Department of Energy gives new awards for advanced nuclear energy development

Six former fellowship winners are now university professors working on nuclear energy related research

Nuclear fusion

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Building on the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Department of Energy has awarded more than $5 million to undergraduate and graduate students in pursuit of nuclear engineering degrees and other nuclear science and engineering programs relevant to nuclear energy.

“Nuclear energy currently makes up 60 per cent of the United States’ non-carbon emitting energy portfolio,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

The awards include 57 undergraduate scholarships and 33 graduate-level fellowships for students at American colleges and universities.

“These awards will help our nation’s brightest students have the tools they need to ensure the United States continues as a global leader in nuclear technology,” said Moniz.

Since 2009, the Department of Energy has awarded over $33 million to more than 600 students for nuclear energy-related scholarships and fellowships.

Each undergraduate scholarship provides $7,500 to help cover education costs for the upcoming year, while the three-year graduate fellowships provide $50,000 each year to help pay for graduate studies and research.

Ernest Moniz, Department of Energy secretary

Fellowships also include $5,000 to fund a summer internship at a U.S. national laboratory or other approved research facility to strengthen the ties between students and the Department’s energy research programs.

Ninety-eight per cent of the students who have completed nuclear energy-related fellowships have subsequently pursued careers in nuclear energy fields at the Department’s national laboratories, other government agencies, academic institutions or private companies.

Six former fellowship winners are now university professors working on nuclear energy related research.