The University of Houston (UH) Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Award seeks outstanding graduate candidates at the University of Houston (UH) engaged in graduate education and research in energy topics from across the campus. The program will fund 8 (eight) fellows with a one-year $12,000 graduate fellowship in addition to any other remuneration students might be receiving. Students must have a minimum of 12 months before completion of their degree program, with preference for students who have longer horizons before completion of their degree program.

Eligibility

• Graduate students from any school or college at UH with a focus on energy study and/or research.
• Students must have been enrolled for longer than six months in their graduate program as of May 15, 2025.
• Students must have a minimum of 12 months of coursework and /or research remaining prior to completion of their degree program.
• Students must be in good academic standing in their graduate program.

How to Apply

Applicants must email the following to ramanan@uh.edu as a single PDF file with the email subject line identifying the full name of the candidate and the name of the program (UH Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Award).

• Coversheet including name and contact information of UH Faculty mentor providing letter of recommendation sheet: Download Template
• A research statement (not to exceed 2 pages, single spaced, 1-inch margin, 11-point font),
• A two-page CV,
• An unofficial copy of the UH transcript, and
• A letter of recommendation from a UH Faculty mentor.

Applications due: May 16, 2025, 5 PM Central

Timelines

• April 11, 2025: Call for applications
• May 16, 2025 by 5pm Central: Applications due
• July 18, 2025 by 5 PM Central: Selections announced
• Aug 2025 to July 2026: Eight (8) $12,000 Awards will be granted in academic year 2025-2026 as an additional fellowship award.
• Aug 28, 2025: Kickoff reception on Aug 28, 2025 (lunch time)
• June or July 2026: Year-end Presentation 

Topics

Competitive applicants may be carrying out research in any topic related to energy, but priority will be given to students whose work focuses on scalable innovation for transformational policy, regulation, design and operation of current energy systems and their evolution in the near and long term:

• Transforming the traditional oil & gas business of today with improved safety, reliability, efficiency, digital transformation, and lower carbon footprint (for the various asset classes such as deepwater, shale & tight, heavy oil, and complex facilities of the future)
• Building the lower-carbon businesses of tomorrow particularly in the areas of carbon capture and utilization (through thermo-/electro-/bio- catalytic pathways), H2 value chain, next-generation renewable fuels including sustainable aviation fuels, and qualification/quantification of carbon intensity and carbon offsets.
• Engaging in policy and technology for emerging energy systems including novel geothermal solutions, energy storage systems, mobility systems, modular nuclear reactors, fusion, etc.

Selection Process

Award recipients will be selected by a committee and will be evaluated based on the strength of their research statement, CV and recommendation letter. The evaluation committee will consist of UH Faculty, staff, industry (including Chevron) experts and other qualified professionals. The selection process may require a short oral interview with a select group of semi-finalists during the week of July 7th (to be conducted online).

Terms of the Award

1. The awards will be administered as a one-year fellowship award to the selected students, contingent on maintaining good academic standing.
2. Fellows will be expected to engage at least quarterly with Chevron subject matter experts and participate in educational and research engagements organized by UH Energy throughout the year.
3. Fellows must submit a one-page progress report on a quarterly basis.
4. Interested fellows will be encouraged to participate in the development of energy related blogs and thought leadership-based opinion pieces.
5. Students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress and be enrolled full-time during the fall/spring semesters.

Contact

For additional information, please contact Ramanan Krishnamoorti. (ramanan@uh.edu)