A few current and former fellows describe their tenure in the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO). With applications due Jan. 15, 2024, a new cohort of fellows can decide which word perfectly describes their time at IEDO.
Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office
January 8, 2024
minute read time
Invigorating. Enlightening. Proud. Educational. Connections. Mission-driven. Variety. Fun.
That’s just a few of the ways current and former fellows describe their tenure in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO).
Join the Team
Soon, a new cohort of fellows can decide which word perfectly describes their time at IEDO. Applicants hoping to join the first group of Industrial Decarbonization Fellows must submit their materials by Jan. 15, 2024 (aspiring fellows can also apply to join the second cohort by applying before July 15, 2024).
Fellows not only contribute to solving one of the biggest challenges our country and the world are facing today—climate change—but they also learn how scientists can impact government policies, research initiatives, cross-sector and international partnerships, and more. Not to mention, fellows receive a competitive stipend, along with travel and other allowances, and develop a tight-knit, collaborative community with staff and former fellows in their “home” program.
At IEDO, there are many homes to choose from.
IEDO staff and fellows innovate their way to solutions on some of our biggest industrial challenges, from electrifying process heating and re-imagining decades-old methods to manufacture cement and steel to helping manufacturers incorporate onsite clean energy technology at their facilities. Fellows design workshops, spearhead new research initiatives, assist in launching new funding opportunities, respond to congressional requests, consult with industry, and more.
“I’ve gotten to do such a grab bag of different things,” said Reshmina William, a former fellow who is now a project manager at Isle Utilities, which is an innovation consultancy specializing in the commercialization of emerging water-energy technologies. William, who described IEDO as “diverse,” spent her fellowship studying the energy and water nexus, desalination, and water and environmental justice. When asked if she had a favorite project, she said no, adding, “It’s like being asked who your favorite child is.”
During their 1- to 2-year Science and Technology Fellowship—which is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education—IEDO fellows can work within three overarching IEDO areas:
- Developing and refining technologies that can reduce energy use and emissions from energy-intensive industries, like chemicals, iron and steel, food and beverage, cement, and paper and forest products.
- Identifying ways to decarbonize manufacturing processes through cross-sectoral technologies, like process heating, improving water and wastewater treatment, and increasing the use of low carbon fuels and energy sources.
- Partnering with industry through technical assistance to understand their needs, help them adopt decarbonization solutions, and support workforce training efforts to attract a diverse mix of workers to future industrial jobs.
Jillian Romsdahl, a former fellow who is now a full-time staff member in DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, said she “wanted an office where I could make a really big impact in terms of emissions reductions.” That’s why she picked IEDO. There, she felt she “would be able to make the biggest contribution.”
“They want you to achieve the goals you’re trying to pursue,” said Amanda Lounsbury, a former fellow who is now supporting DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office. There, she’s continuing to pursue her goal of ensuring communities can access both clean energy and clean water.
A former DOE fellow, Jillian Romsdahl, pictured here during her postdoctoral research work at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, chose to work in IEDO because it gave her the opportunity to make a big impact on reducing U.S. carbon emissions where she “would be able to make the biggest contribution.”
Some fellows, like Romsdahl and Lounsbury, end up joining DOE whereas others take their knowledge back to industry or academia. But, according to many former participants, one of the biggest benefits of being an IEDO fellow is the sheer number of career pathways available after the program ends.
The fellows bring different backgrounds and perspectives to IEDO and each other, coming from various sectors and levels of work experience—which they found beneficial. Kyle Niemeyer is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University who, during a sabbatical from research and teaching, became an IEDO fellow to gain experience in policy through an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellowship. Working at IEDO, Niemeyer did learn a lot about policy and government processes and decision making, but he also quickly realized that the industrial sector also needs a workforce with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience, not just graduates with 4-year bachelor degrees, like those he taught.
“I came in with a lot of ideas about stakeholder engagement and outreach from experience that I had from previous work I’d done,” said Romsdahl, “and right away, I was put on projects that allowed me to apply that background and make substantive contributions.”
Those contributions can have a substantive impact themselves, influencing the country’s clean energy and net-zero-emissions goals, with fellows responding to congressional or executive requests, shaping policy, establishing missions and visions for DOE and its programs, building connections between and outside the federal government, and advancing the industrial sector.
“Decarbonizing the industrial sector is one of the biggest challenges in addressing the climate crisis,” said Zach Pritchard, a former fellow when asked why he chose to do an IEDO fellowship. “And I wanted to learn more about industrial decarbonization, and I wanted to have an impact there,” he said, and this office “is really on the front lines of solving that challenge.”
Learn more about IEDO fellowship opportunities and apply for the ORISE Fellowship at IEDO.
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