Office of Electricity - Grid Controls and Communications Division
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Rolling Applications
Mentors are actively seeking applicants for this opportunity and will review submitted applications for selection on a rolling basis throughout the year.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Science, Technology, and Policy Program is designed to provide opportunities for students, postgraduates, established scientists, and faculty to participate in programs, projects, and activities at the Department. Fellows will receive hands-on experience that provides an understanding of the mission, operations, and culture of DOE. As a result, fellows will gain deep insight into the federal government's role in the creation and implementation of energy technology policies; apply their scientific, policy, and technical knowledge to the development of solutions to issues of importance to the DOE and continue their education and involvement in areas that support the DOE mission either in a technical or policy-related appointment.
About the Office of Electricity (OE)
The mission of the Office of Electricity is to lead the Department of Energy's research, development, and demonstration programs to strengthen and modernize our nation's power grid so that our nation maintains a reliable, resilient, and secure electricity delivery infrastructure. OE's vision includes working closely with industry and other stakeholders, we drive technological and operational advancements that ensure that every American home and business has reliable access to affordable energy, and that the U.S. sustains its global leadership in clean energy transformation.
About the OE Grid Controls and Communications Division
The Grid Controls and Communications (GCC) Division manages research, development, and demonstration programs aimed at modernizing the Nation’s electricity delivery system including secure communications, controls and protection systems. The Division is responsible for engineering end-to-end systems for communications, grid modeling, measurement and controls, and operations and planning.
OE is seeking ORISE DOE-STP Fellows to participate in its missions in pioneering advanced technologies to transform the nation’s electric grid. OE develops cutting-edge technologies to make the nation’s electricity system more reliable, resilient, secure and affordable.
For more information about the Office of Electricity, please visit Join Our Team | Department of Energy
What Will I be Doing?
Fellows with the OE Grid Controls and Communications Team can expect to:
- Learning to review projects for technical merit and insuring outcomes meet expectations, goals and impact.
- Participating in the technical development for workshops related to grid modernization including infrastructure interdependencies.
- Collaborating on written products, including reports, blog posts, technical bulletins or and peer reviewed papers.
- Providing research support for R&D roadmap development and quick-turn information requests.
- Participating in program support activities such as data collection, tracking, and technical engagements.
- Engaging with other DOE Program Offices, federal agencies, and external stakeholders
The OE Grid Controls and Communications Division has several projects available for Fellows to gain hands-on experience and developmental opportunities under the guidance of an OE mentor. Projects may include:
Grid Cybersecurity and Communications Team
The fellow will participate within the grid cyber resilience and secure grid communications portfolios, focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI), grid cybersecurity, and/or grid communications systems. Projects may include:
- Learning project management skills as they relate to grid cybersecurity and communications security technology R&D programs.
- Learning the best practices of coordinating artificial intelligence activities, including tracking the DOE Artificial Intelligence Working Group and collecting information on OE AI efforts.
Grid Modeling Team
The fellow will participate within either the North American Energy Resilience Model (NAERM) or the Advanced Grid Modeling (AGM) portfolios. Projects may include:
- Learning how to coordinate the development of the North American Energy Resilience Model (NAERM), including advising on software development best practices.
- Participating in a variety of advanced grid modeling and analytics projects.
States Programs
The fellow will participate in the State and Regional Outreach Program and will participate in the interactions and contracts with OE regional partnerships. Projects may include:
- Learning to coordinate the partnerships with the National Associations for energy stakeholder groups.
- Learning to coordinate the regional partnerships with the National Laboratories.
Grid Controls Team
The fellow will participate in the Grids Controls Team. Projects may include:
- The Fellow will participate within the Transmission Reliability program, focusing on measurement, standards, and utility digitization technical support.
- The Fellow will participate on the Dynamic Controls program integration to the grid edge and distributed energy resources into systems and operations.
Fellow Provisions
Selected candidates will receive a stipend. Amounts are determined by DOE officials, based on the candidate’s academic and professional background, starting at approximately:
- Bachelor’s degree: $70,000
- Master’s degree: $80,000
- PhD: $100,000
Fellows are eligible for health insurance benefits through the ORISE network provider. OE will provide a health insurance benefits allowance towards the Fellow’s benefits cost, up to the cost of the ORISE network provider premium cost.
Fellows will also receive travel and training allowances to support professional development activities.
Appointment Location
Washington, DC. The option to participate remotely may be available in some cases.
Duration of Appointment
Fellowships are initially for one year in length and may be renewed yearly. Extensions are determined by OE based on the project needs, availability of funds and fellow interest and availability.
Nature of Appointment
The participant will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DOE, or any other office or agency. Instead, the participant will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE letter of appointment and Terms of Appointment.
Applicants must have completed their Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in a relevant discipline within the last 5 years. If it has been more than 5 years since the receipt of the degree, to be considered the applicant must have an academic background and experience in a relevant discipline and must be seeking to gain new knowledge/experience to expand career opportunities or to advance professionally.
Ideal Fellows will have:
- Strong written and oral communication skills to present technical results and briefings to audiences of all levels and engage with diverse stakeholders.
- Skills in developing, organizing, and/or evaluating projects and programs.
- Confidence and curiosity to learn, ask questions, and engage with top technology experts at the national labs, industry, and academia.
- An interest in being part of a multi-disciplinary, fast-paced environment.
How to Apply
A complete application consists of:
- Zintellect Profile and responses to opportunity specific questions
- Transcripts/Academic Records - For this opportunity, an unofficial transcript or copy of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institution systems may be submitted. Selected candidate may be required to provide proof of completion of the degree before the appointment can start.
- A current resume/CV, including academic history, employment history, and relevant experiences (*see below for instructions).
- One Recommendation - Applicants are required to provide contact information for one recommender in order to submit the application. You are encouraged to request a recommendation from professionals who can speak to your abilities and potential for success, as well as your scientific capabilities and personal characteristics. Recommendation requests must be sent through the Zintellect application system. Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation in Zintellect. Letters of recommendation submitted via email will not be accepted.
All documents must be submitted via Zintellect in order to be considered and must be in English or include an official English translation. 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.
*The resume/CV must include the following:
- Basic applicant Information: Name, address, phone, email, and other contact information.
- Work & Research Experience: List all work and research experiences beginning with current or most recent. Include the name of the employer, location, position held, and time period involved.
- Leadership Experience: List experiences (e.g., work, civic, volunteer, research) that demonstrate your leadership skills. Detail your role, type of experience, organization, location, and duration.
- Educational History: List all institutions from which you received or expect to receive a degree, beginning with current or most recent institution. Include the name of the academic institution, degree awarded or expected date of awarded or expected degree, and academic discipline.
- Honors & Awards: List in chronological order (most recent first) any awards or public recognitions. Include the name of awarding institution, title of the award or honor, and date of award or honor.
If you have questions, please send an email to DOE-RPP@orise.orau.gov. Please list the reference code for this opportunity in the subject line of your email: DOE-STP-OE-2024-0001
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