Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellows Program Expands, Opens Applications for 2021 Cohort

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has awarded a $371,072 grant to the Duke University Energy Initiative to expand its Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellows program. Launched in 2018 with the Sloan Foundation's support, the program readies scholars to apply cutting-edge data analytics techniques to energy challenges.

The new grant will extend the program for an additional three years and enable the extension of the program beyond Duke to include doctoral students at North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Fellows collaborate with peers and faculty outside their disciplines to strengthen their dissertations, gain experience publicly presenting their work, utilize computational resources, and engage more deeply with real-world energy problems. To date, the program has included doctoral students in civil and environmental engineering, computer science, earth and ocean sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and environmental policy.

"This unique regional network will prepare emerging scholars at these North Carolina universities to inform critical decisions about how energy is generated, transmitted, distributed, and used," noted Dr. Brian Murray, director of the Duke University Energy Initiative and a faculty member at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment and Sanford School of Public Policy. "Their dual expertise in data science and energy will help them make valuable contributions to advancing the accessible, affordable, reliable, and clean energy systems our world needs."

The program's next cohort of fellows will first convene in summer 2021. As they pursue summer research projects, they will take part in workshops with faculty and peers for feedback on their work, continued learning about data science and energy topics, and support in disseminating their project outcomes.

Each year, the program expects to provide financial support for six students, including a stipend and partial tuition remission for the three-month summer term. Additionally, each fellow will be eligible for up to $1,500 in funds for research and professional development. Fellows' research will be highlighted at a 2023 symposium for established experts and emerging scholars working at the intersection of energy and data science.

Call for Applications (Deadline: 12/11/20)

The Energy Initiative welcomes applications for the next cohort of the Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellows program from eligible doctoral students (at the institutions listed above) who seek to conduct research at the intersection of energy and data. Applications are due December 11, 2020. 

The program is organized by the Energy Data Analytics Lab at Duke, a collaboration among the Duke University Energy Initiative (which houses it), Rhodes Information Initiative, and Social Science Research Institute (SSRI). The lab is led by managing director Dr. Kyle Bradbury (also a faculty member at the Pratt School of Engineering) and faculty director Dr. Billy Pizer (Sanford School of Public Policy).  

Questions about the program? Contact Trey Gowdy (trey.gowdy@duke.edu). 

(Note: Conclusions reached or positions taken by researchers or other grantees represent the views of the grantees themselves and not those of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation or its trustees, officers, or staff.)