Since 2015, Michigan Sea Grant Extension, The Graduate School, and University Outreach and Engagement have partnered to offer fellowships to graduate students interested in community-engaged scholarship, including research and extension, in the Great Lakes Region. Under the leadership of Michigan Sea Grant Extension, the fellows program provides opportunities for graduate students to learn more about global freshwater fisheries; fisheries and food security; water quality, supply and human health; Great Lakes commerce and transportation; and telecoupled systems. The Sea Grant Extension Fellows program helps graduate students develop skills to assist decision-makers and other stakeholders to clarify actions or policy options, serving as honest brokers of policy alternatives on issues important to the sustainability of the Great Lakes region. Over multiple years, fellows participate in Michigan Sea Grant Extension meetings and events; receive mentoring and peer support; participate in the MSU Graduate Certification in Community Engagement; and explore outreach, engagement, and Extension as career pathways.

The Sea Grant Extension Fellows model was presented as a poster session at the 2017 Engagement Scholarship Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, and as a workshop in 2018 at the national Sea Grant Extension conference in Portland, Oregon.