The future of marine energy is dependent on the availability of a skilled workforce, which the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) supports through a variety of opportunities including collegiate competitions, graduate student research programs, and fellowship opportunities for early-career professionals. For more information on educational resources for water power, visit WPTO’s educational resources webpage.
The ongoing programs and resources that WPTO funds to support marine energy workforce development include:
- Marine Energy Collegiate Competition: Teams of undergraduate and graduate students create unique solutions for the growing marine energy industry. This competition is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Applications open each spring for activities that start in the fall.
- Marine Energy Fellowship: This fellowship supports full-time graduate students with a marine energy-focused research thesis or dissertation and recent graduates focused on advancing their careers in marine energy. WPTO provides students with a stipend and benefits to work with a host institution, such as a national laboratory, industry technology developer, or other WPTO-approved facility. The fellowship program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Educations (ORISE) , and applications open in the fall for fellowships that being in the following summer or fall.
- Energy Innovator Fellowship: WPTO co-sponsors this of the U.S. Department of Energy program for recent graduates and energy professionals. Energy Innovator Fellows work to support critical energy organizations to create solutions that could modernize the power system, improve energy infrastructure for transportation and industry, and help make the U.S. power system more reliable and affordable. ORISE manages this program and applications typically open in the spring. .
- Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship: This one-year paid fellowship gives graduate students experience in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes policy. Fellows are matched with hosts in the legislative or executive branch. Applicants are usually required to submit packages to their state Sea Grant Programs in February for fellowships that start the following year. WPTO often hosts Knauss fellows.
- AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship: This fellowship program offers scientists and engineers hands-on experience working in the federal government. During their one-year assignment, fellow apply their knowledge and critical thinking skills in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch. The application window typically opens in the summer, and WPTO regularly hosts AAAS fellows.
- Marine Energy STEM Portal: To inspire the next generation of marine energy researchers and educators, DOE and NREL created the PRIMRE marine energy STEM portal. It showcases the latest research, helps students learn about the marine energy field and provide educators with tools to support their teaching plans.
Through the Marine Energy Program’s Workforce Development portfolio, WPTO offers opportunities for future marine energy professionals to gain the skills they need to enter the industry.