The Ocean Futures Fellowship: Building Ocean Career Pathways

Overview

The Ocean Futures Fellowship empowers the next generation of ocean professionals, equipping them to address pressing ocean challenges while strengthening their own career pathways. Through training, educational projects, professional development and mentorship over a six-month full-time program, Fellows will gain advanced skills, hands-on experience, and draw on OceanX’s international connections that not only build their career, but foster ocean literacy and leadership on a global scale.

The Fellowship program contributes to the goals of the UN Ocean Decade and SDG 14 by cultivating the next generation of ocean leaders who will drive innovation, inspire global audiences, and expand ocean literacy to foster ocean protection.

Fellows receive a stipend and are fully remote. The program includes the potential opportunity to travel on board the OceanXplorer vessel.

* Learn more about current Fellows and OceanX

Focus

This cohort will prioritize fellowship applicants with demonstrated experience and/or strong interest in one or more of the following areas:

  1. Digital Correspondent Fellow – Communicate ocean science and conservation through journalism, storytelling, and digital platforms.
  2. Digital Asset Archives Fellow – Support media, science, and production teams to organize, maintain and enhance access to OceanX’s growing media archive.
  1. Immersive Media Fellow  – Use technology, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, game design, and UX/UI, to engage audiences with ocean exploration and education.
  2. Partnerships Fellow – Support the establishment and continuation of relationships with potential OceanX partners.
  3. Marketing and Communications Fellow – Assist in planning and executing strategic, cross‑channel campaigns while gaining experience in content creation, digital communications, and collaborative project work.

Program Timeline, Location, and Support

Estimated Timeline

  • March 24, 2026: Application Opens
  • May 3, 2026: Application Closes at 11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Time
  • Mid-May 2026: Candidate Interviews
  • Late May 2026: Announcement of Fellowship Offers
  • June 22, 2026: Start of Fellowship & Onboarding
  • December 2026: End of Fellowship

Location

Fellows will work remotely from their home countries throughout the six-month fellowship period.  Fellows will be expected to participate in virtual professional development training and meetings with OceanX Education staff and faculty throughout the fellowship. In addition, Fellows must commit to attend meetings and collaborate with OceanX team members during Singapore business hours (SGT) for the duration of the six-month fellowship. Note, the Marketing and Communications Fellow has flexibility to work either SGT business hours or New York (ET) business hours for the duration of the six-month fellowship. This will be determined based on the location of the Marketing and Communications Fellow.

Stipend

Fellows will receive a monthly stipend to support their full-time participation in the program. This stipend does not include additional allowances for housing, relocation, transportation, dependents, or other personal expenses. A technology stipend is available for select Fellows on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Authorized to work in one’s country of residence.
  • Able to commit full‑time from June 2026 to December 2026.
  • Demonstrated experience and/or strong interest related to one of the following roles: 1) Digital Correspondent, 2) Digital Asset Archives, 3) Immersive Media 4) Partnerships; or 5) Marketing and Communications.
  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution prior to the start of the fellowship
    • Individuals applying for Partnerships Fellow must have a degree in finance, policy, science, nonprofit management, media, communications, business, or other related fields.
    • Individuals applying for Immersive Media Fellow or Digital Correspondent Fellow must have a degree in ocean science, ocean conservation, media, communications, or other related fields.
  • Full professional proficiency in English (C2-level or equivalent)
  • Motivated by purpose, access, mentorship, and global opportunity.

Application Process

Applicants must complete an online application which includes:

  • General background information (e.g. contact information and details about your current and previous work related to ocean education)
  • Resume/CV
  • Responses to short essay questions
  • Short video outlining your qualifications and motivations for becoming an Ocean Futures Fellow

Important: Before starting the application, please have the following links ready to enter:

  • Link to your resume/CV (required)
  • Link to your video response (required)
  • Links to your sample project and English score (optional)
Closed

The Ocean Futures Fellowship will begin accepting applications on March 24, 2026.

Questions

Please email oceanfuturesfellowship@iie.org