The University of Delaware (UD) and the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) have established a graduate research fellowship in renewable energy research as part of the purchase and sale of renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by UD’s 2MW wind turbine that is located adjacent to the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment’s (CEOE) Lewes, Delaware campus.  The focus of the fellowship is wind energy and the storage of intermittent renewables. 

Fellows will be advised by a faculty member whose principal area of study is Geography, Geology, Oceanography, Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, or Policy.  We are particularly keen on fellows whose research interests are in one of the following topics:

• environmental risk assessment
• geological and geotechnical aspects of wind projects
• grid integration
• marine logistics, including deployment and installation
• remote sensing for offshore wind power site characterization
• socio-economic and cultural dimensions of wind power
• spatial planning
• wind meteorology, resource assessment and wind turbine wakes

Each fellow is required to be admitted to the master’s or PhD program in Climatology (PhD only), Geography, Geology, Geological Sciences, Marine Policy (master’s only), Marine Studies, Oceanography (PhD only), or Water Science and Policy.  You must apply and be accepted as a graduate student to be eligible for the fellowship. We also offer an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Wind Power Science, Engineering and Policy, so successful applicants have the option of obtaining a specialist certificate in addition to a disciplinary graduate degree.

UD Wind Power Program is housed within the Center for Research in Wind (CReW), which is managed by faculty in three colleges (CEOE, Business and Economics, and Engineering), and which also focuses on grid-integrated electric vehicles. In addition, we have an exchange program with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).  As the leading academic program in offshore wind energy in the Americas, we prepare students for successful careers in government, nongovernmental organizations, research institutions, and the private sector.  Interested prospective graduate students should visit here.

Fellowships include a tuition waiver for the Fall and Spring semesters and a stipend. Twelve-month stipends are approximately $28,000 for Ph.D. students and slightly less for Master’s students. Depending on individual circumstance, a 9-month stipend can be considered. Review of applications will begin immediately, with decisions made in early 2020, so early application is encouraged.  

If you intend to apply for the fellowship, you should notify, Kelli Kerbawy, kerbawy@udel.edu, Assistant Dean for Graduate Services, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and Jeremy Firestone, jf@udel.edu.  When applying, please note in your personal statement your interest in applying for the fellowships.

For questions regarding fellowships, please contact Professor Jeremy Firestone, jf@udel.edu; for questions regarding the graduate certificate educational program, please contact Professor John Madsen, CReW’s Coordinator of Educational Programs at jmadsen@udel.edu.