Knauss Fellowship
Ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource
management experience for graduate students
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. The Fellowship,
named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former
NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, matches highly
qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the
legislative and executive branch of government
located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year
paid fellowship.
The Knauss Fellowship application period is open! Learn more here.
Prospective Fellows
Apply for a Knauss Fellowship through the Sea Grant program in your state.
Selected Finalists & Current Fellows
Grab the essential information you will need on your journey.
Knauss Alumni
Keep up-to-date on what is happening across the Sea Grant Network and stories about past and current Knauss Fellows.
Prospective Hosts
Interested in hosting a Knauss fellow in 2025? Learn more here!
Host Offices
Knauss Host Offices provide opportunities for involvement in substantive issues that support the fellows’ goals.
Knauss Finalists Class of 2024
Scroll through the gallery to check out the finalists in the upcoming class and their placements or view them here.
Want to hear from our current and former fellows about their firsthand experiences?
Check out the Knauss Blog, our alumni videos and alumni cards, and follow along with their journeys on social media using #Knauss!
Knauss Blog
Thoughts on Climate Optimism
By: Eleanor Pierel. Upon entering the Knauss Fellowship, I was not sure where I would fall on the optimism scale by the end. You see, as the Climate Policy Fellow,
The Sky’s the Limit
By: Michelle Nguyen. I stand there in the Hawk’s Nest launch viewing area right outside of Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, CA, watching as NOAA’s JPSS-2 satellite, atop an
Snapshots from the UN Ocean Conference
As part of the Knauss Fellowship, fellows have the opportunity to engage in professional development and travel related to their placements. This summer, a group of fellows traveled to Lisbon,
Alumni Videos
Playlist
Alumni Cards
John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program
*Numbers are approximate and based on available data.
43
Years of Success
1557
FELLOWSÂ PLACED IN FEDERAL AND CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES
50%
OF FELLOWSHIP ALUMNI WORK FOR THEÂ FEDERAL GOVERNMENT*
1052
OFFICES HAVE HOSTED FELLOWS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS*
Knauss Fellowship News
’12 Sea Grant Knauss Alum Emily Vuxton
I use so many of the skills and experiences I gained as a Knauss fellow at my current position. I remained in the Army Corps after my fellowship and I
’04 Sea Grant Knauss Alum Jessica Maher
“I truly believe the opportunity that I was given as a Knauss Fellow has led to the fact that I have been
Knauss Fellowship: A life-changing experience
For Shelby Walker, a 2002 Knauss Fellowship seemed like a chance to take a break from the lab and consider her future. It wound up being a life-changing experience, one