Washington Sea Grant Keystone Fellowship Program

Information for Prospective Host Offices

The Washington Sea Grant Keystone Fellowship program welcomes participation by state, tribal and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, maritime and aquaculture industries in Washington State with programs in coastal or marine research, policy, or management.  Hosts of a WSG Fellow are expected to supervise, mentor, and provide opportunities for involvement in substantive issues that contribute to the fellow’s professional accomplishments and goals. Prospective host offices must demonstrate a commitment broadening participation in their professional field and to creating a workplace environment that is welcoming and prioritizes dignity and respect for all people.

The fellow will be expected to participate at a full-time level within the host office and work on site and with other staff and/or agency leaders, as appropriate.

Representatives of organizations that are interested in hosting a Keystone Fellows should contact Deborah Purce (dpurce@uw.edu) to discuss the opportunity.

Prospective host offices will submit a host application to WSG.

Host Applications

Host applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with accepted host opportunities advertised to prospective fellow in the next available fellowship cycle. 

Host application must include the following elements: 

1. 1. Host Organization Information:  Provide your organizations the name and address (where fellow’s office space would be located)
   2. Mentor and co-mentor Information: Provide the name, title, and contact information for the individual who would serve as the fellow’s primary mentor and supervisor. This individual will take the lead on fellow onboarding, supervision of work, and will provide essential fellowship related mentorship (coaching, professional development. Additionally, provide the name, title and contact information for any other key fellowship co-mentors.
   3. Project Title: Provide a brief and descriptive fellowship project title (10 words max)
   4. Project description (two pages max):
      • Project overview including any specific tasks, timelines, partners or major project components. Projects should be specific however, it is ok to include descriptions of more than one potential project if applicable*. For all projects we encourage you to build in some amount of flexibility to align project activities with your fellow’s individual skills and interests. *Please note that some former fellows have felt that their host organization provided too many options/possibilities and a lack of clear direction or well defined project goals presented challenges.
      • Mentorship, Professional Development and Networking: Describe the key mentorship, professional development, and networking opportunities that will be available to the fellow through your organization or external partners
   5. Organizational Values: Describe how your organization, program, or department works to create a welcoming environment for all and what practices you put in place to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions by individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
   6. Level of financial support: How much of the cost of hosting a fellow will your organization be able to provide? Currently hosts are required to provide the full $75,000 cost of the 12-month fellowship (stipend, benefits stipend, tax stipend, professional development funds and WSG program support)*. Details below.
   7. Onboarding and Workplace considerations
      • Where will the fellow be working (in office, remote, hybrid)?
      • Please confirm that a workspace and equipment (laptop, software, etc.) will be made available for the fellow’s use.
      • Travel and Transportation: Describe the types of travel the fellow will need to participate in (site visits, field world, off sites, etc.) including (1) whether the fellow will need access to a personal vehicle (2) whether agency motor pool vehicles will be available for the fellow’s use, and (3) whether the fellow will need any specific licensing or certification to operate special vehicles or machinery.
      • Briefly describe any onboarding or training that will be provided to the fellow.
      • Briefly describe how the fellow will receive performance feedback.
      • Please indicate whether the fellow will require any additional background checks or security clearances and whether these may affect a fellow’s ability to start work on time.

Please review the Fellowship Handbook before submitting your host application. While the main audience of the handbook is fellows, it’s helpful for prospective hosts to be familiar with the expectations and policies conveyed there.

Please submit host applications to sgfellow@uw.edu .

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

• The perceived quality of the fellowship opportunity, including mentorship and supervision
• The perceived existence of a welcoming workplace environments that prioritizes dignity and respect for all people.
• The level of educational benefit for the fellow
• The level of financial commitment

Please contact Deborah Purce (sgfellow@uw.edu) to inquire about hosting a fellow.

Fellow Selection Criteria

Washington Sea Grant will promote fellowship positions and recruit prospective fellows specifically for each individual Keystone Fellowship opportunity. We conduct broad outreach to Washington institutions of higher education including a variety of departments, advisors, professors, as well as programs and affinity groups that serve diverse students. 

Finalists are selected based on the following criteria:

• Applicability of academic and professional background to the fellowship
• Lived experiences that will help the applicant contribute to the host office project and to the goals of the Keystone Fellowship
• Relevance of professional and education goals
• Potential impact of the fellowship on future success, as well as personal characteristics such as initiative, leadership, adaptability, communication and analytical skills
• Support from two letters of recommendation

Applications will be reviewed by the Washington Sea Grant Fellowships Team. Finalists will be interviewed by the Washington Sea Grant fellowships team, host office representatives, and at least one former Keystone fellow. 

Fellowship Expenses

The total cost of the fellowship is $75,000 and in prior year host offices have been asked to cover as much of the full cost as possible. At a minimum each Keystone fellowship host office is historically expected to contribute at least $40,000 of the fellowship cost. While we may return to this model in the future, currently hosts are required to cover the full cost of the fellowship – $75,000.

Costs for hosting a WSG Keystone Fellow are as follows:

Total Cost of Fellowship $75,000:

• $55,000 base stipend
• $10,000 benefits stipend (e.g. to purchase health and dental insurance, pay quarterly taxes, hire a tax advisor etc.)
• $3,500 professional development budget
• $6,500 Sea Grant program support

Host Cost Share:  $75,000

WSG will administer the fellow stipend and professional development funds. Once placement is confirmed, the host is expected to work with Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington Office of Sponsored Programs to put into place a cooperative or interagency agreement for the fellowship award prior to the start of the fellowship. Fellows may not start work until the funding agreement is completed.