The joint Louisiana Space Grant and Sea Grant Graduate Interjurisdictional Research Award Fellowship (GIRAF) Program invites interdisciplinary proposals from across the state. The fellowship requires the use of data from vast archives and remote-sensing capabilities available through the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to address a high-priority research need within Louisiana’s nearshore environs, coastal areas, wetlands, watersheds, and/or human activities in these areas (e.g. aquaculture). Successful proposals must adeptly utilize relevant measurement instruments and/or remote-sensing data sources from NASA, NOAA, and/or other sources that can include, but are not limited to, radiometers, spectroradiometers, satellite sensors, LIDAR, aerial imagery, and other data collected from airplanes, unmanned aerial vehicles, and/or unpiloted submersibles in the execution of the proposed work.
Applicants must be a full-time, enrolled graduate student at an accredited college or university within Louisiana, an affiliate of Louisiana Space Grant, and a citizen of the United States. Please direct any questions to laspace@lsu.edu or mbethe3@lsu.edu with the subject line “GIRAF program.”
2024-25 GIRAF Program Focus Areas:
Coastal Louisiana and North Carolina are extremely vulnerable to the loss of sediment in our coastal systems and the resultant impact to our coastal habitats and biota. Both states need new information and approaches to help generate mitigation and adaptation responses. Sediment loss is driven by land-side as well as water-side processes. Both are relevant topics for this opportunity and we welcome applications focused on either, or both.
· Sediment Budgets;
· Erosion;
· Habitat transformations and the resultant impact on biota;
· Management Response as it relates to developing mechanisms, methods and/or tools to help natural resource managers make optimal decisions.
Fellowship Amount: $10,000 per award
Number of Fellowships: Up to two fellowships are anticipated for 2024-2025, subject to sufficient funding and quality of the received applications.
Eligibility: The Graduate Research Fellowship applicant must be:
Proposal Submissions: Apply for the Graduate Interjurisdictional Research Award Fellowship (GIRAF) online at: eSeaGrant by 5 p.m. CT Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Important Dates:
Download Link (Word Document): LA Space-Sea GIRAF Application Guidelines 2024-2025
Download Link (PDF Document): LA Space-Sea GIRAF Application Guidelines 2024-2025