Student Opportunities
Artificial Reef Research Assistantship Program (ARRAP)
The program provides graduate assistantship stipends of $25,000 annually, for up to three years, to Master of Science/Arts students enrolled full-time at Louisiana colleges and universities who are involved in research relevant to the Louisiana Artificial Reef Program (LARP). Students receiving assistantships also are required to intern with LARP at least 100 hours each year with a mentor assigned by the program. Louisiana Sea Grant administers the assistantships with funding provided by LDWF. Applications from faculty are now closed. — more about ARRAP
Coastal Science Assistantship Program (CSAP)
The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) continues its support of a graduate assistantship opportunity called the Coastal Science Assistantship Program (CSAP). This program provides graduate assistant stipends for up to three years to Master of Science students both enrolled full-time at Louisiana colleges/universities and involved in research relevant to Louisiana coastal protection and restoration efforts. Applications for 2026 assistantships are now closed. — more about CSAP
Dr. Jack and Annagreta Hojhdal Van Lopik Superior Graduate Student Research Scholarship Program
Dr. Jack Van Lopik, the first and longest serving Director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program at LSU, and his wife Annagreta Hojhdal Van Lopik, established the Dr. Jack and Annagreta Hojhdal Van Lopik Superior Graduate Student Scholarship (Van Lopik Scholarship) to assist graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in disciplines related to the mission and focus areas of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, as detailed in the Strategic Plan of the organization. The intent is to support the Sea Grant mission of furthering the wise and sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources by increasing the number of researchers and the body of knowledge in related fields including but not limited to biology, ecology, geology, fisheries, environmental science, coastal resiliency and design, natural resources economics, environmental education and disaster preparedness, extension and resiliency. Applications for the scholarship are now closed. — more about Van Lopik scholarship
Sea Grant Graduate Fellowships
Sea Grant has many reputable fellowships specifically for graduate students that focus on professional development in budding careers for a variety of marine topics. — more about Sea Grant fellowships
Graduate Interjurisdictional Research Award Fellowship (GIRAF)
Offered in Partnership by Louisiana Space Grant (LaSPACE) & Louisiana Sea Grant (LSG)
The joint Louisiana Space Grant and Sea Grant Graduate Interjurisdictional Research Award Fellowship (GIRAF) Program invites interdisciplinary proposals from across the state. The fellowship requires the use of data from vast archives and remote-sensing capabilities available through the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to address a high-priority research need within Louisiana’s nearshore environs, coastal areas, wetlands, watersheds, and/or human activities in these areas (e.g. aquaculture). Successful proposals must adeptly utilize relevant measurement instruments and/or remote-sensing data sources from NASA, NOAA, and/or other sources that can include, but are not limited to, radiometers, spectroradiometers, satellite sensors, LIDAR, aerial imagery, and other data collected from airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles, and/or unpiloted submersibles in the execution of the proposed work. — Applications for the fellowship are closed. — more about GIRAF
Knauss Graduate Policy Fellowships
The deadline for 2027 Fellowship applications is June 3, 2026
The Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship is designed for students interested in marine and coastal issues and enrolled in a master’s, doctoral or professional graduate degree program. It provides an opportunity for a unique one-year experience in the legislative or executive branch of the federal government in Washington, D.C. During that year, the recipients work on substantive national policy issues related to aquatic resources.