DOE Scholars Program

Below are the general eligibility requirements for the DOE Scholars Program. Keep in mind that sponsor-specific opportunities may have their own unique criteria. To be considered for an opportunity, you’ll need to meet the specific eligibility requirements listed for that opportunity in Zintellect. You can find open opportunities here.

• Be a U.S. Citizen and at least 18 years old.
• Meet one of the following conditions:
  • Be enrolled or have completed an undergraduate (B.A., B.S. or equivalent) or graduate (M.S., DVM, Ph.D., or equivalent) degree within five years of the intended start date in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) discipline or a field that supports the DOE operations mission including but not limited to communications, management, business and law.
  • Be a U.S. military Veteran who has been honorably discharged and/or who has been medically discharged because of a service-connected disability  and who received a college degree in an appropriate discipline within ten years of the desired start date.
  • Have completed a qualifying certificate program within one year of the desired start date are also eligible for a postgraduate appointment. The qualifying certificate program must be offered by an accredited academic institution; must be in an appropriate science, technology, engineering, or math discipline; and should be related to or complement a prior degree earned (bachelor’s degree or higher).

Your application will include:

• Profile Information
• Educational and Employment History
• Essay Question (goals, experiences, and skills relevant to the opportunity)
• 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. Documents must include name of the academic institution, name of the student, courses completed and/or in progress and grades. First-year graduate students must submit their undergraduate transcript, including the last two years of courses, degree earned, and date degree was awarded.
• Recommendation - your recommendation should address your academic record and potential for success in an appointment, such as demonstrated intellectual merit, communication and teamwork skills.

Submitted 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.

All application components must be submitted and received via  Zintellect by the deadline to be considered.

Your application will be reviewed by the staff of the sponsoring/hosting facilities. They are looking for a match between their available projects and your educational background, experience, interests, skills and career goals.

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 participant resource with professional development modules
• 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.
• Opportunities to build a connections with your peers and other professionals.

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)

Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

Loans Program Office

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

Hanford Operations Office, Richland, WA

Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC

Other Agencies

National Nuclear Security Administration

Most DOE Scholars appointments are short-term, typically lasting 10-12 weeks during the summer. However, longer-term appointments may also be available.

These appointments can be extended in one-year increments, with a maximum duration of up to five years.

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.