Call for Applications: Ocean Exploration & Discovery

The goal of the partnership is to provide early career ocean scientists from around the world the opportunity to lead impactful projects that will explore, understand and inform the protection of the ocean. This partnership also builds on both organizations’ commitments to amplify diverse perspectives, support local leadership development in the ocean sciences and provide funding and access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure.

Under this partnership, the Society and SOI are recruiting and supporting early career scientists who can take advantage of the available berth space and research infrastructure aboard SOI’s Falkor (too) research vessel during its 2025 season traversing the southeast coast of South America. Falkor (too) provides a cutting-edge space for pioneering ocean research and technology development projects. The state-of-the-art research vessel has onboard laboratories, underwater robot and camera capabilities, a high performance computing system, and the ability to trial and implement new tools for capacity development and ocean research.

Awardees will also join the Explorer Community as National Geographic Explorers and have access to opportunities for training, capacity development and network building.

Funding Information

• Funding requests for this opportunity can be up to $20,000 USD.
• Projects can be up to one year in length and the fieldwork must occur in 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

• This highly competitive opportunity is best suited for early career scientists with experience in marine sciences and the ability to lead ship-based oceanographic science, deep sea research and/or other exploratory research with limited guidance.
• This funding opportunity is open to applicants over the age of 18.
• Selected projects must occur in the identified regions Falkor (too) will traverse in 2025.
• They will also prioritize candidates those who demonstrate that they would benefit from access to scientific infrastructure on Falkor (too) for which they normally would not have access.
• As organizations guided by science, they recognize that research demonstrates creativity and innovation stem from effectively engaging people from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences.
• With this top of mind, they warmly welcome people of all backgrounds and lived experiences to apply, including people from communities historically excluded from disciplines such as marine sciences and ocean exploration.
• Applicants of all backgrounds will be considered for this funding opportunity.

For more information, visit  National Geographic Society.