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Gulf Research Program

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program (GRP) is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission is to develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the wellbeing of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.

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News and Updates

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $2.7 Million to Support Workforce Development for the Energy Transition

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today an award of more than $2.7 million to support four projects designed to prepare young adults in the Gulf region for high-quality careers in the energy sector as the nation transitions to cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

Dec 4, 2025
Installing a residential solar system

Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Literacy Program are partnering with $4 million in investments to support six place-based educational projects across the Gulf States — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The awarded projects aim to help people better understand the connections between science, the environment, and their communities, building resilience to environmental challenges while fostering stronger stewardship of local ecosystems.

Oct 22, 2025
A reptilian with a sharp snout relaxing in a big log of Cajun Swamp Tours

Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities

Update

The Gulf Research Program supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce.

Jan 21, 2026
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News and updates

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Gulf Research Program Awards over $7 Million to Advance Scientific Understanding of Sea-Level Variation and Rise in the Gulf Region

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced an award of more than $7.3 million to support four interdisciplinary research projects aimed at advancing scientific understanding of sea-level variation and rise in the Gulf region to strengthen long-term planning, preparedness, and resilience.

Jan 27, 2026

Explore Our Open Funding Opportunities

Update

The Gulf Research Program supports numerous projects and activities that develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. Our funding opportunities align with our core themes: offshore energy safety and the future of Gulf energy; health, resilience, and compounding disasters; the environment and changing coastlines; and education and the future workforce.

Jan 21, 2026

Gulf Research Program Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship and Education Research

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2025-2027 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the environmental protection and stewardship and education research tracks.

Dec 5, 2025

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $2.7 Million to Support Workforce Development for the Energy Transition

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today an award of more than $2.7 million to support four projects designed to prepare young adults in the Gulf region for high-quality careers in the energy sector as the nation transitions to cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

Dec 4, 2025

Installing a residential solar system

Community Voices and Scientific Insight Build a More Resilient Cedar Key

Program News

Cedar Key, a small Florida island battered by hurricanes and rising seas, is partnering with scientists from the University of Florida to create customized, nature-based defenses against flooding. Through community workshops and co-designed plans, residents are helping shape living shorelines and other green infrastructure to protect their homes, roads, and traditions from future storms.

Nov 3, 2025

Gulf Research Program Welcomes Six Universities to Interdisciplinary Gulf Scholars Program

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the addition of six colleges and universities to the Gulf Scholars Program, a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program that prepares undergraduate students to address pressing environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf Coast region.

Oct 29, 2025

IMG_2373.jpg Conference attendees gather at the University of South Alabama for the 2025 Gulf Scholars Program Conference.

Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Literacy Program are partnering with $4 million in investments to support six place-based educational projects across the Gulf States — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The awarded projects aim to help people better understand the connections between science, the environment, and their communities, building resilience to environmental challenges while fostering stronger stewardship of local ecosystems.

Oct 22, 2025

A reptilian with a sharp snout relaxing in a big log of Cajun Swamp Tours

Gulf Research Program Awards Over $4.9 Million for Empowering K-8 Youth Through Place-Based Education Projects and Programs

News Release

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program has awarded over $4.9 million to fund nine place-based education projects for K-8 students in the Gulf region. The award aims to help empower youth who will become the next generation of informed citizens, scientists, and decision-makers to address complex challenges facing their local communities.

Oct 13, 2025

Portrait of black male teacher demonstrating robot model to group of children standing in circle during engineering class outdoors

GRP Fellows Celebrate a Decade of Impact at 2025 Fellowships Forum

Program News

In late August, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted the 2025 GRP Fellowships Forum at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event brought together alumni and current participants of the Early-Career Research Fellowship and the Science Policy Fellowship to celebrate 10 years of impact, innovation, and collaboration.

Oct 2, 2025

Finalists Announced for $50 Million Award to Support a Safer, More Resilient, and Sustainable Future for the Gulf Coast Region

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program and Lever for Change announced today 10 finalists for the $50 million Gulf Futures Challenge. These finalist projects are a collection of bold ideas that apply, translate, and communicate science, engineering, and medical knowledge to address critical challenges in the Gulf Coast region.

Sep 9, 2025

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GRP Welcomes Early-Career Research Fellows in Offshore Energy Safety and Human Health and Community Resilience

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2025-2027 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the Offshore Energy Safety and Human Health and Community Resilience tracks.

Sep 4, 2025

Two Decades Later, the Experience of Katrina Continues to Shape How the Nation Prepares for and Responds to Disasters

Program News

Two decades ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, submerging a major American city, claiming nearly 1,400 lives, and displacing one million people. The storm was a turning point in how the nation understands the risks of extreme weather and the urgency of disaster preparedness. As we mark this anniversary, we carry forward the lessons of Katrina to ensure communities are better prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Sep 3, 2025

aerial view of marsh

GRP Welcomes 12 New Science Policy Fellows to 2025 Cohort

News Release

— The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2025 cohort of Science Policy Fellows. Beginning Sept. 1, 2025, the 12 new fellows will spend one year on the staff of federal and state government agencies, public health departments, and nonprofit organizations across the Gulf Coast region.

Sep 2, 2025

Marking the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Feature Story

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, triggering one of the biggest national disasters in American history. From the earliest days of Katrina’s aftermath, the National Academies have been working to improve disaster preparedness planning, response, and recovery in New Orleans, the greater Gulf region, and across the nation.

Aug 29, 2025

A Tale of Two Parishes: Energy Infrastructure & Environment

Program News

With hopes for future production, many oil and gas wells sit in limbo as they go through ownership cycles where the wells are neither permanently plugged nor are they in use. Plaquemines and Lafourche Parishes offer two different approaches to managing energy infrastructure. By taking lessons from each, we can promote a resilient energy economy in the Gulf and prioritize the health of human and environmental systems that make the Gulf unique.

Aug 4, 2025

The Story of Float 7513

Perspectives

The Understanding Gulf Ocean Systems (UGOS) initiative supports research using ocean observations and modeling in the Gulf of Mexico to improve understanding and forecasting of the Loop Current dynamics. The UGOS team at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution recount the intrepid story of Float 7513.

Jul 22, 2025

Next Generation of Leaders Connect and Collaborate at 2025 Gulf Scholars Program Conference

Program News

In March, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held its third annual Gulf Scholars Program Conference on the University of South Alabama campus in Mobile, Alabama. Over 170 students, faculty and staff from the 24 Gulf Scholar Program campuses were in attendance, coming together to connect with, inspire, and learn from one another.

May 13, 2025

IMG_4923.JPEG | https://nasemoceprodcomm-nationalacademies.cec.ocp.oraclecloud.com/content/published/api/v1.1/assets/CONTEAC5E0ABA8E34CDA8C2D3194B5B41C0A/native?cb=_cache_daba&channelToken=d2dc71410b56f1d61406108f1738d0f4

Offshore Energy in the Gulf 15 Years after Deepwater Horizon

Program News

Much has changed in the Gulf Coast region in the years since the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill. In this piece, Lauren Alexander Augustine, executive director of the Gulf Research Program, reflects on those changes, the safety of offshore operations, and GRP’s role over the coming years.

Apr 22, 2025

Gas Rig, Double Platform and Crewboat
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