Application Evaluation

Submitted applications will first be subject to a compliance check by the staff at ORISE to ensure that each applicant meets the basic eligibility criteria and has completed all the required application materials. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be further reviewed by the staff of the Office of Science Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists to verify. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application through their individual DOE SCGF online application status page.

Applications are then reviewed by expert scientists, mathematicians, and engineers from universities and national laboratories. Each application will be reviewed independently by several reviewers. Applications are evaluated based on the established merit review criteria below. For each criterion, reviewers will provide a numerical score based on an established rating scale and a narrative response.

Merit Review Criteria:

1. Academic Performance

  1. Do the courses taken by the applicant, the applicant’s course grades, publications and/or awards reflect excellent academic performance?
  2. Does the applicant have research experience or other relevant experiences that demonstrate the applicant is well prepared for graduate research?
  3. Has the applicant demonstrated the ability to work effectively in a team and independently?

2. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of Proposed Plan of Research

  1. Is the proposed research novel or have the potential to make meaningful contributions to the forefront of the field?
  2. Is the proposed method or approach appropriate?
  3. Does the proposed plan demonstrate a strong understanding of scientific and technical challenges in the proposed area of research?
  4. Is the proposed plan of research sufficiently relevant to the Office of Science mission areas?

3. Scientific and Technical Contributions Outside of the Classroom

  1. Has the applicant participated in activities that benefited the applicant’s scientific professional community?
  2. Has the applicant demonstrated leadership in activities or projects related to the applicant’s scientific professional community?
  3. Are the applicant’s career goals and objectives well aligned with the broader goals of the Office of Science and Department of Energy?