FY19 Dr Nancy Foster Scholarship Program | NOAA NOS ONMS 2019 2005832

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2019 2005832

The FY19 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program is a competitive federal scholarship opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Its purpose is to support graduate education at the masters or doctoral level for students whose work focuses on ocean and coastal topics. The program is geared toward fields such as oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology, but it is intentionally broad and also includes other science, engineering, social science, and resource management disciplines as long as they connect to ocean and coastal areas. The program also places emphasis on expanding participation in these fields by particularly encouraging applications from women and members of minority groups.

Eligibility centers on both citizenship and academic standing. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or citizens of U.S. territories, and they must be applying to or already accepted by a graduate program at a U.S. accredited institution. A key detail is that you do not have to already be enrolled in graduate school when you apply, but you must be admitted to a graduate-level program before the scholarship can actually be awarded. Academically, applicants need at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA to apply, and recipients must maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative and term GPA each term for the duration of the award, making continued funding dependent on sustained academic performance.

Selections are based on a mix of merit and need. Reviewers consider academic excellence, the strength of letters of recommendation, the clarity and promise of the applicant's research and career goals, and demonstrated financial need. In other words, the program is not only looking for strong students, but also for applicants who can clearly explain how their graduate training and research plan aligns with ocean and coastal priorities and how the scholarship would make a meaningful difference in their ability to complete the degree.

Financially, the scholarship can provide substantial annual support, subject to available appropriations. The maximum yearly amount is up to $42,000 per student, structured as a 12-month stipend of $30,000 plus an education allowance of up to $12,000 that can be used for qualifying academic expenses. In addition, the program may provide up to $10,000 in support for a 4 to 6 week collaboration experience at a NOAA facility, which is designed to connect scholars with NOAA professionals, data, and applied research or management settings. This NOAA collaboration component is a distinctive feature because it adds real-world federal lab or program exposure on top of campus-based graduate study.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary funding opportunity and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. The funding opportunity title is "FY19 Dr Nancy Foster Scholarship Program" with opportunity number NOAA NOS ONMS 2019 2005832, and it is associated with CFDA number 11.429. The posted closing date for the FY19 cycle was December 17, 2018, and NOAA anticipated making about three awards, with an award ceiling of $42,000 per student per year (not counting the additional NOAA facility collaboration support). Overall, the program is best suited for high-performing graduate applicants committed to ocean and coastal work who want both financial backing and a pathway to collaborate directly with NOAA during their training.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY19 Dr Nancy Foster Scholarship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.429.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 18, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 17, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $42,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NOS ONMS 2019 2005832

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