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 Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students interested in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The Fellowship, named after one of Sea Grant’s founders and former NOAA Administrator John A. Knauss, matches highly qualified graduate students with “hosts” in the legislative and executive branches of government located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year paid fellowship.
ELIGIBILITY
Review the 2026 Knauss Student Guide 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 KNAUSS FELLOWS
| 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
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.
Apply by: February 19, 2025 by 5:00pm.
For more information, email seagrantinfo@mit.edu.
CONTACT US
VISIT & CONTACT
12 Emily Street, NW98
Cambridge, MA 02139
seagrantinfo@mit.edu
(617) 253-7041
Accessibility
12 Emily Street, NW98
Cambridge, MA 02139
seagrantinfo@mit.edu
(617) 253-7041
Accessibility
MAILING ADDRESS
MIT Sea Grant College Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, NW98-151
Cambridge, MA 02139
MIT Sea Grant College Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, NW98-151
Cambridge, MA 02139
SIGN UP
MIT Sea Grant Newsletter
Northeast MA Coastal Outreach (NEMCO)
Southeast MA Coastal Outreach (SEMCO)
MIT Sea Grant Newsletter
Northeast MA Coastal Outreach (NEMCO)
Southeast MA Coastal Outreach (SEMCO)
