National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship | NOAA OAR SG 2023 2007040

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2023 2007040

The National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is a competitive federal funding opportunity run through the U.S. Department of Commerce under NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (Sea Grant). Sea Grant itself was created by Congress in 1966 and later amended in 2008 (Public Law 110-394) to strengthen partnerships between the federal government, states, and universities and to use research and applied expertise to address real-world challenges and create economic and environmental opportunities in coastal communities. This specific notice invites applications for the 2023 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, a long-standing program designed to place highly qualified fellows in policy-making settings where marine, coastal, and Great Lakes issues are developed, debated, and implemented.

The opportunity is offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning NOAA expects an active relationship with award recipients rather than a hands-off grant. It falls under environmental and natural resources work and broader science and technology research and development, and it is listed under CFDA 11.417. While the eligibility category is labeled broadly as "Others" in the public listing, in practice applicants are expected to coordinate through an eligible Sea Grant program in their state or territory, and the announcement emphasizes early communication with that Sea Grant office as part of the application pathway.

In terms of scale and funding, Sea Grant anticipates supporting not fewer than 35 applicants, with an expected total of about 80 awards overall according to the posting. A key feature of the Knauss Fellowship is that placements span branches of government, and the announcement notes that roughly 17 fellows are expected to be assigned to the Legislative Branch. Each application package is expected to propose a total budget of $89,000, and the notice points applicants to specific sections of the full announcement (Section II.A and Section III.F) for the detailed budget breakdown. The funding ceiling is also listed as $89,000, aligning with the standardized per-fellow proposal amount described in the notice.

The timeline information in the source indicates the funding notice was created on September 20, 2021, with an original closing date of April 1, 2022. Because the program uses state and territory Sea Grant programs as a key part of the process, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their local Sea Grant program one to two months before the state deadline. The notice is explicit that this is not just a courtesy: early outreach helps applicants get application support, formally signal intent to apply, and leave time to complete an interview if the state Sea Grant program requests one.

Finally, the announcement flags that there are notable updates compared with prior years. Section IV.B (Content and Form of Application) has been revised and includes additional submission requirements that applicants must meet, and Section V.A (Evaluation Criteria) has also been revised with new criteria that must be used during review at both the state program level and the national level. Applicants are directed to use the Sea Grant General Application Guide for practical preparation advice, and any questions about the updated requirements are meant to go to the Knauss Fellowship Program Manager.

• 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 "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 Sep 20, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 01, 2022. (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 $89,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 80 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2023 2007040

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