Fiscal Year 2017 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics | NOAA OAR SG 2017 2005039

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2017 2005039

The Fiscal Year 2017 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics is a federal fellowship opportunity from the U.S. Department of Commerce designed to support PhD students preparing for careers in marine science and management, specifically in marine ecosystem and population dynamics. The program is run jointly by NOAA Fisheries (through the National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS) and the Sea Grant program, and it is aimed at building a pipeline of highly trained scientists who can apply advanced quantitative approaches to real-world problems involving living marine resources.

At its core, the fellowship emphasizes modeling and management of marine systems. The work is expected to focus on developing and applying quantitative methods used to assess marine ecosystems and to evaluate the status of targeted fish and invertebrate stocks. In addition, it explicitly includes methods and analyses relevant to protected species, such as marine mammals and seabirds. In practice, that means fellows are expected to work in areas like stock assessment, ecosystem assessment, population dynamics modeling, and related statistical or computational approaches that help agencies understand population status, ecosystem change, and the likely outcomes of different management actions.

A defining feature of the fellowship is the direct connection to NMFS mission needs. Fellows are expected to pursue thesis research problems that are of public interest and clearly relevant to NMFS priorities, and they do that work under the guidance of NMFS mentors. Those mentors are based at participating NMFS Science Centers or NMFS Offices, which signals that the fellowship is not only academic in nature but also strongly applied, with an eye toward producing research that can inform fisheries management, conservation decisions, and ecosystem-based approaches. The opportunity is also framed as supporting NOAA's Healthy Oceans goal, with an emphasis on sustaining marine fisheries, habitats, and biodiversity through healthy and productive ecosystems.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically indicates substantial involvement or collaboration with the funding agency compared with a standard grant. The funding activity area is listed under environment, natural resources, and science and technology research and development, and the CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 11.417. The opportunity was created on October 13, 2016, with an original application closing date of February 24, 2017.

In terms of scale, the program anticipated making at least three new PhD fellowship awards in 2017, with an expected three total awards. The expected annual funding level per fellow is $46,000, made up of federal and matching funds, and the funding is jointly provided by NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant. The listing also notes an award ceiling of $76,666, which reflects the maximum allowable amount under the opportunity structure even though the typical expected annual amount per fellow is lower. Eligibility is broadly categorized as "Others," with further clarification referenced in an additional eligibility information field, indicating that applicants should consult the full announcement text for the specific eligibility rules and submission requirements.

• 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 "Fiscal Year 2017 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics" 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 Oct 13, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 24, 2017. (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 $76,666.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA OAR SG 2017 2005039

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