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NOAA Hollings Scholarship

National and International Fellowships

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernst F Hollings Scholarship Program provides undergraduate students up to $9500 per year for two years of full-time study and $700 per week (plus housing) for a 10-week, full-time summer internship at a NOAA facility. The scholarship also includes travel funds to the Scholarship Program orientation and the annual Science & Education symposium, as well as funds to present your research at conferences.

Website: https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/hollings-scholarship

Scholar Announcements and News

For the third year in a row, multiple UNCW students have been named Hollings Scholars. Congratulations to Marrianna Alfonso and Adie Leonard - our 2026-2028 Scholars! Read more here.

2025-2027 Hollings Scholars - Megan Broome, Grace Davis, and Brennah Lee-Pawlak Read more here.

2024-2026 Hollings Scholars - Niki Dwight, Nick Angeli, Rochelle David, and Siobhan Duffy Read more here. Read about Niki's internship in Hawaii here.

2023-2025 Hollings Scholar - Diandre' Richie. Also a 2025 NOAA Lapenta Intern.

timing

Applications open in September/October and are due January 31, 11:59 EST each year. This includes all supporting documents, such as reference forms and transcripts.

Eligibility

The following are the eligibility requirements set by NOAA:

  • Be a US citizen
  • A full-time 2nd year student in a four-year undergraduate program (or a 3rd year student in a five-year undergraduate program)
  • A 3.0 GPA
  • Have a declared major in a discipline including, but not limited to: oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, remote sensing technology, computer and information science, physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology, geomatics, or teacher education that support NOAA's programs and mission.

Required Components

A complete application consists of:

  • A completed application form (name, contact info, education info, awards/honors/activities, etc)
  • Essay Questions (demonstrating your interests in NOAA's mission, career goals, examples of leadership, etc)
  • Official college transcript(s)
  • Two references

Other notes

Over 120 undergraduate students are funded by this scholarship each year. 75% of alumni go to graduate school and 100% of Scholars surveyed would recommend this opportunity to other students.

NOAA's mission is quite broad and not limited to lab work. "Promoting environmental literacy" is a priority that cuts through all of its goals. Read more here.

The Hollings Scholarship page is full of information, including a very helpful FAQ's and blogs with tips for prospective scholars from former scholars. Take the time to read through everything and watch the videos.

Workshop Series

CSURF hosts a workshop series to support students through the application process. Former and current Scholars serve as mentors throughout the process.

Fall 2025 workshops will be 5:30-6:30pm in King Hall 202 on the following dates:

  • October 14
  • October 28
  • November 18
  • January 20 (tentatively scheduled)

If you have questions, reach out to Dr. Katherine Liu (liuk@uncw.edu).

You can self-enroll in the Hollings Canvas page to receive announcements and resources: https://uncw.instructure.com/enroll/HDF39L

Contact Us

Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships

Phone: 910.962.2703

csurf@uncw.edu

King Hall 2nd Floor

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