Fiscal Year 2020 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship | NOAA OAR SG 2020 2005911

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2020 2005911

The Fiscal Year 2020 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is a federal funding opportunity run under the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), specifically the National Sea Grant College Program. Sea Grant was originally created by Congress in 1966 and later amended in 2008 (Public Law 110-394) to build strong federal-state partnerships that draw on the expertise of universities and research institutions to address real-world challenges and create economic and environmental opportunities in coastal communities. This fellowship competition supports the long-running Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program, which places selected fellows into policy roles where they can contribute to marine, coastal, and Great Lakes decision-making.

For the 2020 fellowship year, NOAA anticipated selecting not fewer than 35 fellows overall, with roughly 14 placements expected in the Legislative Branch (with the remaining fellows generally placed in the Executive Branch). The mechanism used is a cooperative agreement, and the work aligns with broad national priorities in environment, natural resources, science and technology, and research and development. While the notice indicates a minimum expected cohort of 35, the source data also lists an expected 70 awards, which typically reflects the program's broader national pipeline and the way awards may be administered through Sea Grant programs, but the key takeaway is that the program intended to support a sizable class of fellows with placements across different branches of government.

Each fellowship award is funded up to a total of $71,500 in federal funds. That total includes up to $10,000 earmarked for office-related travel, recognizing that fellows may need to travel as part of their placement duties (for example, meetings, field visits, briefings, or stakeholder engagement tied to their host office). The opportunity also notes that in certain cases, additional office-related travel support may push total funding above $71,500. When that happens, the extra amount is not automatically included upfront; it is handled later through a formal amendment to the grant, which is a standard federal process for adjusting awarded budgets when justified needs arise.

A major practical point in the announcement is how applicants are expected to engage with Sea Grant at the state or territorial level. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their state or territory Sea Grant program one to two months before the state application deadline. The program emphasizes this early outreach for two reasons: to get application support and to give the Sea Grant program advance notice that an application is coming. Applicants also need to plan time for an interview if the Sea Grant program requests one, so waiting until the last minute can create avoidable scheduling problems and weaken an otherwise strong candidacy.

Administratively, the opportunity is identified as NOAA-OAR-SG-2020-2005911 (Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA OAR SG 2020 2005911) and is classified as a discretionary opportunity, meaning it is competitively awarded rather than distributed by formula. The CFDA listing associated with it is 11.417, which is NOAA Sea Grant support. The original posting date in the source data is December 4, 2018, and the original closing date is February 22, 2019, which reflects the lead time needed to select and place fellows for the 2020 fellowship term.

Finally, the notice points applicants to NOAA Sea Grant's General Application Guide as a key companion resource, offering detailed instructions, requirements, and practical tips for preparing a competitive submission. The guide is available at: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Portals/1/Guidance/SeaGrantGeneralApplicationGuide.pdf. This document, together with the funding notice, forms the core set of instructions for how to prepare, route, and submit an application through the appropriate Sea Grant program channel.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2020 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.417.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 04, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 22, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $71,500.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 70 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2020 2005911

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