Opportunity

The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for master’s and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology—these may include but are not limited to ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, cultural anthropology, and resource management disciplines—and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.

In order to have a competitive application for the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, it is recommended that you review the following bullets to assess whether or not you should apply for this scholarship.

1. Your research proposal aligns closely with NOAA's mission, with particular emphasis on meeting the science priorities of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. This is worth up to 30 points of your application score.
2. Your financial need statement documents a strong financial need due to challenges, hardships, or other information through a compelling personal narrative. This is worth up to 25 points of your application score.
3. You have exceptional letters of recommendation. This is worth up to 10 points of your application score.
4. Historically, proposals that do not support the science or education priorities of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System do not rank as high.
5. If you are in the last year of your Masters or Ph.D. program, it is not advised to apply for this scholarship.

he application period for the 2023 Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program has opened. Complete applications are due December 22, 2022 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

An informational webinar about the FY 2023 NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program funding announcement was held on November 16, 2022. View a recording of the webinar.