US DOE launches marine energy graduate student research program

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) have opened applications for the 2024 Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program.

Illustration (Courtesy of Curtis Rusch; US Department of Energy)

The program supports graduate students working on marine energy-focused research theses or dissertations by providing access to expertise, resources, and capabilities available at DOE offices, national laboratories, government and industry partners, and other approved facilities.

It is open to full-time master’s and doctoral students enrolled at an accredited US college or university.

During the six-to-12-month fellowship, students will have access to leading scientists and researchers, along with state-of-the-art equipment. They will also gain insight into career and research opportunities and apply their academic interests to real-world challenges. 

Fellows are eligible to receive a monthly stipend, funding to cover health insurance costs, some tuition reimbursement, travel reimbursement for educational and research purposes, and a relocation allowance, if applicable. 

As part of the application process, students must identify a host institution. While students may identify their own hosts, a list of institutions that expressed interest in hosting a fellow is available on the WPTO website.

However, students are not limited to this list of institutions. Fellows can work with their host institutions remotely or on location and may conduct visits to the host facility or other sites for field research, based on their individual research plans.

According to DOE, applications are due December 1, 2023, with more details on the application components, proposed research plan, and stipend and other benefits available on the program website

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