JOHN A. KNAUSS MARINE POLICY FELLOWSHIP

*The Knauss application period is currently closed.

The MIT Sea Grant College Program administers nominations each winter for the National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. Established in 1979, the Fellowship provides a unique opportunity to students interested in ocean and coastal resources and in the national policy decisions affecting them. The Knauss program matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branch of government in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year, paid fellowship. The program is named in honor of one of Sea Grant’s founders, former NOAA Administrator, John A. Knauss.

ELIGIBILITY

Please check back in early 2025 for information about the 2026 Knauss Fellowship.

Review the 2025 Knauss Fellowship Student Guide and the Student Applicant Guide to Sea Grant Fellowships for application preparation tips.

LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT

The length of assignment is one year. The inclusive dates of the official fellowship are February 1- January 31; however, these dates can be slightly adjusted to accommodate academic semester needs.

CURRENT FELLOWS

MIT Sea Grant is currently sponsoring two 2025 Knauss Fellows: Laura Hancock, who just completed her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Natalia Perez, who completed her masters at Tufts.

PAST AWARDEES


2024	Marisa Borreggine – Harvard University
2023	Claudia Mazur – Boston University; Lilian Elekwachi – University of Massachusetts Boston; Sophia Troeh – Northeastern University
2022	Sheron Luk – MIT-WHOI Joint Program
2021	Lucilia Bloemendaal – Boston University
2021	Catherine Tobin – UMass Boston
2020	Brianna Shaughnessy – University of Massachusetts – Boston
2019	Gualtiero Spiro Jaeger – MIT
2017	Kate McClure – Northeastern University
2015	Casey Diederich – Tufts University
2015	Ben Carr – Boston University
2013	Santhiska Pather – University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth
2012	Fern Gibbons – Woods Hole / MIT Joint Program
2011	Caitlin Frame – Woods Hole / MIT Joint Program
2009	Abigail Franklin – University of Massachusetts – Amherst
2004	Jennifer Brewer – Clark University
2003	Rachel Adams – MIT Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
2002	Winnie Chan – Tufts University
2001	Katherine Croff – MIT Dept. of Ocean Engineering
1996	Samantha Woods- University of Massachusetts, Boston
1995	Eric Dolin – MIT Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning Justin LeBlanc – Harvard University
1993	Shane Merz – MIT Dept. of Ocean Engineering
1992	Deidre Kimball – University of Massachusetts, Boston
1991	Sam Pett – University of Massachusetts, Boston
1990	Matt Huston – University of Massachusetts, Amherst
1988	Michael R. Nelson – MIT Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

HOW TO APPLY

*The Knauss application period is currently closed.

Please apply for the Knauss through your state Sea Grant office – in Massachusetts, contact either MIT Sea Grant or Woods Hole Sea Grant. MIT applicants will be given access to our online system by our administrator; specifics of the required documents for a complete application are listed and described on the National Sea Grant Knauss application website

For more information, email seagrantinfo@mit.edu.

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