Funding Opportunities

Below are current research-funding opportunities from Maryland Sea Grant for principal investigators. Expired opportunities are included for reference.

Graduate fellowships: Look here if you are a graduate student seeking information on fellowships.  Principal investigators seeking to fund graduate fellows on their research projects can obtain information in our funding application materials about how to do so.

Current Funding Opportunities

2022-2023 Omnibus Research Competition

The Maryland Sea Grant College (MDSG) seeks proposals for its next funding cycle, February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024. Research projects within Maryland’s coasts and watersheds focused in three areas will be considered: 1) healthy coastal ecosystems; 2) sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; and 3) resilient communities and economies. Both small-scale pilot studies and large interdisciplinary research projects will be considered. Principal investigators should focus on outcomes that can be achieved in a 24-month period. Maryland Sea Grant is particularly interested in proposals that have a clear connection to the needs of environmental management and policy and include a clear outreach plan for disseminating that information to targeted audiences. We anticipate funding 7–8 projects at about $70,000 per year per grant. 50% non-federal cost match is required for each proposal ($1 match for every $2 of Sea Grant funding). Maryland Sea Grant support is offered on an open, competitive basis. 

Start-up Funding / Program Development Awards

Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) focuses on supporting translational watershed, coastal, and marine science that can inform broad audiences in the Chesapeake Bay region and Maryland's coastal areas. MDSG has the ability to support small, targeted grants that come under the general category of Program Development awards. These awards are given to help support important start-up efforts or to offer strategic support to emerging areas of importance. Program Development funds are designed to stimulate and foster small-scale innovative projects that will eventually lead to submissions for larger grants from a variety of sources. Also, these funds may be used to support workshops and educational opportunities that connect marine and coastal science to diverse audiences.

Other Funding Opportunities from Our Partners

National Sea Grant Office

Sea Grant is the primary university-based program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that supports coastal resource use and conservation. Its research and outreach programs promote better understanding, conservation, and use of America’s coastal resources. In short, Sea Grant is “science serving America’s coasts.”

Federal Government Grants 

Grants.gov is the source to find and apply for federal grants. In particular, federal funding opportunities for all grants and fellowships supported by the National Sea Grant College Program can be found through the searchable database at grants.gov.

Expired Funding Opportunities

These past funding opportunities, now closed, resulted in numerous research projects funded by Maryland Sea Grant. We offer these descriptions as a reference about our funding interests, cycles, and history.

2020 National Aquaculture Initiative: Addressing Economic and Market Needs of the U.S. Aquaculture Industry

2020-2021 Maryland Sea Grant Omnibus Research Competition

2018 Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes National Aquaculture Initiative

Maryland Sea Grant Request for Proposals, 2018-2020

Search our database of projects funded through these solicitations.