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Selected Finalists

The Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students interested in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and 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 executivebranch of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year paid fellowship.

Finalist Manual

The finalist manual includes essential information. Topics include the placement process, the steps to take after placement week, house-hunting, commuting, health insurance, and more.

DC for Beginners

The DC for Beginners manual includes detailed, though not exhaustive, information about housing, commuting, things to do in the DC-area, shopping, restaurants, gyms, pet care, and more.

Important Dates

(Virtual) Placement Week: Executive Fellows

October 12-26, 2022

 Placement Week: Legislative Fellows

January 11-20, 2023

Fellowship dates 

02/01/2023 to 01/31/2024

Knauss Finalist FAQs

  • There will be an informational webinar for selected fellows. The webinar will discuss the difference between Executive and Legislative positions and afterwards you will receive a link to a form where you can state your preference (note that we cannot guarantee that you will be placed according to preference). You will receive a link to sign up in an introductory e-mail from the Knauss Program Manager.
    • Note you are called a selected finalist, not a Knauss Fellow, until after you are placed in a position during placement week.
  • In October (executive fellows) or end of January (legislative fellows) finalists will participate in the placement process. The placement process is filled with interviews, happy hours with potential hosts, and then host position-fellow pairing.
  • To learn more about the types of placements available through the fellowship program please review the list of potential 2022 executive and legislative Knauss positions
  • Please note, for most executive branch offices, selected fellows must pass a federal background check to gain security clearance. This includes answering questions about your previous citizenship, residence, education, employment, character references, selective service, military service, and illegal drug use. Please follow this link to an example of the form you will have to fill out.

The fellowship is one year (non-renewable). The dates of the official fellowship for 2022 fellows are February 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023.
The dates of the official fellowship for 2023 fellows are February 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024.

  • There will be an informational webinar that discusses the difference between Executive and Legislative positions and afterwards you will receive a link to a form where you can state your preference (note that we cannot guarantee that you will be placed according to preference). You will receive a link to sign up in an introductory e-mail from the Knauss Program Manager.

  • To learn more about the types of placements available through the fellowship program please review the list of potential 2022 executive and legislative Knauss positions

  • Please note, For most executive branch offices, selected fellows must pass a federal background check to gain security clearance. This includes answering questions about your previous citizenship, residence, education, employment, character references, selective service, military service, and illegal drug use. Please follow this link to an example of the form you will have to fill out.

Placement week is the time during which your fellowship placement with a host office will be determined. During placement week, there will be a kick-off event, host presentations, interview scheduling, interviews, and networking events with potential hosts, and the week will close with the placement of fellows in their positions. See the 2022 schedule from last year as an example of the week’s activities.

Visit finalist resources and the finalist’s guide to placement week for more details.

2022 Fellows: Your stipend is $61,500. You may have noticed that the entire fellowship award listed in the federal funding opportunity (FFO) is for $84,000. This is because there are other aspects to the award, including some funds for professional development. You will learn more about this breakdown in an introductory webinar.

2023 Fellows: Your stipend is $66,500. You may have noticed that the entire fellowship award listed in the federal funding opportunity (FFO) is for $89,000. This is because there are other aspects to the award, including some funds for professional development. You will learn more about this breakdown in an introductory webinar.

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