Fellow for Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition

Organization
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Reference Code
DOE-STP-NE-SFWD
How to Apply

Click on Apply below to start your application.

The preferred start date will be June 1, 2024, but there may be flexibility. 

Application Deadline
4/22/2024 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time Zone
Description

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Science, Technology and Policy Program is designed to provide opportunities for postgraduates 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 the 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 role.

About the Office of Nuclear Energy

This is an opportunity for an ORISE Fellow to learn directly from the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition (SFWD). The mission of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition is to protect people and the environment, now and in the future, by establishing an integrated system for storage, transportation, and disposal of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

What Will I be Doing?

With guidance from a mentor, the fellow’s activities may include: reading and synthesizing technical or policy information and providing SFWD leadership with summary information or short briefing memos; providing technical, operational, administrative and program support to the DAS and SFWD, in accordance with subject matter expertise and experience; providing input to program outreach and engagement plans, according to subject matter expertise and experience; record and disseminate meeting notes; potential to lead short-term special projects; potential to liaise between the DAS and Office of Nuclear Energy Staff and/or other DOE program offices, as needed to share information related to projects or events; potential to contribute to digital and print communication materials.

Learning opportunities for an ORISE Fellow in SFWD include: learning everything they may want to know about spent nuclear fuel transportation, storage, disposal, and R&D; the historical and current impacts of policy and politics on the federal government’s ability to fulfill its responsibilities regarding spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste management; the roles and responsibilities of the US Department of Energy in spent nuclear fuel management vs other federal entities (e.g. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, US Environmental Protection Administration, US Department of Transportation) and private entities (e.g. utilities, decommissioning site owners); learning about outreach and public engagement related to spent nuclear fuel management and the Department’s projects and plans (e.g. DOE’s Consent-based Siting effort); considerations for spent fuel management for proposed advanced reactor, micro-reactor, and small modular reactor designs; basics of project management; basics of systems analysis; basics of security considerations for spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation; and how other countries such as Canada, Finland, Sweden, UK, France, and Japan are managing their spent nuclear fuel.

In performing the tasks of the appointment, the ORISE Fellow should be capable of exercising good judgement, have strong communication and analytical skills, be capable of effective collaboration, and have an ability to familiarize themselves with the program office’s projects and objectives. Candidates are sought with knowledge and experience in engineering or a similar field.

Participants Benefits

Participants will receive a stipend to be determined by NE, and are typically based on the participant’s academic standing, discipline, experience, and research facility location. The stipends will start at $750/week 

NE may authorize an allowance to offset the costs of health insurance. Participants are eligible to purchase health insurance plans offered through ORISE.  A relocation allowance may be provided for participants relocating to Washington, D.C., not to exceed $1,000.

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.

 

Qualifications

Applicants must have received their Master's, or Doctoral degree within the last 5 years, or be currently pursuing their degree and will have completed all degree requirements by the desired start date. 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 field and must be seeking to gain new knowledge/experience to expand career opportunities or to advance professionally. 

In performing the tasks of the appointment, the ORISE Fellow should be capable of exercising good judgement, have strong communication and analytical skills, be capable of effective collaboration, and have an ability to familiarize themselves with the program office’s projects and objectives. Candidates are sought with knowledge and experience in engineering or a similar field.

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. Recommendations must be submitted on your behalf through Zintellect before an offer is made.

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 [email protected] . Please list the reference code for this opportunity in the subject line of your email: [DOE-STP-NE-SFWD]

Connect with ORISE...on the GO! Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store  or Google Play Store  to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!

Eligibility Requirements

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree.
• Overall GPA: 3.00
• Discipline(s):
  • Engineering (27 )
• Age: Must be 18 years of age

ORISE GO

The ORISE GO mobile app helps you stay engaged, connected and informed during your ORISE experience – from application, to offer, through your appointment and even as an ORISE alum!

Visit ORISE GO