This fellowship program is designed to provide an independent research opportunity to recently graduated PhDs who want to pursue interests that align with the NOAA Climate Program Office. The program focuses on observing, understanding, modeling, and predicting the climate system on seasonal and longer time scales. Experienced scientists at U.S. universities and research institutions host the appointed fellows providing mentoring and a collaborative environment to carry out their research projects. Preference is given to new graduates who are seeking their first fellowship and who have held a PhD for no more than three years.