Fellowship/Professional Development Program

Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellowships

The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship program helps scientists hone their skills by putting them to practice for the benefit of Gulf Coast communities and ecosystems. Fellows gain first-hand experience as they spend one year on the staff of federal, state, local, or non-governmental environmental, natural resource, oil and gas, and public health agencies in the Gulf region.

Not accepting applications

Applications open

Until Feb 26, 2026 5:00 PM

Under review

Feb 27, 2026 - May

Recipient Announcements

May 2026

About Application process Past awardees Resources

Key dates

December 4, 2025: Applications open
January 21, 2026 (11:00 am-12:00 pm ET/10:00-11:00 am CT/8:00-9:00 am PT): Application Question & Answer Office Hours
February 26, 2026, 5:00 pm ET/4:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT: Application deadline
March - April 2026: Review of written applications and selection of finalists
April 2026: Finalist interviews, selection of fellows
May 2026: All applicants notified of funding decisions
May 2026: Host office interviews and placement
August 25-26, 2026: Fellowship orientation
September 1, 2026: Fellowships begin
September 1, 2026: Report to host office
February 28, 2026: Progress reports due
August 31, 2027: End of fellowship
September 30, 2027: Final reports due

Award details

Stipend and Benefits

Fellows who have completed an MA, MS, or MPH/MSPH degree or who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program will receive an annual stipend of $58,000. Fellows who have completed a PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, or DVM will receive an annual stipend of $63,000. The GRP has increased the stipend amounts to account for cost of living increases.

In addition to the stipend, each fellow will receive an annual health allowance of $5,500, which will be added to the stipend package. The annual health allowance is intended to offset the cost of health insurance and/or to offset the cost of healthcare-related needs during the term of the fellowship. The stipend package will be paid directly to the fellow in monthly disbursements.

Fellows will also receive a $1,500 one-time payment prior to or at the beginning of the fellowship term to defray costs associated with relocation. No other relocation costs will be reimbursed.

Professional development
Fellows will receive up to $5,000 in additional support as reimbursement for tuition and/or fees for professional development courses and activities or for professional travel related to their host office duties.
Additional funding
All fellows will attend an orientation in Washington, D.C or at a location within the Gulf region. Fellows may be required to attend one or more conferences/events during their fellowship term. Travel expenses for these events will be covered by the Gulf Research Program; they are in addition to the fellowship stipend and professional development support.

Detailed information can be found in the terms of the Science Policy Fellowship. Please note that the current link is directed to the 2025 Fellowship Agreement, and the terms will remain the same for the upcoming cycle. Once the 2026 Fellowship Agreement is finalized, this link will be updated to reflect the final terms.

Application

Applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled in a doctoral program or hold an eligible degree, including an MA/MS, MPH/MSPH, PhD, ScD, EngD, MD, DrPH, or DVM. For applicants not currently enrolled in a doctoral program, eligible degrees must be completed by August 15, 2026, and conferred by December 31, 2026. Applicants currently enrolled in a doctoral program must take a leave of absence for the duration of the fellowship.
- Come from an area of research – including social and behavioral sciences, health sciences and medicine, engineering and physical sciences, earth and life sciences, and interdisciplinary scientific fields – relevant to the mission of the Gulf Research Program which is to develop, translate, and apply science, engineering, and medical knowledge to enhance offshore energy safety, environmental protection and stewardship, and human health and community resilience in the Gulf region in ways that empower its citizens.
- Open to U.S. citizens only.
- Not be currently employed by the U.S. Federal Government. Full-time, paid, permanent Federal employees are not eligible for the fellowship.
With the guidance of a mentor, fellows delve into activities like policy development, evaluation, restoration planning, grants management, and stakeholder outreach and learn what it takes to make scientific information not just useful but useable. Meanwhile, host offices get a talented technical expert with a fresh perspective and a new network of contacts across the Gulf region.

Applications can be submitted through our online application system starting on December 4, 2025. The application cycle will close on February 26, 2026.

Required application materials:
- Your resume or CV (up to 5 pages).
- A series of personal essays that respond to the following prompts:
  
  Relevance: Using language a non-scientist will understand, explain how your past work or graduate research is relevant to the mission of the Gulf Research Program. The mission of the Gulf Research Program is to “develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the wellbeing of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.’ (500 word limit)
  
  Self-Reflection, Growth Potential, and Resilience:
  
  Describe a time outside a research or classroom setting when you helped to ensure a project or team accomplished its goals or achieved a successful outcome (500 word limit).
  
  How have your lived experiences, educational journey, and/or understanding of the world shaped your identity as a scientist? If applicable, we invite you to share your lived experiences of overcoming barriers related to your identity along with the strategies you employed to overcome these challenges. (500-word limit)
  
  Professional Goals: Describe your professional goals and how this fellowship will help you achieve them. (500 word limit)
- Two letters of recommendation. We encourage applicants to choose references who know you well and can provide reviewers with insights about your experience, skills, and abilities beyond what can already be gleaned from your resume/CV.
All application materials, including the letters of recommendation, must be submitted through our online application system by February 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM CT/ 2:00 PM PT. If you have difficulties submitting materials through our online application system, contact us at GulfFellowships@nas.edu.
References
Once you have created an account and started an application, you can enter the contact information for your two references. The system will generate an email to the references with instructions for logging in and uploading letters of recommendation. We encourage applicants to complete this task as soon as possible because final applications cannot be submitted until all reference letters have been uploaded. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
2026 Science Policy Fellowship Application Questions Guide and Review Criteria

Applicant Resource

2025 GRP Science Policy Fellowship Host Office List

Applicant Resource

Selection process

Once the application deadline has passed, all written applications are reviewed by at least three reviewers. Before submitting an application, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the application questions guidance and review criteria and the terms of the fellowship. Linked document reflects 2025 terms; the 2026 agreement will be posted when finalized.

Selection Criteria
Finalists are selected based on a set of review criteria, and we encourage applicants to read the criteria carefully before preparing their application materials. Factors that contribute to an applicant’s likelihood for success include:
- Recognition that the relationship between science and policy is not a one-way street. In other words, evidence of a strong interest in both applying science to public policy and decision making and incorporating policymaking experience into their scientific work. Prior direct public policy experience is valued but not required.
- A strong scientific and technical background and superior academic achievement.
- Experience or demonstrated willingness to work in an interdisciplinary field or participate in interdisciplinary collaborations.
- Experience or achievements outside of the formal classroom such as community and civic engagement.
- Effective verbal and written communication to both scientific and non-scientific audiences. (Once placed in host offices, applicants will be communicating with peers, senior colleagues, and external stakeholders in a wide range of settings.)
- The initiative, creativity, organization, and interpersonal skills needed to help ensure projects, teams, or individuals accomplish their goals and achieve successful outcomes, whether small or large.
Up to twelve fellows will be selected in 2026. All applicants will be notified of final award decisions in May of 2026.

Interviews
Once selected for the fellowship, fellows will participate in a month-long process to match with their host offices. In May 2026 fellows will be provided information about hosting offices, including a list of host offices, contact information, and a description of the potential work fellows will take on during the fellowship year. Fellows will reach out on their own to set up interviews with host office mentors; Gulf Research Program Fellowships staff are not responsible for scheduling interviews. Fellows will be provided with a placement interview guidance document that contains suggested questions and topics to discuss with host office mentors.

Host offices are in each of the five Gulf States and may be federal, state, or local government agencies or non-governmental organizations. We are currently recruiting host offices for the 2026 fellowship, and we will update the 2026 host office list once we have finalized our host office selections. View and download the list of 2025 host offices here (PDF). Please note that this list may be updated periodically as additional host offices are recruited during the application period.

FAQs

What kinds of work are Science Policy Fellows involved in?

Science Policy Fellows are involved in a wide range of work in their host offices, including activities such as environmental restoration and monitoring, socioeconomic impact assessment, regulatory development, grants management, drafting environmental impact statements, resilience planning, epidemiological surveillance, and engaging with stakeholders such as community members, tribal groups, industry, and partner organizations.
How does this compare to other fellowship opportunities?

This fellowship is not intended to provide supplemental research training like a traditional post-doctoral fellowship, it’s intended to provide hands-on work experience not typically gained through graduate studies. The emphasis is on building accomplishments for a resume rather than adding publications to a CV.

This fellowship is not intended to support dissertation work. Applicants should not plan to use the fellowship year to conduct data collection, field work, or recruit research participants for a dissertation or thesis.
Do I need to be located in the Gulf region to apply?

No. Science Policy Fellows can be from any location, but applicants should note that all host offices are located in one of the five Gulf states. The Science Policy Fellowship is a place-based, experiential program and therefore both the fellows and the host offices must be located in one of the five Gulf states. If you are selected as a Science Policy Fellow, you will be required to relocate to a commutable distance to your host office, or at minimum to the Gulf region if your host office allows for full telework.
I already applied for a GRP Science Policy Fellowship. Can I reapply?

If you previously applied for a Science Policy Fellowship and were not selected as a fellow, you may be eligible to reapply, providing you still meet eligibility requirements. However, resubmitted applications must contain significant revisions; applications that are resubmitted without significant revisions will not move forward to the review stage.

If you previously applied for a Science Policy Fellowship and were selected as a fellow, you are not eligible to apply again. This includes applicants who were accepted into a fellowship program but did not go on to complete that fellowship.
Can I receive feedback on my application?

The Gulf Research Program does not provide feedback during the application process. We encourage you to carefully read through the eligibility requirements, use the application questions guidance document and review criteria and to familiarize yourself with the mission of the Gulf Research Program to "focus on developing, translating, and applying science, engineering, and medical knowledge to enhance offshore energy safety, environmental protection and stewardship, and human health and community resilience in the Gulf region in ways that empower its citizens." You might also consider asking a trusted colleague or mentor to review your materials for clarity, conciseness, and relevance before submitting. After final funding decisions have been made and fellows have been selected, applicants may request to see the comments our review committee had on their applications.
How can I make my application stand out?
The best way to make your application stand out is not with flashy gimmicks, but by submitting a high-quality application that shows you put time and effort into developing it.

Tips for producing a high-quality application include:
Research the opportunity you are applying for to make sure you understand what it is and what it is not.
Familiarize yourself with the review criteria; this is what reviewers will use to rate the quality of your application.
Take time to develop your application. If you rush through it at the last minute, it shows in your writing and might unintentionally signal to reviewers that you did not take the application seriously.
Tailor your resume, personal essays, and any other application materials to the opportunity. Reviewers notice when you use application materials from another opportunity and simply replace some keywords.
Ask a colleague, mentor, or friend to review your materials for typos, readability, style, and responsiveness to the questions asked. A savvy editor can help you sort out what information should and should not be included and spot errors you might not find on your own.
If you are reapplying to an opportunity and received feedback on your past application, look it over—or have a colleague look it over—to ensure you are responsive to the reviewer comments.
Think strategically about your letters of recommendation. Try to select references who know you well and can provide our reviewers with insights about your experience, skills, and ability beyond what's included in your resume or CV.
Beyond the tips provided above, take time to review the Application Questions Guidance Document and the Review Criteria thoroughly to help strengthen your application materials.
How many individuals apply each year, and how many are selected?

We award up to ten Science Policy Fellowships annually, but the number of applicants varies. Instead of focusing on the “odds,” we encourage you to familiarize yourself with the application requirements and review criteria. You can also get a sense of which applicants have been successful by learning about our current and past fellows.
Can I check the status of my application?

No. However, you can find key dates pertaining to the application, review, and selection process on our opportunity page.
Will I have to relocate?

All Science Policy Fellow host offices are located in one of the five Gulf states. If you are selected as a Science Policy Fellow and do not already live near your host office, you will need to relocate.

Fellows will receive an additional $1,500 as a lump sum in their first fellowship payment to defer the costs associated with relocation.

Fellows are responsible for obtaining their own housing during the fellowship period. We recommend visiting the websites of universities and colleges located near your host office, as they often list suggestions for off-campus housing.
What expenses and benefits are covered?

Science Policy Fellows may receive a maximum of $5,000, in addition to their fellowship stipend, as reimbursement for any tuition, fees, or other costs associated with professional development courses or activities, pending approval by the Fellowships Program Officer.

More detailed funding information can be found in the Science Policy Fellowship terms.
Is the Science Policy Fellowship considered employment?

No. The Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellowship award is considered income from a non-compensatory educational experience. Fellows are not employees of the Gulf Research Program or the host office.
What if I cannot travel?

If situations arise out the control of the fellow or of the Gulf Research Program, such as serious illness, death in the immediate family, severe weather, pandemic, natural disaster, war, etc., which would hinder travel to Fellowship Orientation or other conference/event, it is expected that the fellow work with the NAS Program Officer to determine a mutually satisfactory solution, including remote participation or attendance at a rescheduled event.
How can my organization host fellows?

The Gulf Research Program identifies host offices, meaning applicants do not need to self-identify their potential host office. However, if an organization would like to serve as a host office, they can reach out to gulffellowships@nas.edu. Please note that volunteering to serve as a host office is not a guarantee of being selected, and suggesting a host office does not guarantee an applicant will be awarded a fellowship or a fellow will be placed in that host office.

Subscribe to Email from the National Academies

Keep up with all of the activities, publications, and events by subscribing to free updates by email.

Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellowships

Key dates

Award details

Application

Selection process

FAQs

What kinds of work are Science Policy Fellows involved in?

How does this compare to other fellowship opportunities?

Do I need to be located in the Gulf region to apply?

I already applied for a GRP Science Policy Fellowship. Can I reapply?

Can I receive feedback on my application?

How can I make my application stand out?

How many individuals apply each year, and how many are selected?

Can I check the status of my application?

When will I be notified of a decision?

Can I pre-select my host office?

Will I have to relocate?

What expenses and benefits are covered?

Is the Science Policy Fellowship considered employment?

What if I cannot travel?

How can my organization host fellows?

My Academies

Gulf Research Program Science Policy Fellowships

Key dates

Award details

Application

Application Process

Eligibility

How to apply

Resources

Selection process

Selection criteria

FAQs

FAQs

What kinds of work are Science Policy Fellows involved in?

How does this compare to other fellowship opportunities?

Do I need to be located in the Gulf region to apply?

I already applied for a GRP Science Policy Fellowship. Can I reapply?

Can I receive feedback on my application?

How can I make my application stand out?

How many individuals apply each year, and how many are selected?

Can I check the status of my application?

When will I be notified of a decision?

Can I pre-select my host office?

Will I have to relocate?

What expenses and benefits are covered?

Is the Science Policy Fellowship considered employment?

What if I cannot travel?

How can my organization host fellows?