Below are the details of the application process and timeline for applying to USC Sea Grant for the 2027 Knauss Fellowship. Applications are due by 5:00 pm PST on June 3, 2026 through USC Sea Grant’s eSeaGrant portal. We will have an “office hours” to answer questions on the application process on April 14th 2026, from 12-1 pm. Register for the “office hours” here. If you have questions while completing the application process, please feel free to contact Charlotte Stevenson (cnsteven@usc.edu).

Application Details

    • Although parts of the application instructions are copied on the USC Sea Grant website, we highly recommend that you read the full, official federal funding opportunity (NOFO): 2027 National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. The Funding Opportunity Number is NOAA-OAR-SG-2027-32433
    • Apply to USC Sea Grant by submitting all application materials (listed below) to USC Sea Grant’s online submission portal, eSeaGrant 
      • Note: to use USC Sea Grant’s eSeaGrant submission portal, you will need to register for an account.
      • Please make sure to use the suggested file name for each of the application documents below.
    • It is highly recommended to provide at least one to two months to complete the application process. 

    Apply through USC Sea Grant’s eSeaGrant website here  

    • USC Sea Grant “office hours” to answer questions on the application process on April 14th 2026, from 12-1 pm. Register for the “office hours” here.
    • June 3, 2026: Application materials due to USC Sea Grant by 5 pm PT through eSeaGrant
    • Mid-Late June: Interviews by USC Sea Grant staff to nominate up to six finalists to the National Sea Grant Office.
    • July 22, 2026: USC Sea Grant notifies applicants if they will be nominated for the fellowship. Each Sea Grant program can only nominate six applicants.
    • Sept 2026: USC Sea Grant will notify selected finalists.
      • Note that finalists are called a “selected finalist”, not a Knauss Fellow, until after being placed in a position during Placement Week.
    • February 1, 2027: Earliest possible start of the fellowship (could start as late as June 2027; this timeline will unfold in more detail over the next six months)

  • To apply for the 2027 Knauss Fellowship, please submit the following documents to USC Sea Grant’s online submission portal, eSeaGrant. Detailed instructions on each element of the application are available in the NOFO: NOAA-OAR-SG-2027-32433

    Required Application Documents Suggested File Name 
    Two letters of recommendation, including one from a faculty member with the student’s current enrollment who has knowledge of the student’s academic and research (when applicable) performance (each 2 pages max) 1_LastName_RecLtr1.pdf and 1_LastName_RecLtr2.pdf
    A personal education and career development statement (3 sections with 3 separate titles) (1500 words or less) 2_LastName_Goal.pdf
    Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum; no links or personal contact info) 3_LastName_CV.pdf
    Relevant coursework and future year plans for spring 2026,summer 2026, and fall 2026 (not to exceed one page single-spaced) 4_LastName_Plans.pdf
    Transcripts (unofficial; not part of scored application) 5_LastName_Transcripts.pdf
    Out-of-State Letter of Recommendation (Only if you are applying from an out-of-state graduate program; not part of scored application) 6_LastName_OutofStateLetter.pdf

  • All applicants will be evaluated on their application package according to the content they submit. Evaluation Criteria used by the National Sea Grant Office may be found in the 2027 Knauss Student Guide (LINK coming soon) and the Federal NOFO.

     Evaluation Area  Component Points
     Relevant Experience Curriculum Vitae (CV) 10
    Personal education and career development response 60
    Relevant coursework and future year plans 10
    Transcripts Not part of the scored application
     Recommendations  Letters of recommendation 10
    USCSG director’s letter of recommendation 10
    Out-of-state letter (only applicable if you are applying from an out-of-state graduate program) Not part of the scored application
     Final Review Overall Application Cohesion 10
    Total points: 110

Application Resources