AAAS Fellowship Opportunities Within EERE
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) offers opportunities for a wide range of AAAS Fellows. Learn more about the AAAS experience in EERE through firsthand fellow accounts or browse opportunities offered by EERE's programs by area of interest:
Advanced Manufacturing Office
Biomass Program
Building Technologies Program
Fuel Cell Technologies Program
Geothermal Technologies Program
Solar Energy Technologies Program
Vehicle Technologies Program
Wind and Water Programs
Office of Strategic Programs
Advanced Manufacturing Office – leads the drive to increase energy productivity and foster innovations that will bolster U.S. technology leadership and global competitiveness. The office sponsors cost-shared R&D and provides support for the widespread use of energy management systems and best practices across the supply chain. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are building benefits analysis models to estimate energy savings attributable to EERE program activities, assisting with the development of strategic goals, participating in the Innovation Manufacturing Initiative, and acting as scientific advisors for the Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub. In the past, opportunities for fellows included supporting analyses and evaluations of energy efficiency policy related to materials science and Smart Process Manufacturing.
Biomass Program – focuses on sustainably developing biofuel, bioproduct and biopower technologies in partnership with other government agencies, industry, and academia to help create a more stable energy future. The use of our indigenous biomass resources can fuel our cars, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil fuel consumption, and provide new economic opportunities across the nation. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are developing a sustainability dashboard for portfolio management, managing and coordinating efforts related to DOE's five-year clean cookstoves initiative, and providing technical expertise for U.S. and international sustainability engagement.
Building Technologies Program – supports a wide range of activities related to energy efficiency and renewable integration in residential and commercial buildings, ranging from basic and applied research through technology validation, market adoption, large-scale deployment, and regulation. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are focusing on the integration of building technology with grid ancillary services. In the past, activities included technology roadmapping, research and development grant programs, participation in technical standards development efforts, large-scale deployment programs, policy deployment, and behavioral analysis.
Fuel Cell Technologies Program – supports the technical advances needed to enable fuel cells to be a competitive option for specialty vehicles, stationary power, residential combined-heat-and-power systems, auxiliary power units, portable power, and mainstream transportation applications. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are focusing on biological hydrogen production analysis and the development other analysis tools. In the past, activities included supporting the Program's manufacturing research and development efforts, including policy analyses, to enable the mass production of both supply and end-use technologies and foster a strong domestic supplier capability.
Geothermal Technologies Program – focuses its research and development portfolio on innovative geothermal energy technologies to find, access, and use the nation's geothermal resources for electricity production. AAAS Fellows can expect to gain an understanding of the technical and political challenges in commercializing geothermal energy. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are assisting with the management of projects related to exploration and drilling technologies, and are coordinating efforts to co-locate geothermal production with other forms of renewable energy. In the past, opportunities for fellows included providing guidance on creating geothermal reservoirs, improving reservoir sustainability, and using carbon dioxide as a subsurface heat recovery fluid.
Solar Energy Technologies Program – works to accelerate the widespread adoption of solar electric technologies across the United States through a program of applied research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities. In addition to the technical challenges, the Program seeks to remove many nontechnical market barriers to help consumers, businesses, and utilities make more informed decisions when considering renewable energy options. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are investigating technology evolution and forecasting, leading efforts related to the SunShot discussion club and seminar series, contributing to activity related to systems integration of solar energy, and assisting with the development of funding opportunity announcements and evaluation of project objectives. In the past, opportunities for fellows included collaborating with the policy analysis team to examine the state and direction of the solar market.
Vehicle Technologies Program – works with industry leaders to develop and deploy advanced transportation technologies that could achieve significant improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and displace oil with other fuels that ultimately can be domestically produced in a clean and cost-competitive manner. Reducing highway oil use has more potential to improve the nation's energy security than any other action; even a 1 percent improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency would save consumers over $2 billion annually. To improve fuel economy and displace petroleum, the Program focuses on developing battery and other technologies for hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles; facilitating the deployment of alternative fuels; developing high-strength materials to reduce vehicle weight; and developing improved combustion technologies and optimized fuel systems.
Wind and Water Programs – leads the nation's efforts to improve the performance, lower the costs, and accelerate the deployment of wind and water power technologies. As part of its portfolio, the Program invests in onshore and offshore wind power research and development projects to reduce barriers to deployment of wind energy in the near term, facilitate the responsible deployment of wind projects in the United States, and establish the U.S. as a leader in this growth industry. Responsible siting of wind projects can provide significant benefits, including reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power production, providing a retooling opportunity for idle industrial and marine facilities along our coasts, and creating thousands of green jobs. In the past, opportunities for fellows included assisting in formulating, implementing, and executing effective and timely federal research and development programs in support of the program's objectives. The Water Power Program develops advanced conventional hydropower technologies, and develops and tests a wide variety of marine and hydrokinetic systems and components. Additionally, the Water Power Program assesses the potential of extractable energy contained in the nation's waves, tides, ocean currents, rivers, streams, and ocean thermal gradients.
Office of Strategic Programs– provides leadership and direction for all matters relating to EERE's strategic development, policy direction, marketing, and analyses for all technologies that involve or cross-cut EERE's energy program offices. Staff in the Office of Strategic Programs frequently interact with senior management officials within the Department of Energy, Office of Management and Budget, the White House, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Congressional Committees, and other federal, state, and local government officials. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are involved in analysis, innovation and deployment, and international activities.
Analysis - provides an objective and credible analysis underpinning for EERE. AAAS Fellows interact frequently with analysts in other DOE offices and at the national laboratories. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are participating in DOE's research management and program evaluation activities, working on a cost transparency database to deliver information about technology component costs, curating jobs reports forecasts, comparing macroeconomic metrics for energy efficiency program analyses, and developing mobile applications for EERE programs. In the past, opportunities for fellows included improving EERE technology characterization in energy-economic models, applying agent-based modeling to consumer behavior, using behavioral economics to improve energy efficiency programs, and incorporating risk into the benefits analysis process.
Innovation and Deployment – promotes innovation and accelerates the adoption of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in the marketplace. This goal is achieved through community-based planning and deployment, the creation of innovation ecosystems, the development and implementation of workforce education/training tools, the distribution of EERE data and effective research management. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are working on initiatives designed to bridge the commercialization "valley of death," cultivate clean energy innovation hubs, assist with the development of reporting metrics required of grantees, develop an "Energy 101" curriculum and assist with Science Technology Engineering and Math educational initiatives.
International – enhances international opportunities for the U.S. energy efficiency and renewable energy industry by expanding global markets, and facilitating business and investment partnerships. The Program works closely with DOE's Office of Policy and International Affairs, with programs in energy efficiency and renewable technologies, and collaborates with other U.S. governmental agencies to support key Presidential and Secretarial initiatives. During fiscal year 2012, fellows are supporting and coordinating the portfolio of U.S.- China and U.S.- India projects and activities.
