Marine Energy Fellowship

Engage in Research to Advance Marine Energy and Hydropower

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) drives innovation in marine energy, next-generation hydropower, and pumped storage systems to support a reliable, flexible energy grid.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Marine Energy Fellowship Program, funded by WPTO, offers graduate students and postgraduates the opportunity to engage in marine energy research while embedded at selected host facilities for up to 12 months. Graduate students are eligible if they are enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program and conducting marine energy research as part of their thesis or dissertation, while postgraduates must have completed their degree within the past 24 months.

Host facilities for the program may include government research facilities or labs, industry sites (such as technology developers), or other locations approved by WPTO. Fellows and mentors are responsible for coordinating appointment start and end dates which typically last 12 months and may be conducted virtually or onsite. As part of the application process, fellows will collaborate with their mentor to develop a research plan that must be submitted at the time of application.

Applicants can explore the Host Facilities page for a list of potential hosting locations. While this list serves as a helpful starting point for identifying suitable facilities, applicants are not limited to the options provided. Fellows are encouraged to directly contact host facility representatives listed on the page if they are interested in collaborating with them.

What Will I be Doing?

Graduate students will engage with their mentor to conduct marine energy research as proposed in the research plan, while postgraduates will collaborate with their mentor to advance marine energy through experiential learning as outlined in the proposed research plan.

Graduate students will spend a minimum of six months, while postgraduates will spend a minimum of 12 months, at the host facility, virtually, or onsite during their one-year appointment.

Why Should I Apply?

As a fellow in the Marine Energy Fellowship Program, you will:

Enhance your education and training in water power technologies.
Advance your Master’s or Doctoral thesis in marine energy research (Graduate Student Track).
Strengthen your marketable skills in marine energy-related disciplines.
Collaborate with top scientists and access state-of-the-art equipment.
Gain deep insight into research and career opportunities through immersion at your host facility.
Work alongside experts developing and testing emerging technologies.
Learn about career paths in marine energy research and related fields.
Receive mentorship to support your next career step.

Announcing the 2025 Cohort of Marine Energy Fellows

Courtney Beringer

Proposed Research Topic
Exploring marine energy opportunities in Alaska through community-driven resource assessments, stakeholder engagement, grid integration studies, and field work.

Host Facility
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) - Fairbanks, Alaska

Jason Gonsalves

Proposed Research Topic
Advancing the current state of understanding on the socioeconomic effects of marine energy internationally and to improve upon current approaches for identifying effects.

Host Facility
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Aditi Kalle

Proposed Research Topic
Optimizing marine monitoring with a Virtual Twin simulation.This project integrates measured power
profiles of AI processing hardware (Nvidia Jetson Orin) with modeled renewable resources to create highly efficient, long-term operational plans, directly supporting sustainable marine energy.

Host Facility
MarineSitu, Inc.

Michelle Kryl

Proposed Research Topic
Development of a streamlined measurement-based method for tidal energy resource assessments using short-term velocity and tidal water level data to estimate energy potential for small-scale tidal applications.

Host Facility
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Julia Gionet-Gonzales

Proposed Research Topic
Development of a numerical model using open-source software to de-risk and guide the design of wave energy converter prototypes.

Host Facility
iPro Tech

Olanrewaju Muili

Proposed Research Topic
Development and experimental validation of deeply embedded anchors for floating offshore energy platforms, integrating finite-element soil–structure interaction, mooring dynamics and uncertainty-aware optimization to improve installation reliability, reduce cost, and enhance lifecycle performance.

Host Facility
Deep Anchor Solutions

Alexander Nordone

Proposed Research Topic
Analyzing changes in inorganic carbon chemistry due to Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement as a method for carbon sequestration utilized in Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

Host Facility
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Jeremy Simmons

Proposed Research Topic
Development and optimization of hydraulic power systems for marine energy converters, integrating dynamic system modeling with real-world deployment insights to accelerate technology commercialization pathways in the offshore renewable energy sector.

Host Facility
Blackfish Engineering

Vishnu Vijayasankar

Proposed Research Topic
Advancing sustainable wave energy solutions tailored to remote and tribal communities. This project integrates social, environmental, and technical perspectives to support equitable energy planning and deployment.

Host Facility
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)

Olivia Vitale

Proposed Research Topic
Analysis and development of ocean-deployed wave energy converters with emphasis on generator design, data analysis, and WEC-Sim modeling.

Host Facility
Triton Systems, Inc.