noaa.gov
Home > Education > Internship and Career Opportunities

Get Involved: Internship and Career Opportunities

A National Coral Reef Management Fellow conducting coral nursery assessments
A National Coral Reef Management Fellow conducting coral nursery assessments.

This page presents information on student opportunities to help you get personally involved in coral reef conservation. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all relevant opportunities, but merely a place to begin your search.

Internships and Fellowships with NOAA

NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program either participates in the following NOAA internship and fellowship programs, or the programs support coral reef conservation.

For the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship, explore our Fellowship Program page.

  • Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship: The Knauss marine policy fellowship matches graduate students with host offices in the legislative and executive branches of government for one year in the Washington, DC area. Fellows gain experience in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource management and policy.
  • Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship: The Coastal Management Fellowship provides on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and provides project assistance to state coastal zone management programs.
  • Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship: Through a research project, fellows will address a key coastal management question at each of the 29 national estuarine research reserve sites to help scientists and communities understand coastal challenges that may influence future policy and management strategies.
  • Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program: The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for master’s and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, or maritime archaeology—this can include, but is not limited to, ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, and resource management disciplines—and particularly encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.
  • EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program: The EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship provides funds for two years of undergraduate study to rising junior undergraduate students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields that directly support NOAA's mission. Students attending Minority Serving Institutions as defined by the US Department of Education (Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaskan-Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) are eligible to apply for the program.
  • Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship: The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

Careers with NOAA

Federal positions are announced by the Office of Personnel Management. Visit https://www.usajobs.gov for job listings and information. Approximately 60 percent of the employees at the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program are employed by a private sector contractor. The following represents the major contracting companies working with the office.

For more information on the various types of careers within the Coral Reef Conservation Program and the greater National Ocean Service, explore the National Ocean Service Career Profiles.