The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship program helps scientists hone their skills by putting them to practice for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Fellows gain first-hand experience as they spend one year on the staff of federal, state, local, or non-governmental environmental, natural resource, oil and gas, and public health agencies in the Gulf of Mexico region.
Award Details
Stipend and Benefits
Fellows who have completed an MA, MS, or MPH/MSPH degree or who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program will receive an annual stipend of $58,000. Fellows who have completed a PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, or DVM will receive an annual stipend of $63,000. The GRP has increased the stipend amounts to account for cost of living increases.
In addition to the stipend, each fellow will receive an annual health allowance of $5,500, which will be added to the stipend package. The annual health allowance is intended to offset the cost of health insurance and/or to offset the cost of healthcare-related needs during the term of the fellowship. The stipend package will be paid directly to the fellow in monthly disbursements.
Fellows will also receive a $1,500 one-time payment prior to or at the beginning of the fellowship term to defray costs associated with relocation. No other relocation costs will be reimbursed.
Professional development
Fellows will receive up to $5,000 in additional support as reimbursement for tuition and/or fees for professional development courses and activities or for professional travel related to their host office duties.
Additional funding
All fellows will attend an orientation in Washington, D.C. Fellows may be required to attend one or more conferences/events during their fellowship term. Travel expenses for these events will be covered by the Gulf Research Program; they are in addition to the fellowship stipend and professional development support.
Detailed information can be found in the terms of the Science Policy Fellowship.
Eligibility
Applicants must: Be currently enrolled in a doctoral program or hold an eligible degree, including an MA/MS, MPH/MSPH, PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, or DVM. For applicants not currently enrolled in a doctoral program, eligible degrees must be completed by August 15, 2023, and conferred by December 31, 2023. Applicants currently enrolled in a doctoral program must take a leave of absence for the duration of the fellowship.
Come from an area of research – including social and behavioral sciences, health sciences and medicine, engineering and physical sciences, earth and life sciences, and interdisciplinary scientific fields – relevant to the mission of the Gulf Research Program which is to develop, translate, and apply science, engineering, and medical knowledge to enhance offshore energy safety, environmental protection and stewardship, and human health and community resilience in the Gulf region in ways that empower its citizens.
Open to U.S. citizens only.
Not be currently employed by the U.S. Federal Government. Full-time, paid, permanent Federal employees are not eligible for the fellowship.
How to apply
Applications can be submitted through the online application system starting on November 30, 2022. The application cycle for 2023 Fellowships will close March 1, 2023.
Required application materials:
- Your resume or CV (up to 5 pages).
- A series of personal essays that respond to the following prompts:
- Using language a non-scientist will understand, explain how your past work or graduate research is relevant to the mission of the Gulf Research Program. (500 word limit)
- Describe a time outside a research or classroom setting when you helped to ensure a project or team accomplished its goals or achieved a successful outcome (500 word limit).
- Describe your professional goals and how this fellowship will help you achieve them. (500 word limit)
- Two letters of recommendation. We encourage applicants to choose references who know you well and can provide reviewers with insights about your experience, skills, and abilities beyond what can already be gleaned from your resume/CV.
All application materials, including the letters of recommendation, must be submitted through our online application system by March 1, 2023, at 5:00 PM ET. If you have difficulties submitting materials through our online application system, contact us at GulfFellowships@nas.edu.
References
Once you have created an account and started an application, you can enter the contact information for your two references. The system will generate an email to the references with instructions for logging in and uploading letters of recommendation. We encourage applicants to complete this task as soon as possible because final applications cannot be submitted until all reference letters have been uploaded. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Selection Process
Once the application deadline has passed, all written applications are reviewed by at least three reviewers. Before submitting an application, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the review criteria and the terms of the fellowship.
In addition to reviewer comments, the Gulf Research Program will be considering how applicants fit into our overall goals as well as balancing fellows across scientific disciplines.
Top applicants will be interviewed by phone for the final stage of the selection process. Applicants selected for a finalist interview will be notified by April 2023.
Up to ten fellows will be selected in 2023. All applicants will be notified of final award decisions by May 2023.
Selection Criteria
Finalists are selected based on a set of review criteria, and we encourage applicants to read the criteria carefully before preparing their application materials. Factors that contribute to an applicant’s likelihood for success include:
- Recognition that the relationship between science and policy is not a one-way street. In other words, evidence of a strong interest in both applying science to public policy and decision making and incorporating policymaking experience into their scientific work. Prior direct public policy experience is valued but not required.
- A strong scientific and technical background and superior academic achievement.
Experience or demonstrated willingness to work in an interdisciplinary field or participate in interdisciplinary collaborations. - Experience or achievements outside of the formal classroom such as community and civic engagement.
- Effective verbal and written communication to both scientific and non-scientific audiences. (Once placed in host offices, applicants will be communicating with peers, senior colleagues, and external stakeholders in a wide range of settings.)
- The initiative, creativity, organization, and interpersonal skills needed to help ensure projects, teams, or individuals accomplish their goals and achieve successful outcomes, whether small or large.
Membership in one or more groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the applicant’s scientific discipline.
Interviews
Once selected for the fellowship, fellows will participate in a month-long process to match with their host offices. In May 2023 fellows will be provided information about hosting offices, including a list of host offices, contact information, and a description of the potential work fellows will take on during the fellowship year. Fellows will reach out on their own to set up interviews with host office mentors; Gulf Research Program Fellowships staff are not responsible for scheduling interviews. Fellows will be provided with a placement interview guidance document that contains suggested questions and topics to discuss with host office mentors.
Host offices are located in each of the five Gulf States and may be federal, state, or local government agencies or non-governmental organizations. Download a list of 2022 host offices here. We are currently recruiting host offices for the 2023-2024 cohort and will include the 2023 host office list starting in early 2023. This list will be updated on an ongoing basis during the application period.
Matching
After the interview period, both fellows and hosts submit their placement preference rankings to the Gulf Research Program fellowships staff. Although we work hard to try to match everyone according to their preferences and needs, we cannot guarantee that fellows or hosts will receive their first choice.
For more information: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/science-policy-fellowship/for-applicants