University of Southern Mississippi Scholarship in USA 2027 | Fully Funded

University of Southern Mississippi Scholarship 2027 Details:

The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory seeks a motivated student to fill a funded Ph.D. assistantship at The University of Southern Mississippi Ocean Springs, MS.

The selected student will be co-advised by Dr. Zachary Darnell and Dr. Kelly Darnell. This assistantship will begin in Spring 2027. Start date may be flexible depending on student needs. 

The assistantship will be centered on a recently funded project to identify and monitor long-term trends and variability in seagrass-dominated ecosystems in the Gulf Islands National Seashore and identify drivers of change in biodiversity and productivity of these systems to inform coastal resource management.

The project will involve field sampling for seagrass and seagrass-associated nekton across the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida and Mississippi, as well as laboratory sample processing and analyses of existing long-term datasets.

Requirements for University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Scholarship

To be considered for the University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Scholarship, you must:

• have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Applicants with an M.S. degree are preferred).
• meet the entry requirements of the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE).
• satisfy the English Language requirements of the university.
• have strong research, writing, and communication skills.
• Experience working in seagrass beds and familiarity with coastal nekton communities is preferred but not required.

Benefits of University of Southern Mississippi Scholarship 2027

• The student selected for this position will pursue a Ph.D. degree in the Division of Coastal Sciences within the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE).
• The assistantship includes tuition and a stipend of $28,500 per year for a duration of 5 years.
• The student selected for the assistantship will be a fully integrated member of the project team and will contribute to study design, collection and analysis of data, and manuscript preparation.

Required Documents for University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Scholarship

To apply, candidates must be ready to submit the following documents;

• a cover letter describing your interests and career goals,
• a copy of your CV,
• unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and
• contact information for three professional references.

How to Apply for University of Southern Mississippi Scholarship 2027 (Step by Step)

To apply for the University of Southern Mississippi Scholarship 2027, interested and qualified candidates should;

• Click the green button below to go to the scholarship webpage.
• Send all application materials to Dr. Zachary Darnell (zachary.darnell@usm.edu). 
• For full consideration, submit all required information by August 31, 2026.