KINGSTON, RI – The University of Rhode Island has secured a $15 million federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fund ocean research and climate monitoring at the Graduate School of Oceanography, providing a significant boost to the university's world-renowned oceanography program despite uncertainty about federal research funding under the new administration.

The grant, which will fund five years of research, will support URI's work on ocean temperature monitoring, sea level rise, and the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. The university's Graduate School of Oceanography is one of the leading oceanographic research institutions in the world.

"This grant is a tremendous vote of confidence in URI's research program," said URI President Marc Parlange. "Our oceanographers are doing work that is essential to understanding the changes happening in our oceans and their implications for communities around the world."

The grant comes at a time of significant uncertainty about federal research funding, with the Trump administration's DOGE initiative reviewing federal spending across all agencies, including research grants. URI officials expressed relief that the oceanography grant survived the review process.

"We were concerned about the impact of federal budget cuts on our research programs," said Dr. Kathleen Donohue, director of the Graduate School of Oceanography. "This grant is a sign that the administration recognizes the value of ocean research."

The research funded by the grant will have practical applications for Rhode Island's fishing industry, coastal communities, and emergency management agencies. Ocean temperature data collected by URI researchers is used by fishermen to locate fish populations and by coastal planners to assess flood risks.

The grant will fund approximately 20 research positions at URI, including graduate student fellowships and postdoctoral research positions.