The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation, awarded each year by The Pew Charitable Trusts, funds midcareer scientists and other experts worldwide to advance ocean protection.
Each fellow carries out an original, research-based conservation project over three years while affiliated with a university, research institution or conservation organization, and joins an alumni network of more than 200. The 2026 class has seven fellows, based in Australia, Canada, Japan, Thailand and the United States.
Benefits & funding
- US$150,000 per fellow, allocated over three years, for an original research project.
- Help from Pew staff in managing the grant.
- Training in connecting research to conservation decision-making.
- Annual meetings and events with other fellows and program alumni.
Eligibility
- Midcareer natural and social scientists from any country with research experience and a strong record of achievement; strong candidates from engineering and other technical fields are also considered. Most fellows hold advanced degrees (typical profile, not a requirement).
- Nomination only: only nominees Pew invites may apply.
- Residence: residents of countries without US diplomatic relations, or unable to conduct financial transactions with US institutions, are not eligible. Pew names no countries; the residence list here leaves out Bhutan, Iran, North Korea and Taiwan, which have no formal US diplomatic ties, and Cuba, which the US embargo cuts off from US institutions. Residents of places under broad US sanctions may also be barred.
- Not eligible: full-time doctoral students and postdocs (midcareer part-time students in professional posts may be); people whose main work is legal analysis or lobbying; journalists employed by a media outlet.
- One fellowship per person, however often nominated.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“Residents of countries without diplomatic relations with the United States. … Residents of nations that are unable to conduct financial transactions with U.S. institutions.” Eligibility
Residence required
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Haiti · Jamaica
+ 216 more
Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Åland Islands · Svalbard and Jan Mayen · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Japan · South Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
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Application process
- 1There is no public application; unsolicited applications are not accepted.
- 2Each year Pew asks a group of marine science and conservation experts to nominate candidates.
- 3Pew invites qualified nominees to apply with a proposal for a three-year research project.
- 4An independent international selection committee reviews the applications and recommends the fellows.
- 5Questions go to marinefellows@pewtrusts.org.
Program timeline
2026 class of seven fellows announced
Mar 11, 2026
Each year
invited nominations, then applications and committee selection; no public deadline is published.