Energy storage technology holds the key to ushering in the electric vehicle transformation and in creating the grid of the future with integrated resiliency and flexibility. Today’s battery technology is not enough. Newer chemistries, battery designs, and manufacturing processes are needed to usher changes in energy storage that can fundamentally transform the world and lead to the birth of new industries. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Energy Storage Internship Program offers 10-week, hands-on, practical internships at U.S. national laboratories. Participants will conduct research or other technical activities under the guidance of a mentor who is a technical staff scientist or engineer at a national laboratory.

As a participant in the EERE Energy Storage Internship Program, you will gain a competitive edge as you apply your education, talent, and skills to research and development projects focused on energy storage. You will also be able to establish connections with DOE scientists and subject matter experts that promote long-term relationships between yourself, researchers, and DOE.

Background

The strong university and national laboratory-led research and development (R&D) community in the U.S. coupled with a growing industrial community from material suppliers to cell makers, auto manufactures, and utilities supports an innovation ecosystem with the potential to ensure that new lab-based technologies move to industrial production. This community has thrived with multiple DOE Offices nurturing different parts of the ecosystem: from fundamental science to application-driven science, to manufacturing science.  However, much remains to be done to take full advantage of this core expertise. 

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is dedicated to improving energy and material efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of manufacturers across the industrial sector. AMO and VTO bring together manufacturers, not-for-profit entities, research organizations, and institutions of higher education to identify challenges; catalyze innovations; and develop innovative materials, processes, and information technologies needed for an efficient and competitive domestic manufacturing sector.

The Vehicles Technology Office has been supporting research on electric batteries but there is an interest in exploring other aspects of energy storage.  Learn more: https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/batteries-charging-and-electric-vehicles.

Benefits

• Stipend: Undergraduate students receive of $600 per week and graduate students will receive $750 per week.
• Travel: Travel reimbursement for inbound and outbound expenses up to $1,000 for participants who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from the assigned hosting site.
• Housing Allowance: A housing allowance of $150/week is provided to participants who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from their assigned hosting laboratory and are paying for housing while on site.

Appointment Details

• Appointments will be for 10 consecutive weeks during the months of May-September 2020.Factors such as class schedules, housing availability and laboratory schedules may be taken into consideration when determining appointment start and end dates.
• An appointment involves a full-time commitment at the host laboratory with the intern in residence at the specified location.
• Interns 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.

Review and Selection Process

Completed applications will undergo an eligibility and compliance check by ORISE. Hosting laboratories will review applications based on educational background, experience, interests, skills, career goals, and fit for projects. Hosting laboratories will submit their recommended candidates to EERE. Final selection will be made by a federal official from EERE. EERE will notify ORISE of final selections and ORISE will notify selected candidates and hosting laboratories.

Nature of Appointment

Participants will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DHS, or hosting laboratory.  Instead, participants will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE Letter of Appointment and Terms of Appointment.

For more information, contact us at DOE-RPP@orise.orau.gov. Please list the reference code of this opportunity in the subject line of the email.

In order to be considered, applicants must meet each of the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen. Hosting laboratories will be responsible for verifying citizenship as needed for onboarding participants.
• Be at least 18 years old by May 1, 2020.
• Meet one of the following conditions:
  • Recent graduate: Have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in the past two years in a discipline related to energy storage identified in the list below.
  • Undergraduate Student: Be enrolled as a full-time student as a junior or senior at a U.S. accredited during winter/spring 2020 and be pursuing a degree in a discipline related energy storage identified in the list below.
  • Graduate Student: Be enrolled as a full-time graduate student at a U.S. accredited college or university during winter/spring 2020 and be pursuing a degree in a discipline related energy storage identified in the list below.

A complete application consists of:

• A completed Zintellect Profile
• A completed Application The application includes questions specific to the program.
• 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. Transcripts/Academic records must include name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework and grades.
• A current resume/Curriculum Vitae
• One academic recommendation.  Recommendation requests will be sent directly from Zintellect. Applicants are encouraged to request a letter of recommendation before submission of the application and to contact recommenders before the deadline to ensure receipt of recommendation request.  Recommenders are asked to describe applicant’s Scientific Capabilities and Personal Characteristics and must specify how they know the applicant. The best references are from professionals who can speak to the applicant’s abilities and potential. The weakest references are those from personal (non-professional) acquaintances such as friends, relatives, and neighbors. Letter must be submitted via Zintellect by Monday, March 2, 2020, 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time Zone.

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 documents must be submitted via Zintellect. All application components must be received in the system in order to be considered.

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
• Degree: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Degree received within the last 24 months or currently pursuing.
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Computer, Information, and Data Sciences (16 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (27 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (2 )
  • Mathematics and Statistics (10 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Science & Engineering-related (1 )
• Age: Must be 18 years old by 5/1/2020