Office of Indian Energy Updates
Coming Soon: Apply to be a Tribal Clean Energy Innovator Fellow!
Grow Your Career in Clean Energy by Serving as a Fellow in a Tribe or Nonprofit Regional Intertribal Organization
 The goal of this program is to increase access to Tribal clean energy career opportunities and accelerate the national transition to resilient and affordable clean energy.
Fellows will be funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to work with Tribal Host institutions for up to two years, including a professional development allowance to advance their skills and expertise.
Applications for Fellows are expected to be open April 15 to May 3, 2024 (application dates are subject to change).
Tribal Clean Energy Innovator Fellows:
- Are recent graduates of bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree programs, as well as midcareer professionals with a variety of skill sets including technical evaluation, project management, consultation, and finance
- Must have completed a degree and be available to start before August 31, 2024
- May gain experience working on Tribal clean energy development and supporting a transition away from fossil fuels
- Serve one-year terms and have the option to renew for a second year
- Receive a competitive stipend and professional development allowance.
Apply and learn more.
Funding Doubled: $50 Million Now Available for Clean Energy Technology Deployment
New Funding Will Help Tribal Communities Deploy Clean Energy Technology, Increase Energy Sovereignty and Resiliency, and Lower Energy Costs
On March 22, DOE announced that the funding available under the Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2024 (DE-FOA-0003298) funding opportunity announcement (FOA) doubled, increasing from $25 million to $50 million.
Through this FOA, the DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations, to install clean energy technology on Tribal lands.
Applications are due May 30, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET.
 The Office of Indian Energy hosted an informational webinar March 14 to provide interested applicants with more information on the FOA and how to apply.
A Note on TCU Eligibility: TCUs are not directly eligible unless they are a subsidiary/instrumentality of the Tribe and obtain Tribal Council Resolution or have delegated authority.
Learn about TCUs that have successfully received funding under past Office of Indian Energy funding opportunities:
News and Resources
Indigenous Women Find Their Stride in Physics at Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos Partnerships With Fort Lewis College and Navajo Technical University Pave a New Path Into the World of Research
 Initiated two years ago as a pilot program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, an effort to bring undergraduate Indigenous women into physics has blossomed into a steady source of physics education and opportunities.
Now in its third year, the Engaging Indigenous Women in Nuclear Physics program has grown to include four Fort Lewis College students from across the Four Corners region, with Los Alamos National Laboratory partnering to provide mentorship and research with cutting-edge experiments.
Navajo Technical University in Crownpoint, New Mexico, is also developing a complementary physics education and research program. The Bringing Experimental High-energy Nuclear Physics to Navajo Nation program seeks to promote careers in physics (for men and women, in this case) through mentorship and experimental opportunities and also train students to deal with contamination from abandoned uranium mines in Navajo country.
View the full article to learn more.
Could a New Renewable Energy App Help Inspire Future Climate Crusaders?
Newly Launched Renewable Energy Discovery Island Could Make It Easy To Teach, Explore, and Learn About Clean Energy (Especially Water Power)
 In River Ramble, one of REDi Island's forthcoming waystations, a farm runs exclusively on energy generated from river currents. This might seem too good to be true, but a rural town in Alaska, called Igiugig, is already generating energy from its powerful Kvichak River.
When wildfires, floods, or superstorms threaten our homes, focusing on solutions, action, and a sense of agency can help young people overcome climate anxiety. One of the most promising solutions is clean energy.
Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island is a new tool to help students visualize clean energy technologies. The app is an educational virtual world powered entirely by renewable energy and designed for students, educators, or anyone curious about how we can build a more sustainable world powered by clean energy.
Students can explore technologies and careers through waystations, videos, 3D visualizations, and more. And teachers can access curriculum resources and activities, like a scavenger hunt that encourages users to think like a fish.
Read the full story to learn more.
Charging Ahead: Workforce Development Resources for Electrified Transportation
 Check out this new webpage from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), which houses resources and links to support workforce development activities for an electrified transportation system.
The demand and market for diverse electric vehicles is rapidly maturing, and it is critical to have a workforce ready to support this accelerating industry. The Joint Office and federal partners are committed to supporting this long-term outlook, meeting the increasing demand for a made-in-America electrified transportation system with high-quality, high-wage job opportunities.
DOE Accepting Applications for 2025 Collegiate Energy Competitions
 DOE’s Collegiate Wind Competition gives college students the opportunity to prepare for jobs in the wind and renewable energy workforce through real-world experiences with wind energy technology, project development, finance, communications, and outreach.
2025 Collegiate Wind Competition: As wind energy continues to make up a larger and larger portion of the nation's electricity mix, the U.S. wind energy industry will need a well-trained workforce. DOE is now accepting applications for the 2025 Collegiate Wind Competition, an annual competition that helps college students prepare for jobs in wind and renewable energy. Teams interested in wind turbine prototypes, wind farm development, and community outreach should submit their applications by June 13.
2025 Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competitions: Hydropower and marine energy are versatile sources of renewable energy that will play key roles in meeting the country’s clean energy goals. DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office just opened applications for two competitions to engage and educate students about the real-world challenges facing these sectors and the many career opportunities in water power. College students should apply to the third annual Hydropower Collegiate Competition and/or the sixth annual Marine Energy Collegiate Competition by May 6.
 As the United States transitions to a clean energy future, a diverse and skilled workforce is needed across all clean energy sectors, including in marine energy and hydropower.
Internships, Fellowships, and Graduate Funding Opportunities
- The DOE and the U.S. National Science Foundation’s second round of the Geothermal INTERN opportunity is open and actively accepting applications. Learn more and apply here.
- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and DOE offer a wide variety of internship opportunities to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Application deadlines vary. Learn more about the internship programs.
- DOE’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program is now accepting applications for its 2024 solicitation cycle. It provides supplemental funds for U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their Ph.D. thesis research at a DOE national laboratory or facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist. Applications are due May 1.
- DOE’s Office of Science is also accepting applications for two undergraduate internship programs for the Fall 2024 term: the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and the Community College Internships (CCI) program. Scroll down to see application-workshop webinars in the events section below. Applications are due May 22.
Funding Opportunities
Stay up to date on the latest clean energy funding opportunities for Tribes and Tribal entities on the Office of Indian Energy Current Funding Opportunities page.
 New Prize Alert: Upskill Prize to Accelerate Expansion of U.S. Solar Manufacturing Workforce
$5 million
Submissions due May 21, 2024.
A new prize from DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office will support the expansion of the U.S. solar manufacturing workforce and equip workers with the skills necessary to revitalize the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain.
Competitors in the $5 million Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce will propose comprehensive workforce training plans to help new and incumbent workers bring their skills up to the level needed to meet the growing demand for solar energy.
- Community colleges, trade schools, and other U.S.-based training organizations are eligible to lead prize teams.
 Clean Energy and Manufacturing Workforce Training and Technical Assistance Awards
$24 million
Applications due May 16, 2024.
This program will establish new industrial training and assessment centers, as part of the Industrial Assessment Centers network, to train students and incumbent workers for high-quality careers in clean energy, energy efficiency, and advanced manufacturing that do not require a four-year degree.
DOE aims to support community and technical colleges (including Minority Serving Institutions); trade schools; union training programs (including labor-management training programs); apprenticeship readiness, apprenticeship, and internship programs; and their employer and workforce system partners through planning awards of up to $200,000, execution awards of up to $2 million, and cohort awards of up to $7 million.
Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR)
DOE Office of Science
Required pre-application due April 23; applications due July 16.
DOE’s Office of Science (SC) seeks applications for fundamental research in fields supported by SC to build research capacity at institutions historically underrepresented in the SC portfolio, i.e. non-R1 Minority Serving Institutions, including TCUs.
This funding opportunity aims to build research capacity, including infrastructure and expertise at these institutions, through mutually beneficial relationships between applicants and DOE national laboratories, SC scientific user facilities, or R1 Minority Serving Institutions and Emerging Research Institutions.
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Office hours will be held 4/9, 4/17, 7/2, and 7/10 at 2 p.m. ET.
Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW)
DOE Office of Science
Required pre-applications due April 30; final submissions due July 23.
Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) aims to build foundations for DOE’s Office of Science (SC) research through traineeships at academic institutions that have been historically underrepresented in the SC portfolio, including TCUs.
RENEW leverages DOE’s unique national laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructure to provide training opportunities for students and postdoctoral researchers from these institutions. The hands-on experiences gained through RENEW will open new career avenues for trainees.
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Office hours will be held 4/17, 4/25, 7/10, and 7/18 at 2 p.m. ET.
Events
Alaska Infrastructure Development and Grant Symposiums
📅 April 2–5 | Anchorage
Community College Internship (CCI) Program Application Workshop
📅 April 10 | 1:30 p.m. ET
Are you a community college student seeking opportunities to expand your technical skills and expertise while exploring career pathways in STEM? Then DOE’s CCI program is for you! This workshop will provide strategies for submitting a compliant application.
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program Application Workshop
📅 April 16 | 1:30 p.m. ET
Are you an undergraduate student or recent graduate who is ready to use your major in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field or science policy to help make a difference in the world? Then DOE’s SULI program is for you! Learn strategies to submit a compliant and competitive application and get answers to your questions.
Collegiate Wind Competition 2024 Final Event
📅 May 6–9 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Join DOE’s Wind Energy Technology Office at the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition 2024 final event, which will be held with the American Clean Power Association’s CLEANPOWER Conference and Exhibition. Teams of college students will test their wind turbine prototypes and present their wind turbine designs, wind energy project development plans, and outreach efforts to panels of experts.
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