“Promoting my work was made much easier because of my Virginia Sea Grant graduate fellowship. The staff at VASG have the tools to jump-start this process. Once I took the plunge and had the VASG media staff join me in the field, my science has gotten more attention.”

– SERINA W.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science

2026 VASG Graduate Fellowships

Application Deadline: January 5, 2026

The VASG Graduate Fellowship invests in people and supports graduate students in research, education, evidence-based inquiry, and community engagement that further the goals of VASG and show potential for:

Long-term professional success in academic, government, non-profit, or private sectors
Highly collaborative, team-oriented research and problem-solving that integrates diverse perspectives, and produces innovation to address our most challenging coastal and marine problems
Effective transfer of knowledge to practice and interest in ensuring their research results are useful to and used by stakeholders

Graduate Fellows address issues relevant to Virginia communities and of importance to coastal and marine resources – broadly defined (e.g., natural or social sciences, engineering and design, policy and legal analysis, architecture, business, education, arts and humanities, etc.).

The fellowship builds skills and competencies through professional development training and provides hands-on experience in translating research results to stakeholders through a professional mentor.

More Information For:

Application Process

Download and complete the fillable PDF application form
Advisors and Mentors must download and complete recommendation and mentor forms (see related documents below)
Advisors and Mentors submit their forms separately from the student application
Student completes online registration form and uploads all required documents to complete the application process

Contact

lmeddy@vaseagrant.org

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

A video of the September 3rd webinar will be posted shortly. The next webinar will be held on October 20th at 3:00PM.

Hands-on experience with professional Mentors

Graduate Fellows work alongside professional mentors to address pressing coastal and marine resource issues. This experience has positioned past fellows to be highly competitive for future opportunities.

MIGUEL S.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science

VICTORIA L.
University of Virginia

MAURA B.
Old Dominion University

JOE S.
Virginia Tech

Watch: Graduate Fellowship Overview

Fellowship at a Glance

Eligibility: The fellowship is open to full-time graduate and professional degree students at Virginia academic institutions enrolled no later than Fall 2025. Any discipline addressing issues relevant to Virginia communities, related to coastal and marine resources is eligible. Refer to the fellowship announcements for a full list of eligibility requirements.
Funding: The fellowship provides up to $40,000 per year for up to two years and professional development opportunities.
Important Dates: Final applications are due January 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST, and the fellowship begins September 1, 2026.

“For [agencies] to implement a new change can take about two years. So this is where we come in as researchers—we can make a change overnight. Then we can make a more robust system and a more integrated system …”

– ARSLAAN K.
George Mason University