AY 2025-2026 Coale Graduate Scholar Awards

AY 2025-2026 Coale Graduate Scholar Awards is sponsored by California State University Foundation. Awards for CSU graduate students engaged in marine, estuarine, and coastal research, supporting research materials and living expenses.

**The ​AY 2025-26 Coale Graduate Scholar Award​ Program is now closed. The 2026-27 Coale Graduate Scholar Award Program announcement will be released in September 2026. ** **Awa​rd Amount: $4,000** ****In honor ofDr.

Kenneth H. Coale, a pioneer and leader in ocean science whose legacy will live on for decades. **** **Please read this entire Award Announcement in detail BEFORE you apply for this opportunity to ensure you are applying correctly and following all instructions.

Incorrectly submitted applications will not be reviewed. ** | **Application Timeline** | Frequently Asked Questions **Questions or additional information:** Contact Kimberly Jassowski ([[email protected]](mailto:kjassowski@csumb. edu)), COAST Senior Program Analyst.

****Program Description**** The Coale Graduate Scholar Awards are $4,000 scholarships intended to support CSU graduate students working on marine, estuarine,coastal and coastal watershed research projects. These awards provide students with valuable resources to procure critical research materials and supplies or to help defray living expenses while engaged in research.

This allows students to obtain the skills necessary to join a highly skilled, technologically advanced workforce while promoting and supporting CSU research.

**Students who are members of groups that have been historically excluded from marine and coastal science, including students who are Hispanic, Latina/o, Black or African American, Asian, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, American Indian, Alaska Native or a combination of ethnicities; noncitizens; female; LGBTQIA+; first-in-family; economically disadvantaged; veterans; have disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants of any race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, immigration status, national origin, age, dis/ability or veteran status are welcome. ** COAST promotes research and education to advance our knowledge of ocean and coastal systems and disseminates scientific information to stakeholders for the development of responsible policy.

The scope of COAST includes * The open and coastal ocean; * Coastal zones (bays, estuaries, beaches); * Coastal watersheds: the organism, material or process being studied in the watershed must have a clear and direct impact on the downstream marine environment (e.g., anadromous fish, surface and groundwater flow, water quality). Work supported by COAST is NOT limited to California. Please see www.

calstate. edu/impact-of-the-csu/research/coast/about/Pages/about. aspx for additional information.

Applicants are required to: * Conduct their thesis or Professional Science Master’s work under the direction of a CSU faculty member (“Advisor”). * Define a project that supports one or more of COAST’s goals. * COAST encourages all types of research.

Clear connections to COAST goals must be identified. * Work supported by COAST is NOT limited to California, but priority will be given to projects that are applicable to the needs of California. The proposal must be a product of your own work.

You are required to have your Advisor review your application prior to submission to provide guidance and input. Applicants may be part-time students but must be enrolled in a graduate degree program. Post-baccalaureate students not enrolled in a graduate degree program are not eligible to apply.

Advisors must verify these conditions in the letter of recommendation. Prior Coale Graduate Scholar/Graduate Student Research Award recipients are eligible to apply provided they have met the obligations of their previous award; however, preference will be given to new applicants who have not previously received a graduate award.

Preference will not be influenced by prior receipt of other COAST funding (e.g., Undergraduate Student Research Support, Student Travel Award). Individual students may submit only one application in response to this announcement. Advisors may recommend more than one student.

#### Application Materials and Instructions **Supporting Documents:** 2. **DEPARTMENT COMMITMENT FORM**Required **IF**you are requesting that all or a portion of your award be paid to your Department 3. **OpenWater APPLICATION SUBMISSION FORM​**If you have any problems using OpenWater, please contact Abraham Avila ([[email protected]](mailto:abavila@csumb.

edu);(831) 582-3225​) All application materials must be submitted by **Wednesday, ​****January 28, 2026, 5:00 p. m. PST.

**Your CSU Advisor’s submission of the letter of recommendation must be received by**Wednesday, ​February 4, 2026, 5:00 p. m. PST**,or your application will not be considered.

**Applications will be submitted using a new online OpenWater platform (linked above under Supporting Documents​) this year. **Please review the updated application submission instructions below in detail. A complete application includes: 1.

​A completed **OpenWater Application Submission Form** 1. ​In addition to providing your information on the online OpenWater Application Submission Form (linked above under Supporting Documents), you will be prompted to upload: 1. ​A **Proposal Form** (linked above under Supporting Documents) as both a Word and PDF file named as follows: LastName_FirstName_Proposal.

docx and LastName_FirstName_Proposal. pdf. The content of both files need to match exactly.

​ 2. A signed **Department Commitment Form**(linked above under Supporting Documents) if any funding is requested to go to the student’s department. ​​ 2.

​A signed**letter of recommendation** submitted by your CSU Advisor via our OpenWater platform. Instructions to complete the OpenWater Application Form to submit your Proposal: 1. Click on the **OpenWater Application Submission Form** link (linked above under Supporting Documents)​to be taken to the submission form.

1. You must create an OpenWater account, using an email that you regularly check. 2.

​If you wish to save your application and return later, please save the application while logged in. 3. To submit your application, first click “Save and Finalize”.

Once you hit “Save and Finalize”, your application cannot be edited. ​Once your application is submitted, you will automatically receive a confirmation email. 2.

​​Enter the following information: 1. Enter your name, select your CSU campus, and enter your contact information. 2.

Enter your email address under the “Email of Applicant” section. You are required to input your email address twice to confirm your email address. 3.

Student ID: Provide your campus student ID number, and ensure it is entered correctly (this will be needed for the fund transfer if awarded). 1. ​Please note, your student ID number is not your campus username (e.g., OtterID), and is usually nine digits long.

4. ​Degree Program: Enter the official name of the degree program in which you are enrolled. 5.

Degree Sought: Enter either Master’s, ​PhD or Professional Science Master's​​(PSM). 6. Matriculation Date: Provide the date (mm/dd/yyyy) on which you began your degree program.

If you need to estimate your matriculation date, you can select the first day of the month you matriculated. 7. ​Anticipated Graduation Date: Provide the date (mm/yyyy) on which you anticipate graduating from your degree program.

If you need to estimate your anticipated graduation date, you can select the first day of the month you believe you will graduate. 8. Grade Point Average (GPA): Enter your GPA in major courses of your graduate degree program.

If you are currently enrolled in the first semester of graduate school, please enter “N/A” in the GPA section. 9. Enter your CSU Advisor’s information.

10. Research Project Title: Enter the title of your research project. 11.

Project Keywords: Provide 5-7 keywords related to your project. 3. ​Budget Summary: Enter how much money you want to go to your Department and directly to you (through Financial Aid).

This must add up to a total of $4,000. For applicants requesting funds to be sent to both themselves and their department, the system won’t verify if the amounts entered add up to $4,000, so please verify that your amount requested adds up to $4,000. 1.

​​​​If you are requesting that all or a portion of your award be paid to your Department for you to use for services and supplies (see Budget instructions below), you must complete the Departmental Commitment Form and obtain all necessary signatures. Scan the signed form and save it as LastName_FirstName_DCF. pdf.

The Departmental Commitment Form is linked above under "Supporting Documents". If you are requesting that the entire award be paid directly to you to help defray personal living expenses or tuition, you do NOT need to submit this form. ​ 4.

Previous COAST Graduate Student Research Award/Coale Graduate Scholar Award: Please indicate if you received a previous award through this program. This information will not be shared with the reviewers. 1.

​If you have received a prior Graduate Student Research Award/Coale Graduate Scholar Award, please provide the year(s) of the award(s). 5. ​Committee Members: List all of the Committee Members associated with your project.

1. ​I f you have multiple Committee Members to add, click “Add new” in that section to enter in additional Committee Members. 2.

If you do not have any Committee Members yet, no action is required. 3. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

6. ​Suggested Reviewers: Provide the names and contact information for two possible reviewers, as well as an explanation on how this reviewer’s expertise is related to your research. 1.

​These reviewers must be CSU faculty members or research associates and may not be 1. ​From your home campus 2. Members of your committee or 3.

Anyone with whom there may be a potential conflict of interest 2. ​​​​​You are encouraged to consult with your advisor to identify potential reviewers. COAST will use the suggested names to assist with assigning reviewers, therefore, it is important to justify why the suggested reviewer expertise is relevant to your research.

Your suggestions will not be shared with potential reviewers. 7. ​​CSU Advisor Approval & Letter of Recommendation: Please enter the email address of your CSU Advisor who helped you with your application and will be providing a letter of recommendation on your behalf.

1. ​Once your application is submitted, your CSU Advisor will receive an automatic email from OpenWater with instructions on how to submit a signed letter of recommendation on your behalf through OpenWater (see more details in the letter of recommendation section below). 2.

By uploading a letter of recommendation on your behalf, your Advisor is indicating that they have reviewed your application, provided guidance and input, and approved it for submission. 3. **Your CSU Advisor’s submission of the letter of recommendation must be received by Wednesday, ​February 4, 2026, 5:00 p.

m. PST,or your application will not be considered. ** 8.

When prompted, upload your **Proposal Form** (linked above under Supporting Documents) as both a Word and PDF file named as follows: LastName_FirstName_Proposal. docx and LastName_FirstName_Proposal. pdf.

The content of both files need to match exactly. 9. To submit your application, first click “Save and Finalize”.

Once you hit “Save and Finalize”, your application cannot be edited. 10. Once you have completed and submitted your OpenWater Application, including uploading the **Proposal Form** (as both a Word and PDF document) and the **Departmental Commitment Form** (if needed), you will receive a confirmation email from OpenWater on behalf of COAST.

Please save these emails for future reference. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact COAST ([[email protected]](mailto:csucoast@csumb. edu)) immediately to ensure your application was received.

**This is your responsibility-COAST is not responsible for applications that were not successfully submitted if applicants cannot provide a copy of the email confirming successful submission.

** Instructions for completing your Proposal Form, which will be uploaded to the OpenWater Application Submission Form, as outlined above: Submissions will be evaluated based on the quality of the research described, how the proposed research meets one or more of the goals of COAST, and the need for support.

The headings below with specific point values included in parentheses will be included in the Application Form and add up to 100 possible points. ​​​ **Abstract (200-word maximum,0 points)** The abstract must clearly and concisly summarize the compenents of your project description, which should be easily understood by someone outside the immediate field.

**Project Description (1500-word maximum, 65 points total)** The project description must clearly describe the research project to be conducted, including its significance, novelty and application. Primary literature must be referenced. The project description must include experimental design, including a clear statement of hypotheses and/or objectives, methodology and planned data analysis.

The project description should be easily understood by someone outside the immediate field. E.g., a geologist should be able to understand a proposal on fish ecology, and vice versa. Avoid the use of jargon and highly technical terms without explanation.

​ * Clear description of the project, its goals and significance (30 points) * Statements sufficiently referenced (5 points) * Use of original, peer-reviewed literature, both foundational and current (5 points) * Clearly stated hypotheses or objectives (5 points) * Experimental design and methodology (15 points) * Data analysis plan (5 points) The project description must also make clear how your proposed activities relate to ocean or coastal environments, organisms or issues.

The organism, material or process being studied in the coastal watershed must have a clear and direct impact on the downstream marine environment. The project description is limited to 1,500 words; any text over this limit will be redacted. References are submitted in a separate section and are not subjected to a word count.

Figures and tables can be included in the project description; any text in tables or figures will be included in the word count. **References (0 points)** Provide full bibliographic information for each citation. Reviewers should be able to easily locate any references you include.

For examples of widely accepted citation formats, see http://www. chicagomanualofstyle. org/tools_citationguide.

html. **Timeline (250-word maximum, 10 points total)** Include a timeline for use of your award **beginning May 15, 2026**. Include projected dates/timeframes for specific activities including your anticipated graduation date.

If you reference activities occurring prior to May 15, 2026, for context, be sure to clearly identify the activities an award would fund. As noted below in the Budget and Justification section, awards cannot be used to fund any activities that occur prior to May 15, 2026. R equests for funds for expenses or work done prior to start date will result in your application being returned without review.

**Need for Research (250-word maximum, 10 points total)** This section must clearly articulate the scientific need for your research. How will your work will contribute to the advancement of your field? What intellectual contribution will your expected results make?

**Budget and Justification (250-word maximum for justification, 15 points total)** Construct a line-item budget totaling $4,000 that shows how you will use the award. Awards can be used for living expenses, research-related expenses or both.

* ​​Line-item budget (10 points) * Budget ​Justification (5 points) **PLEASE NOTE: COAST considers requests for personal living expenses and/or tuition to be equal in merit to requests for research-related expenses. ** You can request that the entire award be paid 1) directly to you to help defray personal living expenses and/or tuition, 2) to your Department for you to use for supplies and services, or 3) any combination of the two.

Any portion of the award paid directly to you will be processed as a scholarship through your campus financial aid office (see Section 7 below). Portions of awards paid through your Department for supplies and services will be managed by the Department. **In some cases, materials or supplies purchased for your use by the Department are property of the Department and therefore are not considered personal property.

​​**Personal items or consumables, such as booties, that are to remain with the student should be purchased by the student with funds through Financial Aid. Please consult with your Department for policies regarding purchase of materials and supplies. **Funds can only be requested for costs incurred ON or AFTER the project start date (May 15, 2026).

****Award funds may not be used for activities that occur prior to this date****. Requests for funds for expenses or work done prior to the start date will result in your application being returned without review. ** An example budget is provided in the Application Form.

You may use this template (after deleting the example text) or create your own as long as a similar or greater level of detail is provided. Provide a budget justification that clearly explains your need for the requested support and details how this award will help further and support your research activities.

If you request funds to help pay tuition or defray personal living expenses, please be very specific about HOW the funds will be beneficial (i.e., what would an award allow you to do that would not be possible otherwise?) ​ #### Letter of Recommendation Your CSU Advisor must provide a letter of recommendation (two-page maximum).

**The letter must be on CSU letterhead and submitted electronically as either a scanned version of an original containing a signature or must contain an electronic signature. **Letters must discuss the value of the student’s proposed research and must comment on the student’s ability to successfully conduct and complete the proposed project. Letters must verify that the student is enrolled in a graduate degree program at a CSU campus.

Advisors may recommend more than one student. Advisors should name the file ApplicantLastName_LOR. pdf.

In the OpenWater Submission Form, please enter the email address of your CSU Advisor who helped you with your application and will be providing a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Once your application is submitted, your CSU Advisor will receive an automatic email from OpenWater with instructions on how to submit a signed letter of recommendation on your behalf through OpenWater.

By uploading a letter of recommendation on your behalf, your Advisor is indicating that they have reviewed your application, provided guidance and input, and approved it for submission. **Your CSU Advisor’s submission of the letter of recommendation must be received by Wednesday, ​February 4, 2026, 5:00 p. m.

PST,or your application will not be considered. ** #### Award Conditions and Details 1. Make an oral or poster presentation on your thesis at an external meeting or conference within one year of receiving the Award, and acknowledge COAST in the presentation.

Presenting at a virtual meeting or conference is allowed. 2. Acknowledge COAST in any publications or presentations resulting in whole or in part from the Award.

* COAST should be referenced as **“CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST)”. ** * The logo is available in multiple file formats at https://www. calstate.

edu/impact-of-the-csu/research/coast/about/Pages/coast-documents. aspx. 3.

Provide COAST with an abstract of their research and a one-page summary of the impact of this award on their research progress by December 1, 2026.

#### Important Financial Aid and Tax Liability Information **Applicants are**_**strongly encouraged**_**to consult with their campus financial aid office**_**prior to applying**_**to COAST to determine the potential impact of this award to other forms of compensation provided through their university, including financial aid. **Portions of awards paid directly to students will be processed through campus financial aid offices (FAO).

Please be advised that receiving and accepting a COAST award could lead to a decrease in other forms of financial assistance. Ordinarily, adjustments (if any) are made to loans first before other grants or scholarships. Award recipients should contact their campus financial aid office to determine how the award may affect their total financial aid package.

Because of Internal Revenue Service and other requirements, campuses may also consult with accounting, human resources and international programs staff to determine appropriate method of payment and any tax withholding requirements. Award recipients should consult with a tax professional regarding tax liability resulting from any award. **COAST will transfer all funds to awardee campuses in May 2026.

If awardees do not want to receive their award upon campus receipt of funds, they must work with their Financial Aid Offices. COAST will not delay transfers to campuses. ** #### Examples of Highly Ranked Applications In an effort to facilitate successful application development, we have gathered several examples of Graduate Student Research Award applications that were highly ranked in previous competitions.

This is meant to serve as a guide to the quality of writing and level of detail required to be successful in this competitive opportunity. * Azizeh,San José-MLML (2021-22) * Donahue-Quattrocchi, San Francisco (2023-24) * Filipczyk,San Francisco (2022-23) * Hollman, San Diego(2021-22) * ​McCann,Humboldt (2022-23) * Mills, San Diego (2022-23) * Stonecypher, Cal Poly Humboldt(2021-22)