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 2024 Cohort of Marine Energy Fellows

Ashley Mullen / Texas A&M University

Proposed Research Topic
Experimentation of wave energy devices in a wave flume and the utilization of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and potential flow theory with WEC-Sim to model the OWC.

Host Facility
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Isabel Hess / University of Florida

Proposed Research Topic
Investigating HASEL Transducers for Underwater Energy Generation

Host Facility
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Spencer Siemer / Texas A&M University

Proposed Research Topic
Development of Cost-Effective Anchor for Floating Marine Energy Systems

Host Facility
Deep Anchor Solutions

Griffin Bourjeaurd / University of Hawaii at Manoa

Proposed Research Topic
Integrating wave energy conversion and electrochemistry is a technically and economically feasible solution to sustainably harvest the ocean’s resources.

Host Facility
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Julia Gionet-Gonzales / Texas A&M University

Proposed Research Topic
Advancing wave energy research and exploring alternative, clean approaches to contribute energy to the grid.

Host Facility
Kelson Marine