Great Lakes Engagement Fellowship and Communications Fellowship

Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is a bi-national nonprofit that delivers end-to-end data services to support science, policy, management, and industry in the U.S. and Canada. As a certified regional association of NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), GLOS connects a broad observing network to provide high-quality, up-to-date lake information across the Great Lakes region. The organization focuses on putting timely and reliable lake data into the hands of communities, professionals, and decision-makers, advancing the Smart Great Lakes vision. Whether helping people plan safe boating trips or informing responses to climate change impacts, GLOS works to build a better informed and more confident Great Lakes community where everyone knows what is happening in the water.

GLOS is seeking one Engagement Fellow AND one Communications Fellow to join our small, mission-driven team for a hands-on, mentored fellowship experience at the intersection of ocean and Great Lakes science, community engagement, and public service. This fellowship is designed as an extension of a student's graduate education: an opportunity to grow into new skills, gain exposure to the day-to-day work of a regional nonprofit that serves both the scientific community and the general public, and build a career in Great Lakes and coastal science policy and engagement AND

Both Fellowships are a one year opportunity and will begin January 4, 2027 and will end January 3, 2028. Students who have recently completed, or are within one academic term of completing, a graduate degree or professional program at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution are eligible for the fellowship. Applicants must demonstrate interest in Great Lakes resources, community and participatory science, and the binational policy decisions that affect those resources.

About the Engagement Fellowship Experience

Working with mentors from GLOS, and interacting with partner organizations from around the region, Great Lakes Fellows work will support GLOS's Service Delivery and Communications activities, which connect directly to a national, multi-year initiative that brings together all eleven Regional Associations of NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) to strengthen how ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes data reach the communities who rely on them. Through this placement, the Fellow will contribute to both a regional program serving the Great Lakes and a pan-regional, national community of practice, gaining a rare vantage point on how local engagement work scales into national impact. This may include surveying Indigenous communities about observing asset and data needs; synthesizing engagement activities and needs of GLOS-led community of practice groups such as Lakebed 2030 and the Smart Great Lakes Initiative, and assisting with community workshops and data user needs assessments related to GLOS’s data platform Seagull.

About the Communications Fellowship Experience

Working with mentors from the GLOS communications team and the IOOS Association's national Service Delivery and Communications initiative, Great Lakes Communications Fellows help build greater public awareness of the data, tools, and services that support safety and decision-making on the Great Lakes. The fellow will contribute to the next phase of GLOS's strategic communications work, including a multimedia library of b-roll, short thematic videos, and web content that helps the public and partner organizations understand and apply Great Lakes observing data.

This one-year fellowship will help shape how GLOS and the IOOS network communicate about the Great Lakes, through development of training videos and other digital content that explain day-to-day applications of GLOS data, such as mobile apps for boating, beach safety, and hazard forecasting, and through targeted outreach to communicators who relay this information to the public, including broadcast meteorologists and emergency responders. As a binational fellowship, the Fellow will also help strengthen coordinated public communication and outreach between Great Lakes agencies and organizations in both Canada and the United States. This fellowship provides support for a student's efforts and enhances academic and professional development opportunities.

Working with members of the Great Lakes science, communications, and information/education communities, the Fellow will contribute to and benefit from content development, media relations, and audience research activities.

Fellows will receive training and help support GLOS programs related to strategic communications and public engagement with water resource science and policy.

Our fellowship program is one way GLOS seeks to help meet the region's science-policy and science-communications workforce needs, support a pipeline of professionals ready to address complex environmental challenges, and contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of the Great Lakes' water resources.

Engagement Fellowship Application & Submission Materials

• Two signed letters of recommendation, including one from the student's major professor; if no major professor exists, a faculty member who knows the applicant's academic work best may be substituted;
• A personal education and career goal statement emphasizing the applicant's abilities and what the applicant expects to gain from the fellowship experience in the way of career development, including any interest in community engagement, participatory science, or Indigenous partnership work (1,000 words or less);
• Personal and academic curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages);
• Clear, scanned copies of all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts; and
• A listing of classes completed and/or planned for the two academic terms preceding the fellowship start date (not to exceed one page).

Communications Fellowship Application Application & Submission Materials

• Two signed letters of recommendation, including one from the student's major professor; if no major professor exists, a faculty member who knows the applicant's academic work best may be substituted;
• A personal education and career goal statement emphasizing the applicant's abilities and what the applicant expects to gain from the fellowship experience in the way of career development, including any interest in science communication, public outreach, or media relations (1,000 words or less);
• Curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages);
• Clear, scanned copies of all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts;
• A communications writing sample or portfolio of up to three short pieces (e.g., a press release, social media content, blog post, video script, or explainer graphic) demonstrating the applicant's ability to translate technical or scientific information for a general audience; and
• IF not included in transcripts, listing of classes completed and/or planned for the two academic terms preceding the fellowship start date (not to exceed one page).

Funding:

The fellowship will provide a total package of $40,000 in stipend, benefits, and travel. 

The Engagement Fellow will receive $35,000 as a stipend to cover living expenses. Of the remaining funds, GLOS provides up to $5,000 to cover health insurance and relocation expenses; any remaining balance shall be used first to satisfy academic degree-related activities, and second for fellowship-related activities. Up to $2,000 of the total package can be used to cover travel related to professional development activities during the year.

The Communications Fellow will receive $35,000 as a stipend to cover living expenses. Of the remaining funds, GLOS provides up to $5,000 to cover health insurance and relocation expenses; any remaining balance shall be used first to satisfy academic degree-related activities, and second for fellowship-related activities. Up to $3,000 of the total package can be used to cover travel related to professional development activities during the year.

During the fellowships, GLOS may provide supplemental funds for work-related travel by the Fellow, such as attendance at Great Lakes science or policy conferences. Indirect costs are not allowable from fellowship funds, either for the fellowship itself or for any costs associated with it.

Submission Date:

Applicants must submit materials by 5 p.m. (Eastern) November 13, 2026 to recruit@glos.org. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected without further consideration.

Application Review Information

Evaluation Criteria – The evaluation criteria and weighting of the criteria are as follows:

• Recommendations and/or endorsements of the student (15% total): Content of the letter from the applicant's major professor, and the second letter of recommendation.
• Academic record and statement of career goals and objectives (45% total): Quality of the applicant's personal education and career goal statement (30%); strength of academic performance (15%).
• Additional relevant experience (40% total) in community engagement, participatory or citizen science, and Indigenous or Tribal partnership work, as well as:
• Diversity of education
• Extra-curricular activities
• Honors and awards
• Interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.

GLOS will form a panel to interview and individually discuss each application based on the evaluation criteria listed in the previous section. Following this discussion, an individual score will be provided by each panel member. Once all applications have been discussed and scored, an average score will be computed for each application. The three (3) top-scoring applicants will be interviewed by the GLOS panel.

Applicants must submit materials by 5 p.m. (Eastern) November 13, 2026 to recruit@glos.org.

More info can be found at https://glos.org/jobs/