The MIT Sea Grant College Program's fundamental purpose is to lead in the development of technologies that contribute to the advancement of ocean science and the wise use of marine resources. Below are the broadly stated goals of our Program:

• To play a leading role in developing the infrastructure for more integrated and useful ocean/marine processes modeling and measurement
• To support the development of critical technologies needed by the ocean research, educational and commercial communities
• To conduct research addressing fisheries, aquaculture, and water quality
• To develop food, pharmaceutical and other commercial products based on natural marine organisms

For a more detailed understanding of our research interests, please see our Strategic Plan.

• Overview
• Core Research
• Focused Research
• Regional Research

We have different types of funding programs through which Principal Investigators may submit research proposals:

• Core Research Program: Two-year research projects; most proposals we fund are of this type
• Focused Research Projects: Six-year projects focused on a major research initiative
• Regional Research Proposals: Two-year projects with regional focus and participation

A Note on Funding

Funding ultimately comes from NOAA and is awarded annually to MIT Sea Grant for distribution to PI's. Principal Investigators with approved projects should be aware that actual funds are dependent on this annual award to Sea Grant regardless of the stated length of his/her project.

Who May Apply

Under the rules governing NOAA/Sea Grant funding, the Principal Investigator on any project must be a PhD research scientist affiliated with a non-profit institution of higher education or research located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Individuals from industry and other for-profit entities may serve as co-investigator(s) on any project.

For More Information

Investigators are encouraged to contact the director and officers of the MIT Sea Grant College Program to ask questions or discuss proposal ideas. This is especially important if there are any concerns about the relevance of a specific research topic, or to its appropriateness for inclusion in the Focused Research programs.