IBUILD Application will be open Fall 2023.

The US Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO) provides resources and strategies to significantly reduce building energy use and intensity. BTO’s funded research has contributed to significant improvement in building energy efficiency including new technologies in solid-state lighting, energy-saving windows, heat pump water heaters, and high-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners.

The Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship is a program managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The fellowship will strengthen the pool of well-trained, diverse MS and PhD scholars who are equipped for research-intensive building technologies careers across all sectors. IBUILD Fellows will receive research and educational support to conduct innovative, building science-related research at their home institution in an area with demonstrated relevance to building energy efficiency.  In addition to funding high-quality research, the fellowship will provide professional development, mentoring, networking, and support for internship opportunities.

There is a diversity gap in STEM (including building science), meaning that certain groups are underrepresented or have been historically excluded from STEM fields. These groups include, but are not limited to, those based on race, ethnicity, and gender — and this gap needs to be addressed. As part of the next generation of building science thought leaders and researchers, IBUILD Fellows have a unique opportunity to influence this industry.