Good news from our friends at NOAA: a new generation of coastal scientists will get their start at Reserves through the newly established Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship Program.

This two-year fellowship will support graduate students as they conduct rresearch that is of vital interest to coastal communities at every Reserve in the country. The program honors the legacy of NOAA’s Margaret A. Davidson, a coastal management visionary and strong champion for Reserves and the communities they serve.

Our partners at NOAA’s Office for Coastal management have published information about the fellowship, including how to apply, on their website. They anticipate the fellowship will offer approximately $41,000 per student for research and travel and $7,000 for equipment and supplies.

 “This is a tremendous opportunity for students to work on critical coastal management issues around the country,” says Cory Riley, manager of the Great Bay Reserve. “And it will raise the bar for all of us as we work with our local communities to make them and the places we love more resilient.”

Davidson Fellows will experience firsthand what Great Bay and other Reserves mean by living laboratory. In the process, they will conduct cross-discipline research in conjunction with local scientists, community leaders, and other organizations and to network with their peers at the 29 Reserves in our national system.