
  • MANDATORY Finalist Interview Scheduling Event: September 3, 2025 9:00 – 1:00 PM PT
  • MANDATORY Matching Workshop Interviews: September 8 – 10, 2025 

 

SEE FULL SCHEDULE HERE

 

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR/APPLICATION WORKSHOP

Please join us for an Informational Webinar & Application Workshop for prospective fellowship applicants on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM PT.  (Register here)

If you are unable to attend, a recording of the webinar will be posted here after the webinar takes place.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The California Sea Grant State Fellowship Program provides a unique educational and professional opportunity for graduate students who are interested in coastal and marine resources in California, and the policy decisions affecting those resources. Modeled after the highly successful national Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program, the State Fellowship Program is designed to provide recent graduates an opportunity to acquire "hands-on" experience in the planning and implementation of coastal and marine resource policies and programs in the state of California. The program matches highly motivated and outstanding graduate students (near completion of degree or recently completed) with "hosts" in California municipal, state or federal agencies, as well as research and conservation organizations in California with mandates in coastal or marine research, policy, or management. The fellowship program serves to both increase the capacity of ocean and coastal management agencies in California with highly motivated and talented graduate students, and to facilitate the training and development of the next generation of ocean and coastal leaders.

Since the inception of this program in 1987, 350 graduate students and recent graduates have been successfully placed in a variety of local, state and federal agencies that address California coastal and marine resource issues. This fellowship program has helped jumpstart the careers of coastal and marine policy professionals. You can read about current and past State Fellows at https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/students/fellowship-alumni.

Participating Host Offices will provide an educational opportunity to fellows who will, in turn, provide substantial professional contributions to the office. Hosts are expected to supervise, mentor, and provide opportunities for fellows to be involved in substantive issues that support the fellow’s professional and educational goals. The fellow will be expected to engage with the host office at a full-time equivalent, remotely and/or on-site and with other staff and/or leadership, as appropriate. Hosts and fellows are responsible for agreeing on remote/virtual, on-site and hybrid arrangements.

Prospective fellows submit fellowship applications through California Sea Grant (via the online application system eSeaGrant) and are screened for appropriate academic background, employment history, career and education goals, community and extracurricular activities, interest in the fellowship, and for professional skills such as initiative, leadership, adaptability, communication and analytical skills. 

The process and requirements of applying for the California Sea Grant State Fellowship are outlined below. 

ELIGIBILITY

Applications may be submitted by a graduate student close to completing a degree (Masters, Ph.D., or J.D.) in a field related to conservation, management, protection, stewardship, public policy or law of marine, coastal, and/or watershed environments, or areas that impact those environments, at a California university. Graduate students who recently completed their degree at a California university with a graduation date [i.e. date the degree was awarded by the university] after May 1, 2024 are also eligible to apply. Fellows must complete all degree requirements before starting the fellowship. State Fellows may be expected to relocate to the region where their host office is located.

When considering applying for this fellowship, please keep in mind that if you are only interested in being placed with five or less host agency positions, then this might not be the right opportunity for you. Matching with a particular host agency is not guaranteed. Each host agency can offer an enriching fellowship opportunity, thus an open mindset is important in being successful through the matching process. 

Applicants must be eligible to receive federal and state funds; it is the responsibility of the applicant to check if they are eligible to receive federal/state funds and (if applicable) obtain the appropriate VISA to maintain an eligible status in the State Fellowship.

STIPEND AND EXPENSES

Each fellow will receive $61,524 for stipend and health insurance for the twelve-month assignment ($5,127/month). Additional funds of up to $2,500 can be reimbursed to cover travel for any California Sea Grant-coordinated state fellow in-person meeting and other fellowship related travel. Additional travel associated with the fellowship may be covered by the host agency at the agency’s discretion.

LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT

The length of assignment is twelve (12) months. The fellowship will begin in early winter between January 2026 and March 2026. Fellows are strongly encouraged to start the first 10 days of the month either in January, February or March 2026, with the exact start date negotiable between an individual host and fellow. If relocation is required for the fellowship position, fellows should not move until a host agreement has been fully executed with California Sea Grant.

EXTENSION PROJECT OPPORTUNITY

Over the course of the twelve-month fellowship, California Sea Grant State Fellows will have the opportunity to engage with the California Sea Grant Extension Program through optional Extension Projects. These projects are meant to be collaborative opportunities offered to enhance the fellowship experience, expose fellows to CASG extension specialists and what extension work is, provide additional professional development to fellows, and engage fellows on familiar and/or new topics that complement their fellowship tasks. California Sea Grant Extension Specialists work with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, local businesses and members of the California coastal community to identify emerging marine resource problems and opportunities, conduct applied scientific research and share findings with stakeholder groups. State Fellows will be able to choose one extension project that aligns with their fellowship assignments or with their professional and career interests. Fellows are anticipated to contribute no more than ~320 hours (equivalent to two months effort) spread out over the year on these extension projects. As each Extension Specialist, project, fellowship position and individual fellow is different, California Sea Grant will provide flexibility as best possible to create organic collaborative opportunities through the extension projects for State Fellows. California Sea Grant will encourage fellow participation in Extension Projects, but these are not mandatory for a fellow. Host agencies are expected to allow State Fellows to participate in extension projects for up to ~320 hours of their time, if a State Fellow chooses to do so. 

HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

The electronic files comprising your application must be submitted as PDFs using eSeaGrant, California Sea Grant’s online submission portal: https://eseagrant2.ucsd.edu/.

You will need to register for an account (click on the banner labeled “Register”) in eSeaGrant if you have not done so in the past year. You can change the randomly generated password once you log in successfully into the website.  

To start an application in eSeaGrant or to revisit/edit an existing application, click on “Current Tasks” in your eSeaGrant dashboard. To start a new application, click on “Add Fellowship Application” under “Fellowship Applications: 2026 State Fellowship”. If you have already started an application and wish to edit it, click on the hyperlink for that application instead. 

FORMATTING: Ensure electronic files are no larger than 6 MB. Only PDFs are accepted. Include your last name in the file names for each section of the proposal (e.g., Smith_statement.pdf or Smith_cv.pdf). When naming the document do not use apostrophes, slashes or ampersands. Once submitted through the website, PDFs may not be edited. To change a PDF, it must be deleted and resubmitted.

IMPORTANT: To maintain confidentiality, letters of recommendation are submitted directly from the referee to California Sea Grant through eSeaGrant and must be submitted by the application deadline to be considered. Please address letters to Dr. Shauna Oh, Director, California Sea Grant. Late submissions may lead to the rejection of incomplete applications. Candidates are encouraged to work with referees to meet the deadline. 

For technical issues with submitting your application through eSeaGrant please contact Delanie Medina at sgproposal@ucsd.edu.

Submitted fellowship applications will be screened for appropriate application requirements including academic background, employment history, career and education goals, community and extracurricular activities, interest in the fellowship, and for professional skills such as initiative, leadership, adaptability, communication and analytical skills. Applications missing any requirements will not be considered.

Application deadline: June 13, 2025, 5:00 PM PT

NOTE: THE ESEAGRANT PROPOSAL PORTAL WILL CLOSE AT THE DATE AND TIME STATED ABOVE, AND LATE APPLICATIONS (EVEN 1 MINUTE LATE) CANNOT BE ACCEPTED. IT IS THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GET ALL REQUIRED MATERIALS SUBMITTED BEFORE THE DEADLINE. WE ADVISE TO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION; WHEN ESEAGRANT EXPERIENCES HIGH USER TRAFFIC, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE PAGE LOADING DELAYS.

APPLICATION GUIDANCE

As a federally funded entity, California Sea Grant is adapting to the evolving landscape, understanding potential implications, and ensuring compliance with active executive orders (EOs). Therefore, when preparing your personal education and career development statement, we recommend ensuring your response aligns with any current and relevant executive orders and policies issued by the Administration (i.e., active executive orders). 

Please note that any content in your application package exceeding the listed page or text limits will be redacted prior to application review- this includes letters of recommendation as well.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

A complete application will include:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Personal Education and Career Development Statement
  3. Two Letters of Recommendation
  4. Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts

1. CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal and academic curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages using 12-point font).

 

2. PERSONAL EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT

A personal education and career development statement that emphasizes the applicant's abilities and interests, and the applicant's expectations of the career development experience. (1000 words or less) 

The statement should include the following: 

  • 2A: Ice Breaker: At the top of the personal statement, each applicant should provide answers to two icebreakers:
    • The applicant should use one sentence to describe themselves. (1 sentence maximum)
    • The applicant should list five adjectives that someone with a close personal connection (coworker, supervisor, etc.) would use to describe them. (5 words maximum)
  • 2B: Why the applicant wants to be a California Sea Grant State Fellow with a specific focus on how this fellowship supports the student’s career pathway and what the applicant hopes to get out of the experience. (suggested 250 words maximum)
  • 2C: What experiences and transferable skills (skills that can be applied across a variety of disciplines) would the applicant bring to the California Sea Grant State Fellowship from their personal, professional and academic background. (suggested 250 words maximum)
  • 2D: Describe a situation in which the applicant overcame a challenge (e.g. within a community or institution, personally, professionally, etc.) specifically as it relates to how they took a leadership role and what they learned from the experience. (suggested 240 words maximum)
  • 2E: Describe a situation in which the applicant worked with a person or group with different perspectives, life experiences, beliefs, etc. from their own to achieve a common goal. (suggested 240 words maximum)

 

3. TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Two letters of professional recommendation, including one from the student's major professor. If no major professor exists, the faculty member who is most familiar with the applicant academically may be substituted. (each letter should not exceed 2 pages)

 

4. UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE TRANSCRIPTS

Copies of all undergraduate and graduate student transcripts. Unofficial copies will be accepted. Ensure that PDF copies of transcripts are not password-protected.

 

5. GENERATIVE AI DISCLOSURE

When uploading application materials in the eSeaGrant portal, there will be a generative AI section in which applicants must disclose their use of generative AI tools. If the applicant has used generative AI tools to develop any portion of the application, they must select “Yes” and describe transparently and in detail, which generative AI technologies/tools were used and why they were used. The applicant is fully responsible for the accuracy of any information provided by the tool and for correctly referencing any supporting work on which that information depends. Technologies or human services used to improve spelling, grammar, and general editing do not need to be reported. If the applicant has not used generative AI tools to develop any portion of the application, they must select “No”. Recent legislation enacted by the California State Legislature requires state agencies to disclose any use of generative AI in work funded by the state. To stay in alignment with recent state guidelines and given that this fellowship places fellows within state agencies, we are requiring applicants to disclose any use of generative AI in the preparation of their application.

 

Submitted fellowship applications will be screened for appropriate application requirements including academic background, employment history, career and education goals, community and extracurricular activities, interest in the fellowship, and for professional skills such as initiative, leadership, adaptability, communication and analytical skills. Applications missing any requirements will not be considered.

Personal information (birth dates, addresses, student ID numbers, social security numbers, etc.) must be redacted from all application materials before it is submitted through eSeaGrant.

Evaluation Criteria

EVALUATION AREA

COMPONENTS

POINTS

Relevant Experience

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

10

Personal Education and Career Development Statement

65

Recommendations

Two Letters of Recommendation

10 (5 each)

Academic Ability

Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts

10

Overall Application Cohesion

All Components

5

Selection of finalists is made by California Sea Grant staff and alumni of the State Fellowship based upon review of written application materials and interviews (via Zoom) of high-scoring applicants. Selection criteria for finalists used by California Sea Grant include:

 

Curriculum Vitae (10%): The student has employment, volunteer, or extracurricular activities in academic, applied, research, administration, outreach or policy positions. The education and experience (personal and professional) in the student’s area of expertise are appropriate to the career stage. The student demonstrates academic, professional or personal experiences that are relevant and applicable to serving Californians. The student’s experiences show prior leadership roles relevant to their career stage (e.g., student government, faculty committees, advisory committees, professional societies, community initiatives, etc.).

 

Personal Education and Career Development Response (65%):

  • Ice Breaker (5%) - The student demonstrates creative thinking and a willingness to think outside the box.
  • Career Path and Objectives (30%) - The student clearly links experiences to the ocean or coasts. The student demonstrates their ability to convey scientific knowledge in broader, non-scientific contexts, creative thinking, analytical skills and/or indicates their capacity and willingness to make connections between science and broader economic, social and political issues. The student demonstrates an understanding of the State Fellowship program and personal and professional background/goals. The student is specific, direct and concise while discussing what they would bring to and gain from the State Fellowship and what they have cultivated throughout their academic and professional career. The skill set demonstrated will provide a foundation for success.
  • Career Path Experience (30%) - The student demonstrates an interest in contributing to public programs or service; experiences in public service, including, but not limited to volunteering, leadership, extension or education experiences. These do not have to be directly related to the mission of California Sea Grant. The student demonstrates creativity and willingness to navigate a challenging situation or leadership, and a problem solving initiative. The student has shown interest in working with a variety of collaborators, community members and/or interested partners. 
  •  

Letters of Recommendation (10%): The letter writers demonstrate knowledge of the student and their abilities, speak to the leadership potential, confidence, maturity, and self-direction of the student, provide evidence of the student's willingness and flexibility to tackle issues beyond their area of expertise and an openness and capacity to expand experiences. The letter writers provide evidence of the student's ability to convey scientific knowledge in broader, non-scientific contexts.

 

Academic Ability (10%): The undergraduate and graduate transcripts demonstrate the applicant's coursework in academic, applied, research, administration, outreach or policy. 

 

Overall Application Cohesion (5%): Consider all aspects of the application materials (CV, Personal Education and career Development Statement, Letters of Recommendation, and Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts). The application materials complement each other; The student brings unique perspectives to the program, the application materials provide a clear picture of what the student would gain, and bring to, from receiving the State Fellowship.

 

Selected finalists will be guided through a matching process with host agencies as described below. 

Please note:

  • Finalists invited to the Matching Workshop are not guaranteed a fellowship.
  • California Sea Grant cannot guarantee that a finalist will have an interview with a particular host.
  • Placement of a fellow with a prospective host office is not guaranteed.

MATCHING PROCESS

Once a State Finalist has been selected by California Sea Grant to participate in Matching Process, there are several items that will be required by finalists to submit and participate in, including but not limited to: 

  1. State Finalist Commitment
  2. Finalist Presentation Video & Slidedeck
  3. Finalist Informational Session
  4. Host Office Hours
  5. Interview Scheduling Event
  6. Matching Workshop Interviews
  7. Unranked and Ranked Lists
  8. Matching Algorithm

 

1. STATE FINALIST COMMITMENT

Applicants will be notified by approximately July 25, 2025 if they have been selected as a California Sea Grant State Fellowship Finalist. Applicants may also be placed on a waitlist. California Sea Grant aims to provide this unique educational opportunity to as many deserving applicants as possible, which includes ensuring that selected finalists are committed to the entire matching and placement process. Selected finalists will be asked to review a commitment letter outlining the expectations of finalists, host agencies and California Sea Grant moving forward in the matching process. By signing the commitment letter, selected finalists will officially accept their position as a finalist and proceed through the matching process. Finalists are not guaranteed to be matched with a host agency, however, it is important to be committed to the matching process as the odds of being matched are high.

 

2. FINALIST PRESENTATION VIDEO AND SLIDEDECK

Prior to the matching workshop, each finalist will provide a pre-recorded presentation video and slidedeck that demonstrates their personality and interests, what they hope to get out of the fellowship experience, and what skills and experiences they will bring to this opportunity. Each presentation video should not exceed five (5) minutes and each slidedeck should not exceed three (3) slides. Hosts will be provided access to a folder of all finalists pre-recorded presentations videos and slide decks for viewing. Finalist presentation recordings are due August 1, 2025. 

 

3. FINALIST INFORMATIONAL SESSION

Finalists will be required to attend a two-hour informational session. During the session, they will gain a clear understanding of what it means to be a finalist, what to expect from the matching workshop, and will learn more about the participating host offices. Finalists will also have the opportunity to connect with California Sea Grant staff, who will help prepare them for upcoming events related to the matching process.

 

4. HOST OFFICE HOURS

Hosts will host at least two 1-hour office hour sessions (via a virtual platform of their choosing) for finalists during the week of August 25–29, 2025. These sessions provide a crucial opportunity for finalists and hosts to connect, discuss position details and gain a clear understanding of the role and expectations of the fellowship. Finalists are encouraged to use this opportunity to collect information needed to inform the interview and matching process (e.g., workplace culture, in-person meeting requirements, travel schedule, etc).

 

5. INTERVIEW SCHEDULING EVENT

Utilizing the interview availability submitted by hosts, California Sea Grant will work with finalists to select their own interview schedules. Each finalist will be required to select a minimum of twelve (12) interviews. California Sea Grant will send each finalist their finalized schedule sheet for final approval. The host office will then be required to send their own calendar invites plus a link to a virtual conference platform for holding interviews to each finalist who signed up on their schedule sheet.  

 

6. MATCHING WORKSHOP INTERVIEWS

The matching workshop interviews will take place over three days (September 8–10), scheduled according to the availability of both hosts and finalists. Each host is required to offer a minimum of 12 interview slots, and each finalist must interview for at least twelve (12) host fellowship positions. Interviews will be 30 minutes long, with host offices leading the conversation using prepared questions and allowing time for finalists to ask their own questions.

California Sea Grant cannot guarantee that a finalist will have an interview with a particular host office, nor that an interview with a host office will result in a match with that office. 

 

7. UNRANKED AND RANKED LISTS

During the Matching Workshop, after the interviews have taken place, both hosts and finalists will submit two lists:

Top 10 Unranked List – The first list will be a Top 10 Unranked List. For finalists, this list includes the top 10 host positions the finalist is interested in matching with (in no particular order). This list allows you to indicate your interest in specific host positions and help finalists prioritize their final ranking list. This list will be submitted to California Sea Grant after interviews on September 11, 2025 by 5:00 PM PT. Hosts will also submit a Top 10 Unranked List. For hosts, this list includes the top finalists the hosts are interested in matching with (in no particular order).

On the morning of September 12, 2025 by 10:00 AM PT, California Sea Grant will provide each finalist with a list of host positions who included them in their Top 10 Unranked List. Finalists will then use this information to help inform/create their Final Ranked List.

Final Ranked List – The second and final list will be a Final Ranked List. For finalists, this list includes preferred hosts positions in order of match preference. Finalists can rank as few or as many host positions as they are willing to be matched with. This list will be submitted to California Sea Grant on September 15, 2025 by 5:00 PM PT. Hosts will also submit a Final Ranked List. For hosts, this list includes preferred finalists in order of match preference. Hosts can rank as few or as many finalists as they are willing to be matched with. 

 

8. MATCHING ALGORITHM

California Sea Grant will use a matching algorithm to match hosts and finalists based on the Final Ranked Lists. Once matches are finalized, both the Host Office and the Finalist will be notified via the same email. Matched finalists will then be required to confirm their match with the Host Office through the Fellowship Acceptance Form administered by California Sea Grant.

Unmatched Finalists and Host Offices may be offered additional opportunities to be matched directly, and waitlisted candidates may also be offered the opportunity to interview with unmatched Host Offices.

 

California Sea Grant aims to minimize drop-out of state fellows finalists at any stage in the matching process, however placement of a fellow in each prospective host office is not guaranteed. Finalists invited to the matching workshop are not guaranteed a Fellowship. California Sea Grant will do as much as we can to work with finalists and host agencies to fairly provide alternative solutions in the event of not matching or finalist/host drop-outs.

Hosts

The California Sea Grant State Fellowship program solicits applications from host offices annually to host State Fellows, including municipal, state and federal agencies, as well as research and conservation organizations in California with mandates in coastal or marine research, policy or management.

PAST FELLOWS

California Sea Grant recommends that prospective fellowship applicants look at previous years' fellowship webpages as a gauge of potential host opportunities (https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/students/fellowship-alumni). 

When considering applying for this fellowship, please keep in mind that if you are only interested in being placed with five or less host agency positions, then this might not be the right opportunity for you. Matching with a particular host agency is not guaranteed. Each host agency can offer an enriching fellowship opportunity, thus an open mindset is important in being successful through the matching process.

TIMELINE

California Sea Grant strongly encourages all prospective applicants to review the complete schedule and place appropriate holds on their calendars early. 

A more detailed outline of the timeline can be found here.

April 15, 2025: Applications open

May 14, 2025 12:00 – 2:00 PM PT: State Fellow Informational Webinar & Application Workshop for prospective fellowship applicants. (Register here) 

June 16, 2025 (approximate): Final host positions posted on California Sea Grant website

June 13, 2025 5:00 PM PT: Applications due

June 16 – July 24, 2025 (approximate): California Sea Grant screening of fellowship applications to select finalists 

July 25, 2025 5:00 PM PT: Selected finalists notified

July 29–August 30, 2025: Matching Workshop Prep: Watch finalists presentation recordings; read finalists applications 

July 31, 2025 12–2PM: California Sea Grant informational session for invited finalists

August 1, 2025: Finalist Presentation Videos and Slide Decks due

August 25 – 29, 2025: Host Office Hours for Finalists

September 3, 2025 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT: (Finalists only) Interview Scheduling Event

September 3, 2025 3:00 PM PT: California Sea Grant shares interview schedules with hosts

September 4 – 5, 2025: Hosts share interview invites with finalists/California Sea Grant Office Hours for hosts and finalists

September 8 – 10, 2025: MANDATORY Matching Workshop Interviews 

September 11, 2025 5:00 PM PT: Host/Finalist Top 10 Unranked List Due

September 12, 2025 10:00 AM PT: California Sea Grant provides each host with a list of finalists who included them in their Top 10 Unranked List

September 15, 2025 5:00 PM PT: Host/Finalist Final Ranked List Due

By September 26, 2025: Fellowship matches announced

January – March 2026: Fellowship begins

CONTACT

For additional information about the State Fellows program (or other fellowship opportunities: https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/students/fellowships), please contact:

Delanie Medina
Fellowship Program Coordinator 

sgproposal@ucsd.edu

Fellowship POSITIONs

Participating hosts and fellowship position descriptions for the 2026 class will be posted here June 16, 2025 (approximate).