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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) Science, Technology, and Policy Program (STP) Fellowship offers an opportunity for highly talented scientists, engineers, and technical professionals to participate in activities related to the mission of CMEI offices in Washington, D.C. and Golden, CO. Fellows will gain insight into the federal government's role in supporting the research and development of energy technologies and apply their scientific and technical knowledge to research and inform energy challenges. The DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) is seeking ORISE fellows to participate in activities related to energy programs.

SCEP empowers states, local governments, Tribal Nations, nonprofit organizations, public schools, community partners and more to build local capacity to deliver the tangible benefits of diverse and abundant energy options to their communities. SCEP’s investments include formula grants, competitive grants, vouchers, awards, prizes, and technical assistance to help communities achieve their energy goals.

Applicants selected to participate with the SCEP team will engage in activities related to the office's mission. This fellowship is offered as an initial, one-year appointment, with an opportunity to extend the appointment for a second year contingent on an annual review. There is potential to extend the appointment for additional years at the discretion of the sponsoring office and program funding.

About Office of State and Community Energy Programs

The Office of State and Community Energy Programs works with state and local organizations to accelerate the deployment of advanced domestic energy solutions, catalyze local economic development, create jobs, reduce energy costs, and strengthen domestic energy security and supply chains involving a wide range of government, community, business and other stakeholders.

The following SCEP programs are seeking ORISE fellows:

• State Energy Program (SEP): SEP is an annually funded program that provides grants and technical assistance directly to all 50 states, five United States Territories, and the District of Columbia. Grantees can utilize SEP funding to advance and strengthen energy infrastructure, increase economic growth and competitiveness, bolster energy security-related initiatives, strengthen reliability of the energy grid, support the energy workforce, and increase affordability for families and businesses through a wide range of activities.
• Renew America’s Schools Program: This program aims to promote the implementation of energy improvements at K-12 public schools across the country by providing grants for enhancements to energy infrastructure that will decrease energy use, support improved learning environments, improve indoor air quality, and strengthen classroom environments with reliable energy solutions. To date, through competitive grants, SCEP is providing direct benefits to over 400 schools across 36 states.
• Community Energy Programs: This program supports competitive and formula awards for local governments, tribes, territories, and community organizations to advance projects that make energy more affordable, reliable, and secure for American communities. Awards involve different types of support to recipients, including technical assistance, financial assistance, and capacity support. For example, the Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project delivers technical assistance and strategic energy planning support to island, coastal, and remote American communities, with 95 projects supported since its inception in 2020: The program also supports Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants to over 2,000 local and tribal governments across the country.
• Home Energy Rebates Program:  Authorized by Sections 50121 and 50122 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this landmark formula grant program provides an unprecedented $8.8 billion investment to help American households lower their energy usage and save money on select home-improvement projects. Working on this program allows candidates to collaborate with state energy offices, Indian Tribes and industry partners to roll out the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate Program and the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHR) Program. This program enables fellows to directly empower families—especially those with low-to-moderate-incomes—to lower their utility bills and live in healthier, more comfortable, and resilient homes.

Fellowship Activities

With guidance from your mentor, your learning opportunities may include:

• Assist in the design of new grant programs for energy optimization and residential workforce development created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act.
• Participate in such programs, including reviewing and assessing applications, reports, and public comments, monitoring grantee progress, and interacting with grantees as challenges arise.
• Assist in the development of stakeholder outreach and communication materials.
• Researching the policies and best practices around energy optimization and residential workforce development from nonprofits, industry, and state and tribal governments that can be shared with and adopted by grantees by SCEP’s stakeholders.
• Research and response to external inquiries.
• Research and engage with state and local governments regarding energy priorities that advance energy affordability, reliability, and security.
• Assist in the coordination of other DOE offices and engage with stakeholders, including state, tribal, and local governments, public and private interest groups, and the DOE National Laboratories, to gain knowledge of industry developments, technology trends, and technology program deployment goals to increase the use of energy technologies and practices.

Fellowship Provisions

SCEP offers a stipend for participation in this program. Exact stipends will vary based on academic and professional background. SCEP anticipates candidates will start their fellowship at the following stipend rates:

• Bachelor's degree-holders at $70,000;
• Master's degree-holders at $85,000;
• Ph.D. degree-holders at $102,000

Stipends are determined on an individual basis. The program office will evaluate academic background and/or professional experience to determine stipends for each selected candidate. 

This fellowship offers a range of additional provisions that fellows may be eligible for, including reimbursement for medical, dental, and vision insurance, a local transportation stipend, and personal days. A one-time allowance of $5,000 may be issued to offset expenses at the beginning of a candidate’s appointment if the address shown on the application is more than 50 miles away from Washington, D.C. or Golden, Colorado. Participants will receive a travel and research allowance of $10,000 per appointment year to cover expenses for scientific and professional development activities.

Fellows may be offered a second-year extension with an increase in stipend and cost-of-living adjustment. Past fellows have gone on to take a wide range of permanent positions in industry, academia, and government.

Appointment Location

This office is based in Washington, D.C. or Golden, CO. Fellows will be required to adhere to a hybrid in-office schedule at one of the two locations. Fully remote appointments may be considered for candidates on a case-by-case basis.

Nature of Appointment

The STP Fellowship is administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, DOE, or any other office or agency. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE letter of appointment and terms of appointment. The initial appointment period will be for one year, with the possibility to extend the appointment for additional years at the discretion of the mentor and sponsoring office.

Expected Review of Applications:

Applications will be accepted until all fellowship opportunities have been filled.

Applicants must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident.
• Be 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Fall into one of the following categories.
  • Be enrolled as a student currently pursuing their Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree.
  • Have completed their Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree within the last 5 years.  If it has been more than 5 years since the receipt of the degree, to be considered the applicant must have an academic background and experience in a relevant field and must be seeking to gain new knowledge/experience to expand career opportunities or to advance professionally.

Preferred Skills

The ideal applicants would have strong analytical, research and communication (oral and written) skills and demonstrated capacity for critical thinking and learning both independently and collaboratively. Fellows should have an interest in being part of a multi-disciplinary, fast-paced team environment.

How to Apply

A complete application consists of:

• A Zintellect profile and responses to opportunity-specific questions
  • Note: Applicants must submit a personal statement detailing their interests and qualifications. The statement should be original; use AI tools only for grammar or basic feedback.
• Academic Records/Transcript(s) - For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. Selected candidates may be required to provide proof of completion of the degree before the appointment can start.
• A current resume/curriculum vitae (CV)
• One Recommendation - Applicants are required to provide contact information for one recommender to submit the application. You are encouraged to request a recommendation from professionals who can speak to your abilities and potential for success, as well as your scientific capabilities and personal characteristics. Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation in Zintellect. Recommendation requests must be sent through the Zintellect application system. Letters of recommendation submitted via email will not be accepted.

All documents must be submitted via Zintellect in order to be considered and must be in English or include an official English translation. Submitted documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.

The resume/CV must include the following:

• Basic applicant Information: Name, address, phone, email, and other contact information.
• Work and Research Experience: List all relevant work and research experiences beginning with current or most recent. Include the name of the employer, location, position held, and time period involved.
• Leadership Experience: List experiences (e.g., work, civic, volunteer, research) that demonstrate your leadership skills. Detail your role, type of experience, organization, location, and duration.
• Educational History: List all institutions from which you received or expect to receive a degree, beginning with current or most recent institution. Include the name of the academic institution, degree awarded or expected, date of awarded or expected degree, and academic discipline.
• Honors & Awards: List in chronological order (most recent first) any awards or public recognitions. Include the name of awarding institution, title of the award or honor, and date of award or honor.

If you have questions, please send an email to DOE-STP@orise.orau.gov and list the reference code [DOE-STP-CMEI-SCEP-2026] in the subject line of your email.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Any degree .
• Discipline(s):
  • Business (11 )
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Communications and Graphics Design (4 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (29 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (51 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Other Non-Science & Engineering (13 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (2 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (30 )
• Age: Must be 18 years old by 8/31/2026