NC Sea Grant, Division of Marine Fisheries Sponsor Graduate Fellowship

Liza Hoos, 2014 NC Sea Grant/DMF fellow, went on several observing trips during her stint with DMF. Photo by Liza Hoos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jeffrey Buckel, NC State University, 252-222-6341, jabuckel@ncsu.edu
Katie Mosher, North Carolina Sea Grant, 919-515-9069, kmosher@ncsu.edu

Posted Tuesday, October 4, 2016

North Carolina Sea Grant is accepting applications until Nov. 28 for the N.C. Marine Fisheries Fellowship for graduate students in natural resources or marine sciences.

The fellowship is open to students nearing completion of, or who have recently completed, their advanced degree program at southeastern universities and colleges from Maryland to Texas.

The selected fellow will be placed with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and North Carolina State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), beginning in early 2017. Both facilities are in Morehead City, along North Carolina’s central coast, overlooking Bogue Sound. The fellowship provides an annual stipend of $36,000.

The new fellow will use “data-limited” stock assessment approaches to help determine stock status for select North Carolina fisheries. Recommendations from the fellow’s research will help state officials manage fish stocks for which traditional stock assessment approaches are not possible.

In the past decade, this fellowship program has been valuable and successful, says Michelle Duval, who leads DMF interactions with fishery management councils. “It’s a great way to make sure we’re fully utilizing our existing datasets,” she explains. “And the fellows have the opportunity to see their work directly impact resource-management questions.”

Sea Grant Executive Director Susan White agrees. “This program helps develop future leaders by giving scientists early-on, real-world experience considering complex issues,” she adds. “In turn, they bring to the agency new tools for fisheries management, including data analysis methods and visualizations.”

Jeffrey Buckel, an NC State fisheries biologist based at CMAST, will coordinate the selection process. The selection announcement will be made in early January.

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m., Nov. 28, 2016.

Email the following application materials to jabuckel@ncsu.edu:

• a personal and unofficial academic resume;
• a statement giving reasons for applying and educational/career goals, no more than two pages; and
• copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts.

Also, two letters of recommendation must be emailed from professors with knowledge of the applicant’s academic performance.

Travel for interviews will be at the applicant’s expense.

For more information, contact Buckel at 252-222-6341, jabuckel@ncsu.edu. Or contact Duval at 252-808-8011, michelle.duval@ncdenr.gov.

Application information is available on www.ncseagrant.org. Click on Funding Opportunities.

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North Carolina Sea Grant: Your link to research and resources for a healthier coast