Click on Apply below to start your application.

“Is there a better way to create, use, store, or deliver energy?”

This is the question that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) asks all programs.

Apply now to join the ARPA-E team and shape the future of energy. 

ARPA-E recruits Summer Scholars who have a unique combination of technical and business skills to learn how to commercialize transformational technologies developed by ARPA-E’s programs. The ARPA-E’s Summer Scholars Program gives students the chance to learn how to prepare ARPA-E’s technologies for market adoption. Scholars will be mentored by the ARPA-E’s Technology-to-Market team, Program Directors, and Fellows.

ARPA-E seeks graduate students and recent graduates interested in:

• Researching market trends, cross-industry collaboration opportunities, and go-to-market strategies
• Assisting in developing techno-economic analysis
• Performing stakeholder analysis to identify technology adopters and laggards
• Mapping the ecosystem of key and relevant sectors within ARPA-E’s mission.
• Identifying, designing, and quantifying metrics to support program development and performers success.

Planned Projects:

• Analysis of bottlenecks to scaling advanced nuclear for commercial maritime applications
• Attributing and quantifying impacts from broader effects related to ARPA-E technologies
• Demand analysis for batteries having 1 kwh/kg and/or 1 kwh/l of energy density, to include unmanned systems and aviation markets
• Analysis of availability, feasibility and cost-benefit of nanofluids for increased heat transfer efficiency
• Assessment of ARPA-E funded technologies and processes to optimize synthetic fuel production in remote/austere locations
• Assessment of critical mineral supply chains for opportunity to optimize for cost, energy, and production capacity
• Opportunities to optimize energy utilization at data centers
• Financial analysis, market research, technoeconomic analysis, model development, internal frameworks and tools development for an emerging topic

ARPA-E is an independent research and development agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. ARPA-E cultivates transformative energy technologies that break through technical barriers to strengthen American energy dominance. ARPA-E programs provide top energy researchers with funding, technical assistance, and tech-to-market guidance to innovate how Americans access affordable, reliable, and secure power. For more information about ARPA-E visit https://arpa-e.energy.gov/.

Stipends 

The DOE Scholars Program provides stipends starting at $1,000 per week for graduate students and recent graduates. In addition, if eligible, ARPA-E will provide up to $400 per week to cover housing expenses.

Travel

Travel reimbursement of inbound and outbound costs up to $1,000 for participants who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from the assigned hosting site.

Length of Appointment

Appointments duration typically ranges from 8-12 weeks, but other appointments periods may be possible.

A complete application consists of:

• Profile Information
• Essay Question regarding goals, experiences, and skills relevant to the DOE ARPA-E Scholars Program
• Resume (PDF)
• Transcripts/Academic Records - Unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted. Transcripts/Academic Records must include name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework, grades and degree through summer 2025. 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.
• Academic/Professional Recommendation - recommendation should address your academic record and potential for success in an appointment, such as demonstrated intellectual merit, communication and teamwork skills. Recommendation must be submitted via Zintellect by Friday, February 20, 2026, 8:00 am EST.

All documents must be submitted via Zintellect. All application components must be received in the system in order to be considered.

Nature of Appointment

The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DOE, or any other office or agency.  Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE appointment letter and Terms of Appointment. Applications will be reviewed by ARPA-E, and if selected, candidates will receive an offer of appointment from ORISE.

Additional Information

For more information on the DOE Scholars Program, visit https://orise.orau.gov/doescholars or contact us at doescholars@orise.orau.gov.

The DOE Scholars Program offers multiple opportunities during the year to accommodate the needs and schedule of individual sponsoring offices. Opportunities may have different eligibility requirements, benefits and deadlines. To be considered you must apply to each opportunity individually.

Connect with ORISE...on the GO! Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!

This opportunity is open to students and recent graduates who meet the following qualifications at the time of application:

• Be a U.S. Citizen.
• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Meet one of the following conditions:
  • Have completed a graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., electrical engineering, physics, material science, economics, computer science) within the past 12-months.
  • Be enrolled in a graduate program, preferably M.S. or MBA, or PhD. in a relevant field (e.g., electrical engineering, physics, material science, economics, computer science).

The ideal candidate will have relevant knowledge, experience, and skills to include:

• Experience with techno-economic and/or lifecycle analysis
• Knowledge of energy market concepts and operations
• Experience in data mining, statistics and visualization (preferred)
• Strong written and oral communication abilities
• Strong analytical skills

Applicants should be prepared for deep immersion into the project and must be comfortable completing tasks independently. 

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 12 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Business (11 )
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (17 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (29 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (11 )
  • Physics (16 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age