ORISE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY SOLAR AND ENERGY ASSISTANCE FELLOWSHIP
The Low-Income Community Solar and Energy Assistance Fellowship offers energy professionals the opportunity to work with state and regional organizations to support the development of the Community Solar Subscription Tool. This tool, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with three pilot regions (District of Columbia, Illinois, New Mexico), aims to make community solar subscriptions that include verified savings and consumer protections more accessible to households participating in government-run low-income support programs, beginning with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Fellows will assist community solar and LIHEAP program offices in piloting the tool, which may include:
- Supporting the management and verification of community solar projects included through the tool
- Supporting LIHEAP administrator education and capacity needs
- Creating and providing education and outreach to support low-income household enrollment in community solar
- Developing a program guidebook and other materials for implementation of the tool beyond the pilot regions.
Applications are due on March 10, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Find more details here and submit any questions to community.solar@ee.doe.gov.
The fellowship is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
Application Information
The fellowship is open to professionals in fields relevant to community engagement, communications and education, energy affordability, and clean energy. Fellowship candidates must demonstrate interest and experience in renewable energy, community engagement, data analysis and coding, and state policies and programs. The opportunity is open to candidates with bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees, as well as established professionals with relevant post-degree experience.
Fellows will serve one-year terms beginning in early May 2023 and have the option to renew for a second year. Fellows receive a competitive stipend with health benefits and an education and professional development allowance.
Fellows will be placed at one of the following host institutions:
- Illinois Power Agency (Chicago, IL)
- DC Department of Energy and Environment (Washington, DC)
- New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (Santa Fe, NM)
Fellowship candidates must indicate which host institution they want to be matched with in their applications. Candidates must be willing to relocate to participate in the fellowship.
ORISE Solarpunk Futures: Illustrating the Future of Solar Scholarship Competition
The Solarpunk Futures: Illustrating the Future of Solar undergraduate scholarship competition offers students the opportunity to illustrate the potential for solar technologies funded across the Solar Energy Technologies Office. Solarpunk is an environmental art movement that illustrates the possibilities of a sustainable future. Students will create solarpunk art pieces that communicate the potential of the technology the solar office is funding.
Submissions will include thorough research on the solar office’s funding and a supporting document explaining the concept behind the piece. Art pieces may include, but are not limited to:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Photography
- Videography
- Short Written Story
- Musical Composition
Applications are due on April 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Find more details here and submit any questions to STEMEd@orau.org.
The competition is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
Application Information
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must currently be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a college or university and must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a college or university in the next consecutive semester.
- This scholarship will not apply to your current semester, but to the next semester in which you are enrolled.
- If you are a senior and will be graduating as an undergraduate student at the end of your current semester, you are not eligible for this undergraduate scholarship.
Prizes:
1st place: $5,000 scholarship
2nd place: $3,000 scholarship
3rd place: $1,000 scholarship
How to Apply
Review submission standards and instructions. To enter the contest, complete this form and attach your artwork and supporting document files. Applications are due on April 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellowship
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship offers candidates an opportunity to learn about the federal government and its role in advancing renewable energy with the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in Washington, D.C. Participants will use their expertise to support solar energy research and development by guiding strategy, designing funding programs, and managing SETO-funded projects in the following areas:
- Photovoltaic technologies
- Concentrating solar-thermal power technologies
- Grid systems integration technologies
- Behavioral science, strategic analysis, and technical assistance
- Manufacturing and technology transfer
- Environmental justice and finance
- Communication and stakeholder engagement
Fellows are encouraged to use their skills to offer new perspectives and unconventional approaches to challenges within SETO. Direct background in solar energy is not required, but strong candidates will have skill sets that can directly transfer to the work done at SETO. Conducting technical research and creating federal policy are outside the scope of SETO and this fellowship.
SETO is interested in candidates with backgrounds including but not limited to physical and natural sciences, social science, engineering, policy, and entrepreneurship. Fellows are selected for their strong technical and/or analytical backgrounds according to their education level and work experience. Selected candidates will receive a competitive stipend. Applications are due each year on January 15 and July 15.
Application Information
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to physical, natural, and social scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and others with bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees, as well as established professionals with relevant post-degree experience. Participants must be a U.S. citizen or have Permanent Resident (Green Card) status.
Benefits
- One-year appointment, renewable for a second year
- Competitive stipend
- Mentorship from DOE officials
- Travel/professional development allowance
- Health insurance supplement
- Relocation reimbursement
Applications are due each year on January 15 and July 15. Click here to apply, download the informational flyer, and email DOE-RPP@orise.orau.gov with any questions.
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships are designed to establish and nurture critical links between federal decision-makers and scientific professionals to support the creation of beneficial public policy and create more policy-savvy scientists. As a hosting organization, SETO offers opportunities for fellows to work with key stakeholders to transform our energy future.
Application Information
Applicants must hold a doctoral level degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., DVM, EdD, etc.) in a qualified discipline or a M.S. in engineering with three years of professional engineering experience. Participants must be U.S. citizens (dual citizenship from the United States and another country is acceptable).
AAAS only accepts online application submissions. The online application system opens in early to mid-September every year with an application deadline of early December. Applicants who make it through the selection process and successfully interview with a hosting agency begin their fellowship in September. Click here to apply.
Postdoctoral Awards
Postdoctoral awards are geared to foster the next generation of scientific leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy. They provide Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. Postdoctoral researchers have access to unique education and training opportunities, top scientists in their field, and state-of-the-art projects and equipment. Postdoctoral awards are also administered by ORISE in collaboration with EERE.
Application Information
Postdoctoral researchers receive an annual stipend, allowances for health insurance and research-related expenses, and limited reimbursement for relocation expenses. Learn more about current research topics and the next round of this program.
Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship
The Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship funds recent graduates and energy professionals to work with critical energy organizations to advance clean energy solutions. The program recruits talent from diverse backgrounds to spend up to two years supporting the work of eligible host organizations, which include electric public utility commissions, municipal and cooperative utilities, and grid operators, such as regional transmission organizations or independent system operators.
Application Information
The Clean Energy Innovators Fellowship is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Applicants can access the Host Institution Application Portal and the Fellows Application Portal. After applications are submitted, there will be a merit review, interviews, and a matching process. Details can be found on the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship webpage. If you have any questions about the application process, please submit them to ceif@ee.doe.gov.
A variety of other internships, fellowships, and scholarships are available through EERE. Learn more.
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