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 to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and in the execution of their missions. 

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 (sgfellow@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. 

Each host application must include the following:

1. Host office location and contact information
2. Name and position of the official fellowship mentor/supervisor
3. Fellowship Position Description (not to exceed two pages, single spaced). If selected as a participating host, this description will be made available as submitted to prospective fellowship applicants.
4. Keystone Alignment Statement (not to exceed one page, single spaced) Tell us about how your organization or program is addressing mission specific issues related to environmental justice, racial justice, equity and inclusion and how a WSG Keystone Fellow, in addition to their primary project work, might contribute to relevant systemic change as part of your team. Possible areas for discussion in this statement include:
   • Organizational Culture
   • Coalitions and Partnerships
   • Education and Outreach
   • Human Resources
   • If your organization has an official DEI statement please include it in your application package.
5. Level of financial support. Hosts are asked to provide at least 50 percent of the entire cost of the 12-month fellowship ($75,000 which covers the fellow’s base, benefit, and tax stipends, professional development budget, and Sea Grant program support)

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 inclusive workplace environments that promote cultural competence and are welcoming to demographically diverse individuals. 
• 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 equity and inclusion 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. Qualified candidates will be interviewed by the Washington Sea Grant Keystone Fellowship Review Panel. The panel will be convened and facilitated by Washington Sea Grant and made up of demographically and institutionally diverse program partners which may include representatives from Washington institutions of higher education, federal, state, local, and tribal government, NGO’s, industry, faculty and former fellows. 

The Review Panel will select finalists who will sit for a second interview with the Washington Sea Grant Fellowship Coordinator, the host office mentor who together will select the Keystone Fellow. 

Fellowship Expenses

The total cost of the fellowship is $75,000 and host offices are asked to cover as much of the full cost as possible. At a minimum each Keystone fellowship host office is expected to contribute at least $40,000 of the fellowship cost.

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: $40,000 – $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.