Contact: John Fear, jmfear@ncsu.edu, 919-515-9104
Update: the deadline for applications has been extended to March 22, 2024.
North Carolina Sea Grant has opened applications for the 2024 NC STEM Policy Post-Graduate Fellowship, with a deadline of 5 p.m. on March 22, 2024. Sea Grant continues to partner with the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and host offices to provide funding for the program.
Through the paid fellowship, recently graduated master’s and doctoral students from North Carolina colleges and universities will be able to serve full-time for a year in high-level state government offices, focusing on topics related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.
“This program continues to provide significant impacts for current and past fellows including networking and employment opportunities,” says Susan White, North Carolina Sea Grant’s executive director.
“Working alongside state policy leaders, fellows meaningfully contribute to their host office’s mission and establish themselves as growing experts,” White notes.
In 2024, the potential host offices will be:
- NC Department of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office
- NC Biotechnology Center
- NC Department of Commerce, Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation
- NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
- NC Department of Transportation, Chief Operating Office
Each fellowship includes a competitive stipend, totaling $52,500 for the year, as well as an additional $2,000 for travel support. Professional development and networking opportunities for fellows are available through a partnership with Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering, starting with a policy workshop in summer 2024.
The fellowship program strongly encourages proposals from graduate students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and/or from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as from graduate students who can demonstrate how their interests can benefit underserved and underrepresented communities.
“These fellowships help retain the talent being produced by our higher education institutions for the benefit of our state,” says John Fear, North Carolina Sea Grant’s deputy director.
To be eligible, each applicant must receive a master’s or other advanced degree no later than Dec. 31, 2024, and no earlier than July 31, 2023. The degrees should be in STEM or a STEM-related discipline through a North Carolina university.
Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday March 22, 2024. Selected applicants will be notified before the end of the spring semester.
Apply through the eSeaGrant portal at go.ncsu.edu/ncesg. Requirements include a resume, career goal statement, two letters of recommendation, and transcripts.
The full request for proposals can be found on the NC Sea Grant website. Visit go.ncsu.edu/stem-fellows for details.
