About Us

The Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program is a federal-state-university partnership based at the University of Rhode Island that designs and supports research, education, extension, legal, and communications programs that foster stewardship of coastal and marine resources for the public good. Rhode Island Sea Grant is one of over 30 programs that make up the National Sea Grant College Program, a part of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Rhode Island Sea Grant collaborates with federal, state, and local partners to achieve its goals. Administrative offices are located at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.

Rhode Island Sea Grant recognizes the challenges posed by human-dominated coastal ecosystems. The program addresses these challenges through efforts in two core themes—Sustainable Coastal Communities & Ecosystems and Sustainable Fisheries.

For information about Rhode Island Sea Grant–funded research, outreach, and education for 2008–2010, see the program guide.

Research Funding

Research funding puts the "grant" in Rhode Island Sea Grant.

Every two years Rhode Island Sea Grant sends out a request for proposals (RFP). Rhode Island Sea Grant considers proposals that coincide with its strategic plan goals; that contain a degree of, or potential for, interdisciplinary collaboration; that have scientific merit and feasibility; and that have an applicable outreach component.

All proposals are subject to peer review and examination by a technical panel. After considering the panel's advice, Rhode Island Sea Grant program management decides on the package of proposals to be included in the core program, and sends it to the National Sea Grant Office for final approval.

View the 2010-2012 rfp.

Other Opportunities

Development funds
The Rhode Island Sea Grant director also has limited discretionary funds available for promising projects.

In 2008, Rhode Island Sea Grant development funds helped launch the URI Sustainable Seafood Initiative.

For more information, please download these guidelines.

Visual Arts Sea Grant
The Visual Arts Sea Grant program was established to encourage New England professional visual artists to address the issue of the environment of the ocean and its coastal communities. Grants of up to $2,000 annually are intended to assist individual and/or collaborating artists whose works are related to themes of the marine environment. The program is run by the URI department of art and art history. For application information, deadlines, and requirements, visit the department's website at www.uri.edu/artsci/art/v_a_grant.html.

Fellowships

Knauss Fellowships
The National Sea Grant College Program offers the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship to highly qualified graduate students in marine-related fields who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches students with "hosts" in the legislative branch, executive branch, or appropriate associations/institutions located in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one year paid fellowship. Each Fellow receives funding for a stipend, living expenses, mandatory health insurance, and moving costs. More.

Industry Fellowships
The Sea Grant Industry Fellowship provides support for graduate students who are pursuing research and development projects in topics of interest to a particular industry or company. In a true partnership, the student, the faculty advisor, the Sea Grant college or institute, and the industry representative work together on a project from beginning to end.

Coastal Fellowships
Rhode Island Sea Grant sponsors undergraduate Coastal Fellows through the Coastal Fellows Program of URI's College of Environment and Life Sciences.

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	Giving to Sea Grant
	Program Administration
	Strategic Plan
	Implementation Plan
	Program Guide
	Publishing Sea Grant–Sponsored Work
	Science Symposia
	Senior Advisory Council
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Vision

We envision a future where Rhode Island's coastal communities are recognized as stewards of the state's unique ecological, economic, and cultural assets. These coastal stewards enhance the Ocean State's intellectual capital in ocean and marine activities, and nurture strategic partnerships that contribute to the state's marine economy, prosperity, and unique quality of coastal living.

Mission

Rhode Island Sea Grant implements integrated, systems-oriented research, education, and outreach strategies designed to foster leadership dedicated to the inceased stewardship of marine ecosystems and their allied marine economies. Our core mission is to apply university-based talent to creating more sustainable and secure "coastal futures."

The “Glocal” Approach

For the 2006—2010 planning period, Rhode Island Sea Grant has committed to take on coastal stewardship issues at multiple geographic levels of science, management, and education. We call this our “glocal strategy.” This strategy tackles the most important goals from our core thematic and functional areas and develops them across local, regional, national, and international arenas. To make it work, Rhode Island Sea Grant has committed to continue participatory planning and implementation processes that involve a limited number of strategic partners, while allowing for broader external comment and review.