Information for Applicants

Fellowship candidates must demonstrate an interest in modernizing the power system, improving energy infrastructure for transportation and industry, and making the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient. Fellows serve one-year terms and have the option to renew for a second year. Fellows receive a competitive stipend with health benefits and professional development allowance. See FAQ for more details.

Eligible Candidates must be:

• Recent Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral graduates, as well as applicants with technical or research post-degree experience (5 years or less) in a field related to the advancement of energy.
• U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident at the time of application.
• At least 18 years old by the time the appointment begins.

• ORISE conducts initial reviews of all candidate applications for completeness and minimal requirements according to program criteria.
• ORISE may conduct a 15-minute interview with a candidate for clarification purposes.

A Complete Application Consists of:

1. Complete Zintellect profile and responses to opportunity specific application questions.
2. Up to 5 of your most preferred Host Institution projects. If required by the Host Institution, you must be willing to relocate to the Host Institution's area.
3. Transcripts/Academic Records - Recent unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted to complete the application, if a copy of the official transcript is not available at the time of application. Transcripts/Academic Records must include the name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework and grades. If you are selected, you will be required to provide a copy of your most recent official transcript showing proof of degree before the appointment can start.
4. Current Resume/CV (two-page limit), including academic history, employment history, and relevant experiences.
5. One Academic or Professional Recommendation: The recommendation should address a candidate's academic record and potential for success as a fellow, as indicated by communication, motivation, and collaboration skills, and must be submitted through Zintellect. Although only one recommendation is required, you are encouraged to enter more than one contact to request a recommendation since you need at least one recommendation in the system to count as part of the completed application. Applications without a recommendation will not be reviewed. The person providing your recommendation should be in a position to speak to your ability to contribute to the program. This should be a professional or an academic recommendation from a person in a supervisory role (e.g., manager, professor, teacher’s assistant).

NOTE: All documents must be submitted through Zintellect, and must be in English or include an official English translation. 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. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Supporting materials must be uploaded as PDF files to ensure the document can be searched by Zintellect’s search engine. Documents sent by email, postal mail, or fax will not be considered. Fellowship candidates are asked to provide the name and contact information for their recommendation person in their application; candidates may submit their application prior to receipt of the recommendation.

In the application, you will select up to 5 of your most preferred Host Institution projects. If required by the Host Institution, you must be willing to relocate to the Host Institution's area.

• Fellow candidate application opens: May 19^th
• Fellow candidate application closes: June 6^th at 12:00 PM ET
• Fellow candidate letters of recommendation due: June 13^th at 12:00 PM ET 
• Fellow appointment start date period: August 2025
• Onboarding webinars (attend one): August 2025

Merit Review Criteria

• Degree to which the candidate has the training and qualifications required to undertake the type of project in which they have indicated interest.
• Degree to which the candidate's application is clearly articulated, with appropriate levels of technical sophistication.
• Degree to which the candidate is highly motivated and takes initiative.

Program Policy Factors

• Applications may be selected to ensure diversity of the overall Fellows class (e.g., geographic diversity, educational diversity in terms of degree levels and fields of study, and a diversity of colleges and universities).
• Applications may be selected that best reflect and support local communities in their Host Institution's jurisdiction or service territory.