Coastal Sciences Doctoral Fellowship

Job Details

Description:

The Division of Coastal Sciences of the School of Ocean Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi is pleased to announce the availability of fellowships for prospective students seeking a Ph.D. These fellowships are awarded competitively and are intended to recruit graduate students in coastal and marine science who demonstrate exceptional scholarly promise. Fellows are supported to focus full-time on their research and coursework and receive dedicated research and travel funds to develop their own program of work. Additional information on the Division of Coastal Sciences and the Coastal Sciences graduate program is available at https://www.usm.edu/graduate-programs/coastal-sciences.php. Candidates must contact potential faculty advisors in the Division of Coastal Sciences to discuss their research and educational interests and must identify a faculty sponsor prior to submitting a fellowship application. The graduate school application fee will be waived for students applying to the Coastal Sciences Doctoral Fellowship.

Location:

The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS

Support:

Awardees receive a stipend of $28,500 per year, plus a tuition waiver and access to university-sponsored health insurance. Awardees additionally receive a total of $15,000 in research and travel funds.

Application deadline:

January 15, 2027 for Fall 2027 admission.

How to apply

Fellowship applications are submitted at the same time as the application for admission, athttps://graduateadmissions.usm.edu/apply/. To be considered for the fellowship, applicants must submit the following by the application deadline:

1. CV.
2. Official transcripts.
3. A Statement of Purpose not to exceed 1,200 words, developed without AI assistance, addressing at a minimum: academic and career goals; why The University of Southern Mississippi's Division of Coastal Sciences is well suited to help the applicant achieve those goals; how the applicant's experiences and background have shaped their career path and influenced their decision to pursue graduate studies; and how the research the applicant is considering will produce impactful outcomes for their field of study, the state of Mississippi, and the Gulf region.
4. Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's qualifications for the Fellowship. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure letters are submitted by the deadline.

Candidates will be evaluated on the completeness of their application, their academic record as evidenced through the CV and transcripts, and their potential to flourish in the COA program as evidenced through the Statement of Purpose and letters of recommendation. Finalists will be invited to a virtual interview with the Fellowship Selection Committee. Questions about the Coastal Sciences Doctoral Fellowship can be sent to Jordyn.Fletcher@usm.edu.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.5 on all undergraduate coursework (entering with a Bachelor's degree), or a minimum GPA of 3.5 on all graduate coursework (entering with a Master's degree).
• Identification of a faculty sponsor in the Division of Coastal Sciences.
• Any University requirements for foreign national applicants whose native language is not English, such as the TOEFL.

Contact Information