Skip to main content
Education & Training

Build your career in aquatic science

KMFRI is Kenya's primary training ground for the next generation of fisheries and marine scientists — postgraduate research, field attachments, and public science education, all grounded in 45 years of institutional research.

PhD & Postgraduate Programs Attachments & Internships
Learning at KMFRI — 2025
PhD Positions6 open
Research Attachments40+ per year
Partner Universities15+
Postgraduate Research

Fully-funded research, real supervision

PhD Programs
Research-based PhD positions in marine ecology, aquaculture genetics, freshwater systems, and fisheries socioeconomics, supervised jointly with partner universities.
Masters Programs
MSc research placements across all four directorates, typically 18–24 months, with full access to KMFRI's field stations and laboratories.
Scholarships & Funding
Stipend support through KMFRI research grants and partner programmes including WIOMSA, CGIAR, and IOC-UNESCO fellowships.

KMFRI supervises postgraduate research across all four of its directorates — Marine & Coastal, Freshwater, Aquaculture, and Socioeconomic Research. Students work alongside active research programmes, with access to a 45-year continuous monitoring record that doesn't exist anywhere else in the region.

Supervision is available at any of KMFRI's field stations, from Mombasa's coral reefs to Lake Victoria's fisheries and the aquaculture research centre at Sangoro. Most postgraduate students are co-supervised with a partner university and a KMFRI scientist.

For programme-specific questions, contact the relevant directorate directly — see Contact by Directorate. To apply, send a research proposal and CV to info@kmfri.go.ke.

For Students

Attachments & internships

Undergraduate and diploma students can gain hands-on research experience at any KMFRI field station, working alongside active scientists on real projects.

Research Attachment
6–12 week placements for university students, required as part of most Kenyan degree programmes. Available at all field stations.
Internship Programme
Longer-term placements (6–12 months) for recent graduates, offering deeper involvement in an ongoing research programme.
School & Vocational Visits
Short structured visits for secondary school and vocational groups, introducing students to marine and freshwater science careers.

How to apply

1
Choose a station
Review KMFRI's field stations and identify one matching your area of study — see Research Stations for details on each.
2
Submit your application
Send a letter of introduction from your institution, your CV, and your preferred placement dates.
3
Confirmation & supervisor assignment
KMFRI confirms placement and assigns a station-based supervisor ahead of your start date.
Beyond the Classroom

Training & public education

KMFRI's education mission extends beyond postgraduate research — to professional training, school outreach, and public science communication.

Professional Training Workshops
Technical courses in stock assessment, data management, and field methods, run for regional scientists and government officers.
View Training Calendar
School & Public Outreach
Guided station visits, coastal and lakeside clean-up days, and science talks for schools and community groups.
Open Educational Resources
Species guides, ecosystem explainers, and data literacy materials, drawn from the Data Portal and Publications library.
Alumni & Students

Student voices

"My attachment at Kisumu Station turned into an MSc, then a job offer. The supervisors treat you like a colleague, not a trainee."

MSc Graduate — Freshwater Fisheries
Attachment 2021 · now a KMFRI Research Assistant

"Access to 45 years of oceanographic records for my PhD was extraordinary. No university lab could offer that depth of data."

PhD Candidate — Physical Oceanography
Co-supervised with a partner university

"The school visit to Shimoni was the reason I chose to study marine biology. Seeing real scientists at work made it feel possible."

Undergraduate Student — Marine Biology
School outreach participant, 2019

Get notified of new opportunities

Subscribe and we'll notify you when new PhD positions, attachments, and training courses open.