SPP Sponsor Information

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education manages competitive internship and fellowship programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. ORISE is the only DOE asset with a core mission of preparing the future federal workforce in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through workforce development programs. ORISE strengthens our nation's STEM workforce by administering internships and fellowship programs; recruiting talented scientists and engineers to perform research with federal and other sponsoring agencies; and assessing current science and technology labor trends

By sponsoring a program through DOE’s Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP), the agency benefits by helping to prepare a diverse, highly talented, educated, and skilled pool of scientists and engineers to address science, technology, and policy issues and to enhance the future scientific and technical workforce to be both knowledgeable and trained in fields of specific interest to sponsoring agencies. 

ORISE STEM workforce development capabilities

ORISE manages STEM workforce development programs for DOE and other government agencies by specifically:

  • Providing strategy, design, and administration of internships, fellowships, and other research-based STEM programs.
  • Developing recruitment strategies to attract highly qualified participants to research at national laboratories and research facilities.
  • Offering assessment and evaluation services that support DOE and other government agencies by verifying and improving program outcomes. From survey development and administration to data analysis and reporting, ORISE designs a variety of instruments that enable program sponsors to make decisions, implement best practices, and educate stakeholders about the program's value.
  • Conducting workforce studies that connect STEM workforce trends to the economic impact of research participation programs, tracks new developments or changes in higher education policy, and analyzes critical shifts in the STEM workforce.

Educating the future workforce

ORISE workforce development programs provide opportunities for postgraduates (master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degree recipients); students; university faculty; and established scientists to conduct research, participate in the sponsor’s initiatives, or receive financial support for sponsor-based academic activities. As a result, participants will:

  • Promote interaction of ideas, skills, approaches, and technologies, where the primary beneficiary is the participant but also contributes to the sponsor’s mission;
  • Gain hands-on experience with real world problems;
  • Enhance their preparedness for scientific, technical, and professional careers; and
  • Become part of a skilled workforce for the future that will benefit both the sponsor and the overall global competitiveness of the nation.

The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with the sponsoring agency, DOE, ORISE, or any other organization.