FY18 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program | NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005346

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005346

The FY18 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is a competitive NOAA scholarship opportunity administered through the Department of Commerce that helps fund graduate education for students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees tied to ocean and coastal topics. It is aimed broadly at oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and related science, engineering, social science, and natural resource management fields where the focus connects clearly to ocean and coastal areas. The program especially encourages applications from women and members of minority groups, reflecting its goal of strengthening and diversifying the future workforce connected to NOAA and marine conservation, research, and management.

Eligibility centers on both citizenship and academic standing. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or citizens of U.S. territories, and they must be applying to, or already accepted by, a graduate program at a U.S. accredited institution. Applicants do not have to be enrolled at the time they apply, but they must ultimately be admitted to a graduate-level program before NOAA will make an award. Academically, applicants need at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA to apply, and recipients must maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative and term GPA throughout every term for the full duration of the scholarship.

Awards are designed to support the cost of being a graduate student, not the direct costs of conducting research. Subject to appropriations, the scholarship can provide up to 42,000 per student per year, structured as a 12-month stipend of 30,000 plus an education allowance of up to 12,000. In addition, the program offers up to 10,000 to support a separate 4 to 6 week program collaboration at a NOAA facility, which is meant to give scholars hands-on experience in NOAA-related work environments and to build professional connections. Importantly, the scholarship funds themselves cannot be used toward research costs, so applicants should plan to cover research expenses through other mechanisms (for example, advisor grants, departmental funding, or other fellowships), while using this scholarship primarily for living and educational expenses.

Selection decisions emphasize a mix of merit and practical need. Reviewers consider academic excellence, letters of recommendation, the clarity and strength of the applicant's research and career goals, and financial need. The overall intent is to support students who show strong promise in marine and coastal fields and who can articulate how their graduate education aligns with long-term contributions to ocean and coastal science, stewardship, or management.

A distinctive feature of the program is the NOAA program collaboration component. Scholars may spend four to six weeks working at a National Marine Sanctuary System field office or another NOAA program office, participating in research or mission-related activities. The collaboration funding may cover allowable costs associated with that temporary placement, including travel to and from the NOAA site, housing, per diem, laboratory costs, research vessel support, and consumables used while conducting work at the NOAA facility. Scholars must provide their own health insurance during this collaboration period. Doctoral recipients may be required to complete one collaboration depending on available funding, with a second collaboration recommended but not required. For masters scholars, completing a collaboration is strongly recommended but not mandatory. If a scholar plans to do a collaboration in a particular year, they must notify the Program Officer by December of the relevant academic year, and they must obtain approval from the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries before beginning.

Recipients also take on professional and communication responsibilities as part of becoming part of the NOAA community. Scholars must attend a mandatory NOAA Orientation Training in summer 2018 to meet staff from the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (the specific date and location were to be determined). If awards are not finalized before that training occurs, recipients might need to pay certain costs upfront and then be reimbursed after award funds are issued. In addition, every scholarship recipient must create an outreach product, such as a video or infographic, that explains their research to a general audience in a clear and accessible way, highlighting why the work matters. The program indicates that appropriate training will be provided to help scholars produce these communication materials.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, reflecting NOAA involvement beyond simply issuing funds. It is associated with CFDA 11.429, carried the funding opportunity number NOAA NOS ONMS 2018 2005346, and anticipated making about four awards. The opportunity was posted on October 4, 2017, with an original application deadline of December 8, 2017, and a maximum annual award level (award ceiling) of 42,000 per student, plus the separate collaboration support described above. For full details, including complete cost allowability rules and any additional eligibility clarifications, applicants were directed to the full Federal Funding Opportunity announcement and to the federal cost principles in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E.

• 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 "FY18 Nancy Foster Scholarship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.429.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 04, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 08, 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 $42,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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