Contact:
Aman Kohli, Research and Program Coordinator, North Carolina Sea Grant, akkohli@ncsu.edu or Justin Ridge, Research Coordinator, NC Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, justin.ridge@deq.nc.gov

North Carolina Sea Grant and the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (Coastal Reserve) are accepting applications for the 2026 North Carolina Coastal Research Fellowship. The deadline is Monday, April 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET.

Through this program, graduate students based in North Carolina conduct hypothesis-based research within one or more of the 10 sites that constitute the N.C. Coastal Reserve. The Reserve is especially interested in projects that include work at one or more of these sites: Kitty Hawk Woods, Buxton Woods, Buckridge, Permuda Island, Bald Head Woods, and Bird Island Reserves.

Research should address one or more of these coastal management issues:

• Sediment dynamics and influences on shoreline position, habitat type, and quality.
• Sources and impacts of emerging contaminants, plastics, and marine debris.
• Impacts of invasive species on coastal ecosystems.
• Performance of habitat restoration and conservation practices, including shoreline stabilization approaches.
• Understanding relationships of water quality on Reserve ecosystems and the role Reserve sites play in the estuarine filter.
• Wetland carbon stocks and soil and flora properties driving spatial variability.
• Influences on maritime forest habitat distribution, changes, and health.
• Application of innovative technologies to enhance research and monitoring in coastal systems.
• Assessing Reserve economic and social benefits through ecosystem service valuations and human-environment interaction studies.
• Modeling compound flooding to understand vulnerabilities within and around Reserve sites and the potential protective services provided.

“This fellowship has strengthened the connection between North Carolina’s graduate students, NC Sea Grant, and the needs of the NC Coastal Reserve,” says Aman Kohli, research and program coordinator at North Carolina Sea Grant. “We are excited to see new ideas and collaborative proposals from graduate students across our universities and coastal laboratories.”

North Carolina Sea Grant and the N.C. Coastal Reserve anticipate awarding one new fellowship for $10,000. Proposals are due Monday, April 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET.

Learn more about the fellowship.
Read about our most recent fellow.