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Gulf Research Program

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission 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.

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News and Updates

Gulf Futures Challenge Winners Offer Bold Solutions for Offshore and Resilience Challenges

Program News

In 2024, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies asked the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast to envision bold science-based ideas to create safer and more resilient communities where people in the Gulf region can live, work, and thrive. Through its Gulf Futures Challenge, the GRP aimed to leverage the inherent talent and knowledge of the people of the Gulf by supporting ideas and solutions from those who understand the region best.

Apr 23, 2026
Storm Clouds Over St. Petersburg, Florida

Gulf Research Program Welcomes 12 New Science Policy Fellows

News Release

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program announced today its 2026 cohort of Science Policy Fellows. Beginning Sept. 1, the 12 fellows will spend one year on the staff of federal, state, and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations across the Gulf region.

Sep 1, 2026
2026 Science Policy Fellows Group Photo

Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities

Update

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce.

Jan 21, 2026
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News and updates

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Gulf Research Program Welcomes 12 New Science Policy Fellows

News Release

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program announced today its 2026 cohort of Science Policy Fellows. Beginning Sept. 1, the 12 fellows will spend one year on the staff of federal, state, and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations across the Gulf region.

Sep 1, 2026

2026 Science Policy Fellows Group Photo

Gulf Research and the Legacy of Energy Infrastructure

Program News

It’s been nearly a year since the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) visited the site of the well #59 blowout in Plaquemines Parish. Well #59, an abandoned oil well that was not permanently plugged, spilled 9,400 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River Delta in April of 2025. Following its visit, the GRP initiated an integrated effort to address the ongoing and complex challenges of legacy energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.

Aug 5, 2026

Participants Selected

Update

Thank you to everyone who applied to participate in the Crosscurrents Incubator. Participant selection is now complete, and all applicants have been notified of their status. We are grateful for the tremendous interest in this inaugural convening and look forward to bringing together a diverse group of artists, scientists, and community leaders this November to imagine and advance more resilient futures for the Gulf.

Jul 21, 2026

Abstract mountains, surreal background, realistic texture of the surface of an alien planet, 3d illustration

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $1.4 Million to Build Resilience in Gulf Coast Communities

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced an award of more than $1.43 million to support 15 collaborations from Houston, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, in the planning of science-based and community-driven projects that advance disaster adaptation at the local level.

May 8, 2026

Gulf Futures Challenge Winners Offer Bold Solutions for Offshore and Resilience Challenges

Program News

In 2024, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies asked the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast to envision bold science-based ideas to create safer and more resilient communities where people in the Gulf region can live, work, and thrive. Through its Gulf Futures Challenge, the GRP aimed to leverage the inherent talent and knowledge of the people of the Gulf by supporting ideas and solutions from those who understand the region best.

Apr 23, 2026

Storm Clouds Over St. Petersburg, Florida

Gulf Futures Challenge Awards $20 Million Each to Two Projects Building a Safer, More Resilient Gulf Coast

News Release

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program has awarded $20 million each to the Louisiana Public Health Institute and the Gulf Offshore Research Institute through the Gulf Futures Challenge, an initiative to fund projects that apply, translate, or communicate science, engineering, or medical knowledge to produce inclusive, innovative, and transformative solutions to the key challenges facing the Gulf Coast region.

Apr 23, 2026

Drone aerial image of houses on a barrier island in Louisiana

Update to Track System for 2026 Application Cycle

Update

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) has updated the track structure for the 2026 Early-Career Research Fellowship (ECRF) cycle to more clearly align with the guiding impact areas of the GRP while building on the focus and intent of the fellowship’s existing tracks. For the 2026 application cycle, the ECRF will offer the following tracks: Community Track, Energy Track, and Environment Track. The Education Research Track will not be offered for the 2026 cycle.

Feb 2, 2026

Paul Harnik, 2017 Early-Career Research Fellow on a boat.

Gulf Research Program Awards over $7 Million to Advance Scientific Understanding of Sea-Level Variation and Rise in the Gulf Region

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced an award of more than $7.3 million to support four interdisciplinary research projects aimed at advancing scientific understanding of sea-level variation and rise in the Gulf region to strengthen long-term planning, preparedness, and resilience.

Jan 27, 2026

Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities

Update

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce.

Jan 21, 2026

Gulf Research Program Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship and Education Research

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2025-2027 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the environmental protection and stewardship and education research tracks.

Dec 5, 2025

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $2.7 Million to Support Workforce Development for the Energy Transition

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today an award of more than $2.7 million to support four projects designed to prepare young adults in the Gulf region for high-quality careers in the energy sector as the nation transitions to cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

Dec 4, 2025

Installing a residential solar system

Community Voices and Scientific Insight Build a More Resilient Cedar Key

Program News

Cedar Key, a small Florida island battered by hurricanes and rising seas, is partnering with scientists from the University of Florida to create customized, nature-based defenses against flooding. Through community workshops and co-designed plans, residents are helping shape living shorelines and other green infrastructure to protect their homes, roads, and traditions from future storms.

Nov 3, 2025

Gulf Research Program Welcomes Six Universities to Interdisciplinary Gulf Scholars Program

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the addition of six colleges and universities to the Gulf Scholars Program, a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program that prepares undergraduate students to address pressing environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf Coast region.

Oct 29, 2025

IMG_2373.jpg Conference attendees gather at the University of South Alabama for the 2025 Gulf Scholars Program Conference.

Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Literacy Program are partnering with $4 million in investments to support six place-based educational projects across the Gulf States — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The awarded projects aim to help people better understand the connections between science, the environment, and their communities, building resilience to environmental challenges while fostering stronger stewardship of local ecosystems.

Oct 22, 2025

A reptilian with a sharp snout relaxing in a big log of Cajun Swamp Tours

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $4.9 Million for Empowering K-8 Youth Through Place-Based Education Projects and Programs

News Release

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program has awarded over $4.9 million to fund nine place-based education projects for K-8 students in the Gulf region. The award aims to help empower youth who will become the next generation of informed citizens, scientists, and decision-makers to address complex challenges facing their local communities.

Oct 13, 2025

Portrait of black male teacher demonstrating robot model to group of children standing in circle during engineering class outdoors

GRP Fellows Celebrate a Decade of Impact at 2025 Fellowships Forum

Program News

In late August, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted the 2025 GRP Fellowships Forum at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event brought together alumni and current participants of the Early-Career Research Fellowship and the Science Policy Fellowship to celebrate 10 years of impact, innovation, and collaboration.

Oct 2, 2025

Finalists Announced for $50 Million Award to Support a Safer, More Resilient, and Sustainable Future for the Gulf Coast Region

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program and Lever for Change announced today 10 finalists for the $50 million Gulf Futures Challenge. These finalist projects are a collection of bold ideas that apply, translate, and communicate science, engineering, and medical knowledge to address critical challenges in the Gulf Coast region.

Sep 9, 2025

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GRP Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Offshore Energy Safety and Human Health and Community Resilience

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2025-2027 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the Offshore Energy Safety and Human Health and Community Resilience tracks.

Sep 4, 2025

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