The Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI) PhD Fellowship Program will support stipends (not tuition or health at this time) for two PhD students, one-year appointments, in FY2026.
The aim of the program is to:
- Provide an enhanced PhD experience for energy fellows
- Increase the potential that PhD students associated with ROSEI have impactful careers in energy – particularly in work that is timely for the energy transition (including all forms of commercial and non-commercial translation)
- Increase diversity of energy fellows, connect and strengthen ROSEI objectives / pillars / identified needs.
- Increase connectivity to ROSEI itself for faculty
ROSEI PhD Fellows will be members of the ROSEI Graduate Student Association and have an energy relevant peer network to collaborate with. The program is intended for the fellow to find leadership roles in these activities. Fellows will be an integral part of the ROSEI community and welcomed at all ROSEI events. ROSEI will write and promote at least one online story about each ROSEI fellow’s work and research. ROSEI will assist in providing access to its growing networks in industry, government, the DOE labs, and academia.
Expectations:
- Student: Engage with the ROSEI student community, utilize the resource for unique work, execute the agreed on work plan
- Faculty: provide mentorship, guidance, and additional resources for success as appropriate. Note that faculty advisors are responsible for tuition and health support for ROSEI PhD fellows.
Eligibility: Existing or incoming PhD students where primary or co-advisor is a ROSEI Core or Associate Faculty member. Existing fellows may reapply.
Application: Faculty nominate candidates during an open window, Feb 1 – Mar 31, for appointment starting as early as July 1 (program stays open until positions filled; funding would begin at the start of the fall semester for incoming PhD students). Review of applications begins on April 1st.
The nomination package consists of:
- Candidate CV
- Candidate academic records (undergraduate and graduate if current PhD student)
- Faculty nomination letter explaining how the funding will be utilized to increase the chance the student will have an impactful career in energy
- Brief (1-page) draft work plan aligned with said impact
To formally submit a nomination, faculty should email Wick Eisenberg with the subject line “ROSEI PhD Fellowship Program Nomination” and the contents of the nomination package listed above.
Selection: A committee made up of three ROSEI Core and/or Associate faculty members, who are not nominating candidates as potential advisors this cycle, reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the Director. Positions are filled so long as funding remains available.
Questions: Should be directed to Susanna Thon.