Funding / Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program
NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program
Established in 2024, this fellowship provides a unique, two-year opportunity for early-career professionals to gain hands-on experience.
Successful applicants will support Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant recipients as they implement projects that build climate resilience within coastal communities. Each project includes a focus on serving marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities. Project descriptions for each of the 33 fellowship opportunities are posted below.
Benefits
Each fellowship offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and reimbursement for travel and relocation expenses. Annual salaries range from $42,000 to $56,000, depending on the cost of living adjustment in the fellowship location. Exact salaries are listed in each position description. Fellows also receive travel funds to cover the following: a required peer-to-peer sharing event with other grant recipients and fellows in the spring of 2027; project-related travel up to a designated amount; and training, conferences, and meetings that will advance professional growth. Fellows will also be provided training and professional development opportunities from NOAA and their host.
Mentoring
Each fellow will be assigned a mentor, who will provide professional development advice and support, ensure the fellow is integrated into the project team and office, and look for opportunities for the fellow to gain skills and experience, in addition to supervising their project work. The mentor will ensure the fellow receives the resources and support needed to accomplish Climate Resilience Regional Challenge project goals as well as their individual and professional goals.
Eligibility
The minimum requirements for education and experience vary by project. Please see the individual project descriptions for specific eligibility requirements. Eligible candidates must be U.S. citizens.
Timeline
December 2, 2024
Application period opens
February 28, 2025
Application deadline (by 5:00 p.m. pacific time)
Early March 2025
Application review by the Tridec/NOAA team
Late March to April 2025
Application review and interviews – fellowship hosts/mentors
May 2025
Offers extended
June 2025
Fellowship begins
June 2027
Fellowship ends
Available Fellowship Projects
Fellows are required to relocate to their designated fellowship location. Projects are listed below by state.
| Alaska | California | Hawaii |
| Louisiana | Maine | Minnesota |
| New Jersey | Ohio | Rhode Island |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Virginia | Washington |
Alaska
Kvichak Smolt Monitoring
Host Organization:
The Nature Conservancy and Igiugig Village Council
Location:
Alaska (Lakes Region of Bristol Bay preferred)
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
Lake Iliamna Freshwater Seals Monitoring
Host Organization:
The Nature Conservancy and Igiugig Village Council
Location:
Alaska (Lakes Region of Bristol Bay preferred)
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty
Host Organization:
Alaska Conservation Foundation
Location:
Anchorage, Alaska
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
Indigenous Adaptation Planning and Data Management
Host Organization:
Adaptation International
Location:
Remote (Alaska community preferred)
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
Emergency Management Fellow
Host Organization:
Association of Village Council Presidents
Location:
Positioned in Bethel, Alaska, but serves the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
Climate and Health Community of Practice
Host Organization:
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Center for Climate and Health
Location:
Anchorage, Alaska
Annual Salary:
$56,133
Apply here
California
Communications and Outreach
Host Organization:
California Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Location:
Santa Cruz, California
Annual Salary:
$54,008
Apply here
Regional Monitoring
Host Organization:
Central Coast Wetlands Group at Moss Landing Marine Labs
Location:
Moss Landing, California
Annual Salary:
$54,008
Apply here
Hawaii
Community-Engaged Research and Capacity Building
Host Organization:
University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
Location:
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Annual Salary:
$54,890
Apply here
Community Risk Reduction and Disaster Resilience
Host Organization:
University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
Location:
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Annual Salary:
$54,890
Apply here
Louisiana
Tribal and Indigenous Coordination
Host Organization:
Tulane University
Location:
Lafayette, Louisiana, or another location within the project region
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Outreach and Partnership
Host Organization:
New Orleans Community Support Foundation
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Water Knowledge Directory
Host Organization:
Tulane ByWater Institute
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Community Engagement and Outreach
Host Organization:
The United Houma Nation
Location:
Houma, Louisiana
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Technical Support, Project Evaluation, and Communications
Host Organization:
Community Resilience Center at The Water Institute
Location:
Coastal Louisiana – New Orleans or Baton Rouge, depending on fellow’s preference
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Maine
Coastal Flood Risk
Host Organization:
Maine’s Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
Location:
Portland or Augusta, Maine
Annual Salary:
$48,363
Apply here
Inland Flood Risk
Host Organization:
Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
Location:
Portland or Augusta, Maine
Annual Salary:
$48,363
Apply here
Minnesota
Tribal and Local Government Liaison
Host Organization:
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
Location:
Duluth, Minnesota
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
Geospatial and Climate Data Analyst
Host Organization:
University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership
Location:
Duluth, Minnesota
Annual Salary:
$42,000
Apply here
New Jersey
Environmental Justice
Host Organization:
Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute
Location:
West Long Branch, New Jersey
Annual Salary:
$50,576
Apply here
Education and Engagement
Host Organization:
Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Location:
Tuckerton, New Jersey
Annual Salary:
$50,576
Apply here
Ohio
Environmental Justice
Host Organization:
Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition
Location:
Cleveland, Ohio
Annual Salary:
$44,180
Note:
Two positions are available.
Apply here
Rhode Island
Climate Resilience Action Plan Engagement
Host Organization:
Aquidneck Land Trust
Location:
Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island (Newport, Middletown, or Portsmouth)
Annual Salary:
$48,363
Apply here
Project Coordination and Implementation
Host Organization:
Aquidneck Land Trust
Location:
Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island (Newport, Middletown, or Portsmouth)
Annual Salary:
$48,363
Apply here
U.S. Virgin Islands
GIS and Data Coordination
Host Organization:
USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Location:
U.S. Virgin Islands
Annual Salary:
$54,121
Apply here
Watershed Resilience
Host Organization:
USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Location:
U.S. Virgin Islands
Annual Salary:
$54,121
Apply here
Virginia
Coastal Resilience
Host Organization:
Virginia Tech
Location:
Hampton, Virginia
Annual Salary:
$42,689
Note:
Two positions are available.
Apply here
Washington
Small Communities Cohort
Host Organization:
King County, Washington
Location:
Seattle, Washington (with flexibility to be located in Puget Sound Basin)
Annual Salary:
$47,876
Note:
Two positions are available.
Apply here
Outreach and Storytelling
Host Organization:
Washington State Department of Ecology
Location:
Lacey, Washington
Annual Salary:
$47,876
Apply here
Climate Resilience, Equity, and Engagement
Host Organization:
Washington State Department of Ecology
Location:
Lacey, Washington
Annual Salary:
$47,876
Apply here
