Institute: Wisconsin
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $33,299 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,261
Principal Investigators: Jennifer Hauxwell
Project Summary: We propose to continue a program of shared fellowships between the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (UW-WRI) and resource agencies within the State of Wisconsin. Based on the popular Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship, where fellows are placed within offices of the federal government, our program is designed to place recent postgraduates with advanced degrees in state agencies. The fellowship consists of a full-time position at a participating state agency for one year. Candidates apply following an application process similar to that of the Knauss Fellowship, with a panel of UW-WRI and agency staff members determining the best fit for the position. It is expected that applicants will have strong water resources backgrounds with an interest in policy that affects these resources. We expect at least 50% of the funding from the agency that houses the student and are exploring partnerships with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services. Fellows bring their technical skills to benefit the host agency and receive valuable real-world science-policy experience from the resource professionals who will serve as mentors. These mutually beneficial partnerships advance the science to support policy decisions as well serve as a valuable training opportunity for new professionals entering the work force.