The fellowships provide employment during the Spring and Fall 2027 semesters, with on-campus work expected at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus. Applicants should have strong written and verbal communication skills and relevant interests or experience.
2027 Fellowship Opportunities
Coastal Resilience
Support coastal resilience efforts through community outreach, decision-support tools, and projects addressing flooding, shoreline change, and rising seas.
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This fellow will support coastal resilience extension activities, focusing on applying relevant science to support tool development and actions at the local and municipal level. The student will assist the coastal resilience extension team with technical assistance supporting research, policy, GIS mapping/interactive StoryMaps, decision support tools, and stakeholder engagement related to flooding and shoreline change from storms and rising seas. The student will assist in general work across multiple projects, and more specifically in the following ways:
This fellow will support these efforts at 10 hours/week via activities that could include:
- Fellow will support public outreach and engagement with local communities on coastal resilience efforts and assist in developing communication materials to support the coastal resilience program.
- The Fellow will support various aspects of the RI Climate Resilience Learning Network, an emerging community of practice that fosters knowledge exchange on enhancing climate community resilience. In addition, the Fellow will support RISG’s Islands Resilience Cohort, which fosters knowledge exchange for RI’s island communities. Fellow may assist with hosting webinars, compiling and sharing best practices and/or facilitating working group meetings.
- Fellow will assist the MyCoast volunteer monitoring program, where photographs of flooding and storm damage are used to better understand trends, communicate science, and create outreach products. Fellow may support activities to build the capacity of coastal municipalities and their residents, businesses, leaders, and decision-makers to meet changing coastal resilience needs.
- Fellow may collaborate with Sea Grant extension, legal, research, and education portfolios in determining coastal community needs and opportunities.
Desired skills: Community outreach; project management; GIS; Preferred: familiarity with coastal resilience topics.
Energy
Support energy education and engagement through event coordination, digital communications, and hands-on learning opportunities for local and national audiences.
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RISG’s Energy team is looking to hire a half-time fellow to support event coordination, develop digital communication products, and assist with engagement opportunities aimed at broadening knowledge-sharing and participation on these topics across local and national audiences.
This fellow will support these efforts at 10 hours/week via activities that could include:
- Fellow may help the Energy team plan hands-on learning opportunities for various audiences to learn about energy resilience, energy literacy, and the landscape of our energy system at large.
- Fellow may assist with planning field trips and learning opportunities for specific audiences, including two communities of practice.
Desired skills: Science communication; digital communication; web design; project management; ability to work independently. Preferred: familiarity with energy topics.
Aquaculture
Support aquaculture workforce development and community engagement by coordinating courses, conducting industry needs assessments, and collaborating with extension and legal partners.
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The fellowship will support the aquaculture projects, research, work force development, and community engagement happening through RI Sea Grant, specifically in response to a NOAA award and help fulfill that awards Objectives which include but are not limited to:
This fellow will support these efforts at 10 hours/week via activities that could include:
- Fellow will support the extension team in tasks that may include organizing meetings, crafting content, communicating with guest speakers, collecting information for processing honoraria, and attending occasional course sessions (evenings on Tuesdays) to help adapt the class.
- Fellow may provide technical assistance in crafting and disseminating a Needs Assessment for the aquaculture industry aimed at providing information to share the 2027 Aquaculture Business class offered through RI Sea Grant.
- Fellow may with the extension team to serve as liaison to the legal programs project and work; ensure connectivity and communication; coordinate & lead meetings as needed.
Desired skills: Science communication, project management; Preferred: Familiarity with aquaculture topics.
Fisheries & Aquaculture Communications
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RI Sea Grant (RISG) works with many project partners including the communities these activities take place and the bodies of water these activities.
RISG’s Fisheries and Aquaculture team is looking to hire a half-time fellow to support the team in developing digital communication products and to assist with engagement opportunities aimed at broadening knowledge-sharing and participation on these topics across local and national audiences.
This fellow will support these efforts at 10 hours/week via activities that could include:
- Fellow will assist with developing a story map for the expansion of the RI Recreational Fishing Tool.
- Fellow may help the PRESS (Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood) team execute the project closeout Communications Plan.
- Fellow may assist the fisheries and aquaculture team with rebuilding RI Aquaculture Permitting website as needed through Squarespace.
Desired skills: Science communication; digital communication; web design; ability to work independently. Preferred: familiarity with fisheries and/or aquaculture topics.