Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award
The 2026 award events will be held in ESA’s Washington, DC office and on Capitol Hill, February 24–25, 2026.
Applications for the Graduate Student Policy Award are now open!
Applications are due January 7, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
Offered each year, the Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) gives graduate students hands-on training and science policy experience including interacting with congressional decision-makers, federal agency officials and ecologists who work in the science and public policy arena.
Many past recipients are currently working in public policy and many view the ESA GSPA as a stepping-stone to policy fellowship such as the AAAS Fellowship or the NOAA Knauss fellowship. Other past recipients pursue a research career, but they find the public policy knowledge gained from the experience provides a foundation for interacting with policymakers.
ESA plans to hold the event onsite in its Washington, DC office, February 24-25. February 23 & 26 will be designated travel days. Awardees must be able to travel to Washington, DC; there is no virtual option. ESA may need to cancel or reschedule the event due to unforeseen circumstances.
Applications are due Jan. 7, 2026, 11:59PM ET.
Overview
Participants receive:
- An all expenses paid trip to Washington, DC.
- Policy and communications training, including information on the legislative process and in federal science funding.
- An opportunity to hear first-hand from ecologists currently working in federal agencies about their policy careers.
- The experience of meetings with congressional policymakers on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of federal investments in the biological and ecological sciences, with a primary focus on the National Science Foundation.
ESA will host a Congressional Visits Day to promote federal investment in the biological sciences, particularly through the National Science Foundation. Participants receive communications training and learn about the federal budget and appropriations process and the political landscape. After the trainings, participants meet with congressional decision-makers to discuss federal support of research and education in the biological sciences.
Eligibility
Applicants must be an ESA member and reside in the United States. Graduate students may be seeking a masters or a Ph.D. Past GSPA recipients are not eligible to apply.
Application Instructions
Applications consist of the following:
- A one-page cover letter addressed to ESA’s Public Affairs Office outlining your interest in science policy and relevant experience.
- A one-page statement that reflects your insights and perspective on the importance of federal support of science and ecology in particular. Extra credit for examples of ecological success stories (e.g. where investment of federal dollars had a tangible return, particularly for your home state and if you have received NSF funding).
- A one-page resume or CV.
Applications are due by 11:59pm ET Jan. 7, 2026.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. How well you follow the submission instructions will affect your score. Please submit your application as one Word file with page numbers and your last name in the upper left header of each page. Save your file as “LastNameFirstNameGSPA26” (e.g. SmithJaneGSPA26).
Questions?
Email Alison Mize, Director of Public Affairs alison@esa.org, or Mayda Nathan, Public Affairs Manager mayda@esa.org
- View pictures from the 2025 GSPA Hill Day
- Listen to the interview podcasts of former winners
- View the ESA Graduate Student Policy Award Alumni Network page
- View the full list of past recipients
Contribute
Give a donation to keep this program funded.