FELLOWSHIPS

The GRP provides fellowships to support the development of future generations of scientists, engineers, and health professionals working at the intersections of offshore energy system safety, environmental protection, and health and community resilience. The GRP currently runs two fellowship programs directly—Early-Career Research Fellowships and Science Policy Fellowships—and provides support to one other National Academies’ fellowship program: Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship.

In 2020, the GRP started laying the groundwork necessary to make significant modifications to the Early-Career Research Fellowship program. Launched in 2021, the modified fellowship program opened under a track system, narrowing the focus of the fellowship to support the most relevant research based on each focus area: human health and community resilience, environmental protection and stewardship, and offshore energy safety.

2021 SCIENCE POLICY FELLOWS

The 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 at the interface of science and policy as they spend 1 year on the staff of federal, state, local, or nongovernmental environmental, natural resource, oil and gas, and public health agencies in the Gulf of Mexico region.

In 2021, 8 individuals received awards totaling $432,171 as the seventh class of Science Policy Fellows:

Theodore Hilton
Host Office: Environmental Protection Agency - Gulf of Mexico Division

Miranda Madrid
Host Office: NOAA RESTORE Science Program

Jordan Logarbo
Host Office: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

Jackson Martinez
Host Office: Louisiana Office of the Governor- Coastal Activities

TOTAL

In 2021, the GRP supported 29 new fellows across its 3 programs.

Blair Morrison
Host Office: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Allison Snider
Host Office: Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

Kristie Tandberg Francis
Host Office: NOAA - National Centers for Environmental Information

Matthew Varkony
Host Office: Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council

2021 EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH FELLOWS

The Early-Career Research Fellowship program supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in improving offshore energy system safety and the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems.

In 2021, 21 individuals received awards totaling $1.37 million as the seventh class of Early-Career Research Fellows:

Human Heatlh and Community Resilience Track

Micah Hahn
University of Alaska Anchorage

Adrienne Katner
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

Dongying Li
Texas A&M University

Alexis Merdjanoff
New York University

Kelsey Pieper
Northeastern University

Eric Sarmiento
Texas State University

Janille Smith-Colin
Southern Methodist University

Environmental Protection and Stewardship Track

Mauricio Arias
University of South Florida

Sylvia Dee
Rice University

Jeseth Delgado Vela
Howard University

Lauren Fuess
Texas State University

Brandi Kiel Reese
University of South Alabama

Yina Liu
Howard University

Robert Miller
University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Ebenezer Nyadjro
Mississippi State University

Offshore Energy Safety Track

Irfan Khan
Texas A&M University at Galveston

Ranjana Mehta
Texas A&M University

Paul Miller
Louisiana State University

Brendy Rincon Troconis
University of Texas at San Antonio

Changwon Son
Texas Tech

Binbin Wang
University of Missouri

2021 GULF RESEARCH PROGRAM CHRISTINE MIRZAYAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY GRADUATE FELLOW

The National Academies’ Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship program provides early-career individuals with the opportunity to spend 12 weeks at the National Academies in Washington, DC, learning about science and technology policy and the role that scientists and engineers play in advising the nation. 2021 was the eighth year of participation in the program and two individuals joined the GRP for 12 weeks:

Harold Escobar
Texas A&M University

Amanda Guthrie
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary