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Education and Outreach

The primary goals of CINAR’s Education and Outreach programs are to:

  • Train the next generation of NOAA scientists and managers by providing educational and career training opportunities to students and postdoctoral fellows.
  • Foster communication and collaboration between CINAR investigators and NOAA sponsors and stakeholders.
  • Support the transfer and translation of CINAR research products and operational tools to NOAA managers.
  • Engage with communities and stakeholders involved in resource use and management in the LME NES to improve collaboration and cooperation.

These education and outreach goals are supported by world-class capabilities at each CINAR partner institution and established, strong relationships among the partners and with NOAA labs and programs in the region.  These capabilities include:

GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS:

CINAR partners offer a number of graduate and graduate degree programs that directly align with NOAA’s mission. along with a strong pool   of postdocs and field-based undergraduate research programs exist in each of CINAR’s five thematic areas.  CI partners also provide science content for informal venues such as their own exhibit centers or in partnerships with regional aquaria and museums.

CINAR UNDERGRADUATE MINORITY TRAINEESHIP PROGRAMS:

A variety of partnerships also exists to recruit undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented communities in marine sciences to participate in NOAA-sponsored research  For several years, CINAR has operated an undergraduate minority traineeship program, which provides funding to each CI partner institution in support of summer fellowships for students from underrepresented communities. These students participate in NOAA- relevant research under the supervision of a CINAR investigator.

THE INCLUSIVE NOAA FISHERIES INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

CINAR partners with NOAA to support undergraduate participation in NOAA's newly launched IN FISH program.  In 2022, CINAR supported five undergraduate interns, and recruiting for 2023 is currently underway.

Undergraduate and graduate students will also be encouraged to participate in CINAR research through our partnership with LMRCSC at UMES, which participates in NOAA’s Education Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions, and the NSF funded CREST-CISCEP.  Participant support will also be provided for students from underrepresented groups, and particularly first-generation college students, to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography (SURFO) Program at URI.  High student diversity also exists at Rutgers, UMass Dartmouth, and UMCES.  These and other partnerships provide a strong pool of candidates for participation in graduate and undergraduate CINAR programs.