The Energy Innovator Fellowship (EIF) program funds recent graduates and energy professionals to help critical energy organizations execute projects that improve energy infrastructure and make the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient.
Funded in part by the Office of Indian Energy, a goal of the program is to grow Tribal energy capacity and career opportunities across the country. Learn more about the Fellowship from Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education website.
Fellow applications for the 2025 program are now closed.
Recent graduates of bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree programs, as well as midcareer professionals, can apply. Fellows serve one- or two-year terms and receive a competitive stipend and professional development allowance.
2025 Class of Tribal Energy Innovator Fellows
| Program Year | Host Institution | State | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium | Alaska | Optimizing Water and Power Infrastructure in Rural Alaska |
| 2025 | Navajo Nation Government - Minerals Department | Arizona | Integration of Energy Resource Development on Navajo Land |
| 2025 | Guidiville Rancheria of California | California | Guidiville Land Trust Microgrid Implementation Project |
| 2025 | Coeur d'Alene Tribe | Idaho | Tribal Utility Feasibility Study |
| 2025 | Blackfeet Community College | Montana | Tribal Community Electric Transmission Project |
| 2025 | Blackfeet Community College | Montana | Tribal Energy Use, Efficiency, and Grid Resiliency |
| 2025 | Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe | Nevada | Networked Community Microgrid Feasibility Study |
| 2025 | Cherokee Nation's Office of the Secretary of Natural Resources | Oklahoma | Implementing Tribal-led Energy and Grid Resiliency Projects Within the Cherokee Nation |
| 2025 | Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians | Oregon | Tribal Energy Capacity-Building and Technical Assistance |
| 2025 | Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians | Oregon | Tribal Energy Curriculum Development |
| 2025 | College of Menominee Nation | Wisconsin | Energy Strategies for a Resilient Future |
| 2024 | Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium | Alaska | Supporting Tribes in Alaska to Develop Renewable Energy and Operate as Independent Power Producers |
| 2024 | Knik Tribe | Alaska | Affordable Energy and Grid Resilience for Knik Tribe |
| 2024 | Navajo Nation Government—Minerals Department | Arizona | Quantifying Clean Energy Impacts on the Navajo Nation |
| 2024 | Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California | California | Advance Development and Operational Synergies of the Tule River Tribal Nation's Clean Tech Manufacturing Facilities |
| 2024 | Coeur d'Alene Tribe | Idaho | Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Energy Strategy |
| 2024 | Nez Perce Tribe | Idaho | Strengthen Grid Reliability to Improve Sustainable Energy Solutions for the Nez Perce Tribe |
| 2024 | Cherokee Nation's Office of the Secretary of Natural Resources | Oklahoma | Developing and Implementing a Clean Energy Strategic Plan for the Cherokee Nation |
| 2024 | Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission | Oregon | Advancing Salmon-Friendly and Tribally-Just Grid Modernization Outcomes |
| 2024 | RESCo— Rosebud Sioux Tribe utility | South Dakota | Standing up the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Utility |
| 2024 | The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation | Washington | Developing an Energy Program for the Colville Tribes |