In order to further spur innovation in solar energy, the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is now accepting applications for postdoctoral researchers in solar energy to participate in the EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards. The EERE Postdoctoral Research Award Program supports emerging scientific leaders focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy to help solve our nation’s energy challenges. This year, this exciting program will offer up to five recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research projects to advance breakthrough solar energy technologies at universities, national laboratories and other research facilities.
The research opportunities will be awarded to qualified applicants to work on collaborative research of mutual interest to the applicant, the host facility, and the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative, which is sponsoring the awards. Research topics include applying behavioral science insights to solar energy deployment, using big data to solve solar’s biggest challenges, and innovative material sciences research focusing on photovoltaics or concentrating solar power. The application period closes on April 30, 2014.
The research will contribute to the SunShot Initiative goal to make solar energy technologies cost competitive with conventional energy sources by 2020. Reducing the total installed cost for utility‐scale solar electricity by approximately 75% from the 2010 baseline, to roughly $0.06 per kWh without subsidies, will enable rapid, large‐scale adoption of solar electricity across the United States. The SunShot Initiative, supported by EERE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, is helping to advance American technological and market leadership in solar energy, reducing environmental impacts of electricity generation, and strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness.
Administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the EERE Postdoctoral Research Award Program provides participants with access to unique education and training opportunities, top scientists in their field, and state-of-the-art projects and equipment. After completing the two-year program, the research scientists are well-suited for full-time faculty or research positions in their fields, and many former participants of the program now hold faculty and staff positions at major research institutions and national laboratories.
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