Applications are now being accepted for the joint Florida Coastal Office/Florida Sea Grant Fellowship. This fellowship provides a post-graduate who majored in environmental science or policy with hands-on experience in state government.
The position is based in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Office in Tallahassee, which manages more than 4 million acres of the most valuable submerged lands, 41 aquatic preserves, three National Estuarine Research Reserves, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. The fellow will participate in regular office operations, team meetings, planning, and decision-making.
Any student who has graduated from a Florida university in the last two years with a master’s, Ph.D. or J.D. degree in environmental science or policy, or who will complete their degree by December 2016, is eligible to apply. Fellows will be given an annual stipend of $40,000 plus $5,700 to use in work-related travel expenses.
Part of the fellow’s responsibilities include organizing the 2017 Florida Coastal Management Program annual meeting and the 2017 United States Coral Reef Task Force Meeting, both of which bring together various stakeholders, conservation organizations and academics to discuss coastal issues in Florida.
Kayleigh Michaelides was awarded the first FCO/FSG Fellowship in 2014. After completing the fellowship, Michaelides was offered and accepted a full-time job as the outreach and partnerships coordinator for the Florida Coastal Office.
“I have learned more than I could have imagined about coastal management and policy in Florida, grown as a professional in this field, and have established great working relationships across the Southeast, Gulf, Caribbean, and even Mexico along the way,” Michaelides said. “This fellowship has been a wonderful experience for me and has given me the opportunity to develop professionally, expand my network, and take my career to the next level.”
Applications for the 2017 Fellowship are due at Florida Sea Grant by 3 p.m. Friday, September 30, 2016. Applications will be reviewed in early October and the starting date is on or before January 1, 2017.
For more information and to apply, visit: Florida Coastal Office/Florida Sea Grant Fellowship
