“I wanted to get my Ph.D. because I wanted to teach—and I wanted my research to have a practical application. Finding out what blue crabs would do in future ocean acidification scenarios could help a lot of watermen. They have a lot of cultural value, they have a lot of commercial value, and they’re important in an ecological sense as well.”
– CHRISTINA FANTASIA B.
University of Virginia
Two recommendations (one academic and one professional) must be submitted in support of the applicant. To maintain confidentiality, recommendations should be submitted independently by the recommender through the Virginia Sea Grant Applications Portal. The forms must be submitted before the deadline.
The applicant’s primary faculty advisor or appropriate faculty member (PI on the research award the applicant will be working on during the fellowship) must provide one recommendation. If a student has multiple advisors, only one has to fill out the recommendation form.
VASG encourages applicants to consider someone that knows them from a different perspective than their academic advisor (e.g., former employer, mentor from a previous position, colleague they worked with in the past). Selected recommenders should provide a professional perspective to demonstrate the applicant’s breadth and may highlight different strengths and experiences than an academic advisor.
Referees will be asked to rate and describe the applicant on the following:
“The goal of my research is to enhance the sustainability of the American eel fishery and aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay. We are working towards recommending appropriate cost-effective and efficient methods for improving water quality and mitigating disease.”
– AMAN K.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Contingent upon available federal funding, fellowships are available for up to two years, and provide an award of up to $40,000 per year to support the student’s academic expenses. The start date for the fellowship is September 1, 2025. VASG expects to fund up to eight fellowships for the 2025–2027 academic years.
VASG-funded projects require a 50 percent funding match (i.e., budgets must show $1 of match for every $2 of Sea Grant funding requested). Only non-Federal funds may be committed as matching contribution. VASG will make all awards to the applicant’s primary faculty advisor, who must be listed as the principal investigator (PI) on the fellowship application.
Stay up-to-date on fellowship, internship, training, and research funding opportunities offered by Virginia Sea Grant.
Stay up-to-date on fellowship, internship, and research funding opportunities offered by Virginia Sea Grant.
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