Lakes Communications Fellowship

The Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) is seeking one Communications Fellow to join our small, mission-driven team for a hands-on, mentored fellowship experience at the intersection of coastal 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, focusing on strategic communications, science communication, and public awareness of binational Great Lakes data and information.

Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS)

Ann Arbor, MI

Nov 13, 2026

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The GLOS Great Lakes Communications Fellowship will begin January 4, 2027 and will end January 3, 2028, with the possibility of extension to a second year based on performance and continued funding.

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 science communication, public outreach, and the binational policy decisions affecting Great Lakes resources.

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.

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

GLOS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in 2005, that collects, manages, and shares data about the Great Lakes. GLOS is a certified Regional Association within NOAA's Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Our mission is to make real-time and historical data available to the public to help advance science, policy, management, and industry across the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes, with a focus on coastal resilience, ecosystem and food web dynamics, protection of public health, and navigation safety and efficiency.