DOE to award $5M to students pursuing degrees in nuclear energy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will award approximately $5 million in undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships to students pursuing degrees related to nuclear energy.
The DOE will give out 45 scholarships and 33 fellowships for students at U.S. colleges and universities pursuing nuclear engineering and other nuclear science and engineering programs relevant to nuclear energy.
“A strong, diverse workforce is critical for us to be successful in advancing nuclear power to meet the nation’s energy, environmental, and national security needs. The Administration is dedicated to supporting future innovators who will help tackle the challenges still facing the industry today,” Edward McGinnis, principal deputy assistant secretary of nuclear energy at the DOE said. “The recipients will be the future of nuclear energy production in the United States and the world.”
Each undergraduate scholarship provides $7,500 for education costs for the upcoming year, while the three-year graduate fellowship provides $50,000 each year to help pay for graduate studies and research. Fellowships also include $5,000 to fund an internship at a U.S. national laboratory or other research facility.
Through this program, the DOE has awarded roughly 800 scholarships and fellowships totaling approximately $44 million since 2009. The DOE states that 93 percent of students who have completed nuclear energy-related fellowships have gone on to careers or pursue further education in the field. Seven former fellowship winners are now university professors engaged in the field while one was awarded an Office of Nuclear Energy R&D award in 2018.
