The Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in improving offshore energy system safety and the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems. Because the early years of a researcher’s career are a critical time, the relatively unrestricted funds and mentoring this fellowship provides help recipients navigate this period with independence, flexibility, and a built-in support network.
The Early Career Research Fellowship’s Environment track aligns with the Gulf Research Program’s Environmental Protection and Stewardship portfolio and narrows the fellowship’s scope to support research most directly aligned with this priority area.
2026 Environment Track Focus: Ecosystem Health - Monitoring and Managing for Environmental Change
Track Goal: This track invites research that leverages innovative scientific or technological approaches to assess, monitor, or predict the resilience of critical ecosystems and species to changing conditions.
Fellows should develop or test innovative monitoring techniques and/or develop solutions that enhance a system's biodiversity or slow its loss. This work should translate into actionable management & policy strategies that sustain ecosystem services & strengthen community resilience. Special emphasis will be placed on applicants that utilize genetic/genomic/machine learning/or AI methodologies in their work.
All proposed projects must focus on communities within the U.S. Gulf region, defined as Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, consistent with the scope of the Gulf Research Program.
About the Gulf Research Program
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide independent, objective advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of society.
The Gulf Research Program (GRP) is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission is to develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the wellbeing of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.
2026 Early-Career Research Fellowship: Environment Track
The Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in improving offshore energy system safety and the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems. Because the early years of a researcher’s career are a critical time, the relatively unrestricted funds and mentoring this fellowship provides help recipients navigate this period with independence, flexibility, and a built-in support network.
The Early Career Research Fellowship’s Environment track aligns with the Gulf Research Program’s Environmental Protection and Stewardship portfolio and narrows the fellowship’s scope to support research most directly aligned with this priority area.
2026 Environment Track Focus: Ecosystem Health - Monitoring and Managing for Environmental Change
Track Goal: This track invites research that leverages innovative scientific or technological approaches to assess, monitor, or predict the resilience of critical ecosystems and species to changing conditions.
Fellows should develop or test innovative monitoring techniques and/or develop solutions that enhance a system's biodiversity or slow its loss. This work should translate into actionable management & policy strategies that sustain ecosystem services & strengthen community resilience. Special emphasis will be placed on applicants that utilize genetic/genomic/machine learning/or AI methodologies in their work.
All proposed projects must focus on communities within the U.S. Gulf region, defined as Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, consistent with the scope of the Gulf Research Program.
About the Gulf Research Program
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide independent, objective advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of society.
The Gulf Research Program (GRP) is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission is to develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the wellbeing of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.