New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) Wind Institute Fellowship Program directly invests in building the next generation of offshore wind leaders. The program is designed to encourage and support interdisciplinary student research in topics that further the development of offshore wind and nurture thought leadership in the industry and the state. Undergraduate, Masters, and Ph. D students are provided the opportunity to conduct paid, independent offshore wind research under the advisement of faculty members at their home university over an academic year. In addition to receiving stipends for their research, students attend monthly cohort meetings organized by NJEDA that allow students to gain additional industry knowledge and the opportunity to build connections with other Fellows across universities and disciplines. At the end of the Fellowship, students present their research findings to industry members, academic institutions, and community stakeholders at the annual Wind Institute Research Symposium hosted by NJEDA.
In its first year, beginning in 2022, the Fellowship consisted of 26 fellows across five New Jersey universities: Montclair State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University, Rutgers, and The State University. Following the success of the pilot cohort, NJEDA expanded the Fellowship Program for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years, which included the original four universities, as well as Seton Hall University, Princeton University, Stockton University, and Stevens Institute of Technology, for a total of 40 fellows per academic year. To date, the program has supported 106 Fellowships.
