Applications are being accepted for the 2027 Rhode Island Sea Grant – RI Department of Environmental Management Aquaculture Science and Policy Fellowship
Rhode Island Sea Grant, in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, is accepting applications for the 2027 Aquaculture Science and Policy Fellowship.
The 12-month, full-time fellowship within the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Marine Fisheries is open to applicants who have recently completed a graduate-degree program in Rhode Island. Based in Jamestown, the fellow will gain hands-on experience applying scientific expertise to aquaculture regulation and policy.
The fellow will help address gaps between existing regulations and Rhode Island’s changing aquaculture industry. Projects may include coordinating regulations across agencies, developing proposed regulatory language for co-culture and multitrophic operations, researching emerging on-farm practices and assisting with regulatory development for kelp cultivation.
Day-to-day responsibilities may include preparing research memos, tracking legislative developments, meeting with commercial growers, and attending working groups, stakeholder and public meetings.
The fellow will receive a stipend of $69,874 and have access to $5,000 for eligible professional development expenses. The stipend does not include health insurance.
Applications open Oct. 1 and must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2026. The fellowship is expected to begin Jan. 4, 2027, subject to the availability of federal funding.
Learn More
Prospective applicants should contact Rhode Island Sea Grant Director of Research and Fellowships Kim Ohnemus at kohnemus@uri.edu to declare their intent to apply and receive access to eSeaGrant and the application materials.
– Isabella Carmichael, Rhode Island Sea Grant