HOST OFFICE PROPOSALS for the 2025 Grau Fellowship
E. Gordon Grau Coastal and Marine Resource Management Fellowship Program (Grau Fellowship)

OPEN

DUE February 28, 2025 by 5:00 PM HST
Completed applications can be emailed to waltonm@hawaii.edu

About the E. Gordon Grau Coastal and Marine Resource Management
and Policy Fellowship Program (Grau Fellowship)

In recognition of Professor Emeritus E. Gordon Grau’s service of more than 14 years to the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) and the national network of 34 Sea Grant College Programs nationwide, we have established the E. Gordon Grau Coastal and Marine Resource Management and Policy Fellowship Program (Grau Fellowship). This fellowship provides a unique degree-to-work experience for post-graduate students who have an interest in ocean and coastal resources in the state of Hawaiʻi and the management and policy decisions affecting those resources.

Sponsored by Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, the Grau Fellowship provides a unique educational and work opportunity for post-graduate students who are interested in coastal and marine resource management and policy decisions in Hawaiʻi. Modeled after the highly successful John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program, the Grau Fellowship provides fellows an opportunity to acquire relevant experience in the planning, implementation, and management of marine, coastal, and/or watershed resource policies and programs in Hawaiʻi. The program matches highly motivated and qualified recent master’s, JD, and PhD recipients with hosts in state, federal, or municipal agencies and nonprofits in Hawaiʻi for a 2-year paid fellowship.

Host Offices with coastal, marine management, and policy focus
Hawaiʻi Sea Grant seeks to partner with host offices in state, federal, or municipal agencies and/or nonprofits in Hawaiʻi that focus broadly on coastal and marine resource management, marine policy, and work in partnership with coastal communities. Host offices should be prepared to engage Grau Fellows in projects that increase their understanding and professional experience in management and policy that address the sustainability and resilience of coastal and marine resources. Host offices should be located in Hawaiʻi.

Examples of host offices Hawaiʻi Sea Grant has collaborated with in the past include:

● Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources
● Hawaiʻi Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands
● Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations (WAI)
● NOAA Pacific Region Executive Board
● NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Pacific Islands Region
● National Disaster Preparedness Training Center
● Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency
● North Shore Community Land Trust

For more information regarding the selected Grau Fellows from previous cohorts and descriptions of their projects please visit https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/directory/grau-fellows/.

Host Office Responsibilities 

Prospective hosts will provide an educational opportunity to fellows, who will, in turn, provide substantial professional contributions to the office. Hosts are expected to supervise, mentor, and provide opportunities for the fellow to be involved in critical issues that support the fellow’s professional and educational goals. The fellow will be expected to engage with the host office and work on-site and with other staff and/or leadership, as appropriate.

Fellowship applications are submitted to Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and screened for appropriate academic background, employment history, career and education goals, community and extracurricular activities, interest in the fellowship, and personal characteristics such as initiative, adaptability, and strong communication and analytical skills.

Prospective hosts are expected to contribute $48,000 per year of the costs to support a fellow ($96,000 over two years). Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will administer the monthly stipend payments for each fellow.

Budget

Hosts are expected to contribute $48,000/year towards total costs of the fellowship award. The fellowship is cost-shared with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. Fellows receive a stipend of $65,000/year. Once hosts are confirmed, they are expected to work with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant to put into place a memorandum of agreement or a contract for each fellowship award prior to the start of fellowships in Fall 2025. Fellows are NOT ALLOWED to start the fellowship until the funding agreement is completed.

Length of Assignment

The length of assignment is 2 years (24 months; non-renewable). The fellowship will begin September 1, 2025 and end August 31, 2027. In some cases, the start date can be negotiated to August 1, 2025.

Host Office Application Process

The Grau Fellowship is open for participation by municipal, state, and federal agencies in Hawaiʻi, as well as Hawaiʻi-based nonprofits that work on coastal or marine research, policy, or management.

A host office application should include the following information in two pages or less:

1. Host office name and location.
2. Name of fellowship mentor/supervisor and contact information.
3. Short summary and mission statement outlining the overall work of the office.
4. A list of potential projects that the Grau Fellow could work on with a short description of the measurable deliverables and/or outputs for each of the projects
5. A list of desired skill sets and areas of expertise that the fellow should possess.
6. A list of skill sets that the mentor will help the fellow develop; in other words, what professional skills will the Grau Fellow gain from the host office.
7. A summary of a plan to onboard and provide timely feedback throughout the fellowship so that the fellow can improve their skills and stay on track with their work plan. For example, describe how often the mentor will check in with the fellow, or the kinds of questions that could be asked to facilitate reflection on project progress and new skills learned.

If selected as a participating host, this description provided in the host office application will be made available and submitted to prospective fellowship applicants.

How to Submit Application 

Host office applications should be submitted via email to Maya Walton, Assistant Director for Research and Fellowships (waltonm@hawaii.edu), by 5:00 PM HST on February 28, 2025. Late applications will not be considered.

Host Office Selection

Acceptance of a host office application will be based on the following criteria:

1. The perceived quality of the fellowship opportunity.
2. The level of educational benefit for the fellow.
3. The host office’s previous experience working with interns, fellows, or other mentoring/educational programs.
4. Verification of available funds to meet host office financial commitment for the Grau Fellowship. Hosts are required to provide $46,000/year (or $92,000 over the two year fellowship) towards total costs of the fellowship award.

Selection of Fellow

Final selection of the Grau Fellow will be made by Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. Official offer of the Grau Fellowship to the selected applicant will also be made by Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will partner with host offices in interviews of top tier candidates preceding final selection, and before making a decision, will discuss with the host offices the rankings of candidates from the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Grau Fellowship review committee and rankings from host offices.

Contact

For additional information about the Grau Fellowship program, please contact:

Maya Walton
Assistant Director for Research and Fellowships
University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program waltonm@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-6992

(CLOSED)

Background: The Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence serves as a collaborative hub coordinating Sea Grant faculty and partners who work on projects that engage multiple knowledge systems. The goal of Ulana ʻIke is to ensure that customary practitioners from multiple knowledge systems have decision-making power in research and extension and can direct co-management of coastal and marine resources. Outside of Hawaiʻi, Ulana ʻIke extends its mission to support Indigenous knowledges through its participation in the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts National Indigenous and Earth Sciences Hub (RVCC). RVCC was developed to create a space where Indigenous knowledge-holders from diverse coastal regions work with university-trained social, ecosystem, and physical Earth system scientists and students on transformative convergence research to address coastal hazards in the contexts of their communities. The goals of RVCC are (1) to co-produce convergence research with social and Earth sciences and Indigenous knowledges to improve modeling and prediction of coastal processes that support decision-making by Indigenous communities around mitigation and adaptation; (2) develop a successful, inclusive framework for cross-cultural convergence research that can be adopted and adapted by future research collaborations; (3) broaden participation amongst Indigenous students and researchers and train a new generation of diverse convergence research scientists; and (4) increase administrative and technological infrastructure to support current and future research with and by Indigenous scientists and communities. Together these goals are targeted to enable the Indigenous members of the RVCC Hub to identify the likelihood and nature of future coastal changes, to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies that target their priorities, and to take steps to protect future generations’ ways of life. The RVCC Hub addresses these goals through a convergence research framework that aims to tackle socially-relevant complex issues by integrating diverse forms of expertise to result in emergent forms of fundamental understanding. HISG-UI is supporting the RVCC Hawaiʻi Hub by supporting knowledge exchanges as well as the development of new or extended convergence research by and with Native Hawaiian knowledge-holders.

Job description and duties: To support Ulana ‘Ike’s work with RVCC, we seek a Graduate Assistant (GA) to facilitate project management activities, including by developing infrastructure within Hawaiʻi Sea Grant for convergence research. The GA will be responsible for:

1. Assisting the Ulana ʻIke Principal Investigator in fulfilling obligations to the RVCC National Indigenous and Earth Sciences Convergence Hub, including the following functions:
   1. Support work that bridges multiple knowledge systems to inform development of potential strategies for climate resilience.
   2. Assist in organizing two Regional Knowledge Exchanges focused on community priorities in the Hawaiian Islands and extending into the Pacific Islands to contribute to the design and delivery of co-produced information that supports appropriate actions for coastal hazard mitigation.
   3. Assist with compiling and submitting quarterly reporting materials for project administration.
   4. Participate in RVCC annual meetings and other Hub knowledge exchange activities to share Pacific Island Region strategies for addressing coastal hazards and learn from other contributing Indigenous communities.
2. Supporting projects and communication needs relevant to furthering priorities of the Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence, including the following functions:
   1. Participate in weekly meetings with Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence leadership and project related meetings.
   2. Support ongoing UI projects and Center administration.
   3. Update online and social media platforms.

Minimum qualifications: Strong written and verbal communication skills; event planning; general computer skills, including typing, and use of word processing; ability to work independently as well as collaborate on projects with minimal supervision; ability to maintain schedules and meet deadlines; understanding of Native Hawaiian natural resource management strategies; ability to communicate with people of diverse backgrounds.

Desirable qualifications: Experience or interest in web design; social media

Appointment and application: All appointments are initially for one year, renewable for a second year based on performance. Compensation will be at GA-11 step 20 per SOEST graduate assistant rate.

To apply, submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter that describes your experience and that indicates how you satisfy the minimum and desirable qualification and the names and addresses of three academic references to:
Dr. Rosie Alegado (rosie.alegado@hawaii.edu). Date posted: November 4, 2024.

Review of applications will begin immediately; to ensure full consideration apply by November 18.