Fiscal Year 2016 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics | NOAA OAR SG 2016 2004722

FAQs: FY 2016 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics

What is the FY 2016 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowships in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics opportunity?

It is a Department of Commerce (NOAA) fellowship grant opportunity designed to support PhD students pursuing careers in marine population dynamics and ecosystem dynamics, with a strong emphasis on modeling and other quantitative approaches that connect doctoral research to real public management needs.

Which agency sponsors this fellowship?

The fellowship is a NOAA opportunity under the Department of Commerce, involving the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Sea Grant, with joint support from NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant.

What is the main purpose or goal of the fellowship?

The intent is to link rigorous doctoral research to practical fisheries science and ecosystem-based management needs, producing work that is directly relevant to assessing and managing living marine resources.

What research areas does the fellowship focus on?

The fellowship focuses on marine population dynamics and ecosystem dynamics, especially through modeling and quantitative methods used to evaluate marine ecosystems and assess the status of key species.

What kinds of species or resources can the research address?

Research can address traditional fisheries targets (such as fish and invertebrate stocks) and also protected or otherwise sensitive groups, including marine mammals, seabirds, and other protected species.

How does NMFS involvement work in this fellowship?

A central feature is a close partnership with NMFS. Fellows are expected to work on dissertation or thesis topics that are of public interest and directly relevant to NMFS priorities, guided by NMFS mentors based at participating NMFS Science Centers or NMFS Offices.

Is this fellowship just general academic funding?

No. The fellowship is structured around mentorship and relevance to NMFS priorities. Federal scientists and managers help shape and support research questions, methods, and applications so the work is tied to operational needs in assessment and management.

What kinds of outputs or applications is the fellowship meant to support?

The fellowship supports quantitative assessment tools and modeling efforts that can inform products such as stock assessments, ecosystem indicators, risk analyses, management strategy evaluation, and other decision-support tools used in fisheries and protected species management.

How does this opportunity align with NOAA priorities?

It aligns with NOAA goals for ocean stewardship, specifically the Healthy Oceans goal emphasizing sustained marine fisheries, habitats, and biodiversity through healthy and productive ecosystems.

What is the award type?

Funding is provided as a grant under this fellowship opportunity.

How much funding is provided per fellow?

The expected annual award per fellow is $46,000, made up of federal funds plus matching funds, with joint support from NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant.

What is the award ceiling?

The award ceiling is stated as $46,000, matching the anticipated per-fellow annual support level.

How many fellowships were expected to be awarded?

The notice indicates an expectation of at least two new PhD fellowships awarded in 2016, and it lists an expected total number of awards as four.

What are the eligible academic levels and fields of study?

Applicants must be admitted to a PhD program in population dynamics, ecosystem dynamics, or a closely related field. Examples provided include wildlife biology, fishery biology, natural resource management, marine biology, quantitative ecology, applied mathematics, applied statistics, and simulation modeling.

Do applicants need to be fully admitted to a PhD program at the time of application?

Applicants must be admitted at the time of application. The opportunity also notes that students who are not yet fully admitted may still be eligible if they can provide a signed letter from the institution confirming provisional acceptance to a PhD program contingent on obtaining financial support such as this fellowship.

Is U.S. citizenship required?

Yes. Applicants must be United States citizens.

Can individual students submit their own applications directly?

No. Applications cannot be submitted directly by individual students. They must be submitted through Sea Grant programs.

How are applications submitted?

Submissions are made via Grants.gov, and applications must come through Sea Grant programs.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 11.417.

What are the main funding activity areas?

The funding activity areas are broadly categorized under environment, natural resources, science and technology, and other research and development.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is NOAA OAR SG 2016 2004722.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on December 7, 2015.

What was the original closing date for the competition?

The original closing date for this competition was February 26, 2016.

What is the intended career or professional development focus for fellows?

The fellowship is designed to help PhD students build careers that combine advanced quantitative research (especially modeling) with the real-world needs and constraints of marine resource assessment and management.

What is meant by research being of "public interest" and relevant to NMFS priorities?

Within this opportunity, it means fellows are expected to pursue dissertation or thesis problems that directly connect to NMFS science and management needs, with guidance from NMFS mentors to ensure the work has practical relevance to living marine resource assessment and ecosystem-based management.