SEASIDE, Ca., Sept. 23, 2016 -- CSUMB is one of six universities across the nation who will benefit from a new five-year, $15.5-million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems. NOAA has approved a total of $3 million to be awarded this year for the first phase of the new NOAA Cooperative Science Center.

Florida A&M University will serve as the lead institution for the center along with partners Bethune-Cookman University (Florida), CSUMB, Jackson State University (Mississippi), Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The center will conduct research to support NOAA's research mission and prepare students, particularly those from under represented groups, to engage in NOAA related careers.

“With CSUMB's portion of thefunding we will be able to support between six and eight students per year on our campus,” said CSUMB School of Natural Sciences Associate Professor, Corey Garza, Ph.D.

According to Garza, graduate students will be eligible for two years of funding; including a yearly stipend of $20,000 and funding to cover the full cost of tuition. Graduate students will also receive a $10,000 scholarship to support their research and summer funding up to $5,000 to support research activities at a NOAA facility. Undergraduates funded through the center will receive one year of stipend support up to $12,000 and a research account of $1,000. Faculty who mentor students through the center will have access to funding to support the purchase of supplies and non-capital equipment for their respective groups. Access to NOAA vessel time and postdoctoral funding will also be available.

Research topics covered by the center will be broad and will cover the needs of both NOAA and the National Ocean Service (NOS). Research topics include, but are not limited to: fisheries, eco-forecasting, terrestrial impacts on coastal systems, climate change, ocean acidification, ocean engineering, ocean observing networks and big data analysis.

Recruiting for the first cohort of graduate students will begin fall of 2016 and recruiting for undergraduates will begin Spring 2017. For information about how to become eligible please contact professor Corey Garza or Megan Bassett.