DOE Scholars Program

Financial Support

• Stipend: You will receive a stipend for your living expenses during this educational experience. Payments rates are determined by DOE, and are based on your educational level, skills, and experience. The minimum stipend for undergraduates is $700/week and $750/week graduate students and recent graduates.
• Inbound/Outbound Travel Reimbursement: Transportation expenses for up to $1,000 for participants who relocate more than fifty miles, one-way, from the assigned hosting site.
• Other allowances: Depending on your project assignment, duration of appointment and funding availability, you may be eligible to receive allowances for travel and training, health insurance and relocation.

Professional Development

• ORISE Learn: an ORISE proprietary participant resource with professional development modules including:
  • Effective Science Presentations
  • Making a Great Poster
  • Professional Branding: Resume Workshop
  • Volunteerism in Science
  • Ignite Talks
  • Scientific Code of Conduct

Additional information about ORISE Learn can be found here.

• Access to other developmental activities and events offered by DOE and ORISE to help you build your professional network.
• Opportunities to demonstrate your skills in various educational and sometimes competitive activities.

Participant Support

You will have access to resources including:

• Health insurance plans: you will be eligible to purchase health insurance offered through ORISE.
• Participant Assistance Program: This program provides counseling sessions and other work-life assistance to help you achieve a better balance between your personal studies, participation in the extra-curricular activities, life, and family needs.
• Assistance with travel arrangements.
• Zintellect – with a single sign in you will be able to manage all application and participant related activities, receive program information, and have access to orientation and professional development modules.

ORISE Go mobile app – ORISE Go will help you stay connected with allows program information for applicants and participants to be pushed directly to ORISE Go subscribers.

Available appointments vary with DOE office/facility needs. The offices/facilities listed below have sponsored Scholars in the past and may consider sponsoring additional Scholars. There is no guarantee that a specific location will have Scholars each year.

Program Offices, Washington, D.C.

Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)

Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response

Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Office of Environmental Management

Office of Fossil Energy

Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

Office of Nuclear Energy

Office of Science

Field Sites

Carlsbad Field Office, Carlsbad, NM

Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID

Richland Operations Office, Richland, WA

Savannah River Operations Office, Aiken, SC

Other Agencies

National Nuclear Security Administration

Appointment dates may vary depending on the participant and host office schedules.

Most DOE Scholars appointments are short-term, summer internships of ten weeks or less. Longer term appointments may also be offered.  

Appointments may be extended in one-year increments for up to five years.

Time commitment: Unless explicitly specified and approved by DOE, an appointment involves a full-time commitment at the host facility with the Scholar in residence at the facility during the entire period of the appointment. Part-time and virtual placements may be offered.

Health insurance: Scholars are required to have health insurance coverage during the appointment period and to provide proof of this coverage prior to the start of the appointment.

Feedback Survey: Scholars are required to complete an online feedback survey pre- and post-appointment to help assess the effectiveness of the program.

Policies/regulations of the Hosting Site: Scholars must adhere to the existing policies, regulations and procedures of the hosting facility and obtain facility access as required.

As a participant in the DOE Scholars Program, you will not be considered an employee of ORAU, ORISE, the DOE, the host facility, or any other office or agency. Instead, Scholars will have an appointment at a designated facility and will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE letter of appointment and ORISE Terms of Appointment.

The ORISE GO mobile app helps you stay engaged, connected and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond. Visit the ORISE GO page for more info on how to download the app to your mobile device.