Sec. 5. Fellowships
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The Secretary shall award fellowships under the Coastal Management Fellowship and the Digital Coast Fellowship in accordance with this section. The Secretary shall award fellowships under this section to individuals selected from among individuals who— have successfully completed a covered degree or will complete a covered degree before the start of the fellowship; and have demonstrated— an interest in pursuing a career in coastal or marine— science; policy; management; or law; outstanding potential for such a career; leadership potential or experience; a commitment to or significant interest in public service; proficient skills in writing and oral communication; and such other attributes as the Secretary determines appropriate.
In this subsection, the term covered degree means a graduate degree from an accredited United States institution, the curriculum for which covers topics relevant to coastal management, as determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall award fellowships under this section in a manner that is geographically balanced. A fellowship awarded under this section shall be for a term of not more than 2 years. Each fellow shall receive an annual stipend of not less than $47,000, which the Secretary shall regularly review and periodically adjust, as determined appropriate by the Secretary— to be commensurate with other similar fellowships; and to account for changes in cost of living and inflation.
The Secretary shall include a pay adjustment as part of the stipends described in paragraph
(1)that is comparable to the locality pay adjustment for the locality pay area in which the host office of the fellow is located, as determined under section 531.603 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). Except as provided in subsection (h)(3), fellows shall not be considered to be Federal employees. During fiscal year 2023 and any fiscal year thereafter, the head of any Federal agency may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a candidate who meets the qualifications described in paragraph
(2)directly to a position with the Federal agency for which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Management qualification standards. Paragraph
(1)applies with respect to a former fellow who has successfully fulfilled the requirements of the fellowship. The direct hire authority under paragraph
(1)shall be exercised with respect to a specific qualified candidate not later than 2 years after the date on which the candidate completed a fellowship awarded under this section. Amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 6 shall be used for— the award of fellowships under this section, including stipends paid to fellows and other relevant benefits offered to fellows, including health insurance, as identified by the Secretary; administrative costs associated with the Coastal Management Fellowship and the Digital Coast Fellowship; relocation and travel expenses paid to fellows, who shall be considered to be Federal employees for purposes of section 3375 of title 5, United States Code; professional development opportunities for fellows, including costs associated with trainings, certifications, classes, or other opportunities to advance— the professional skills of each fellow; or the ability of each fellow to support the needs of the host office; and such other costs of the Coastal Management Fellowship and the Digital Coast Fellowship as the Secretary may identify.