This program is designed to meet the needs of the Naval Reactors Division of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for doctoral level employees for the development of science and engineering technology as it pertains to naval nuclear propulsion. The program will assist in preparing students for roles in naval nuclear propulsion and will support the broader objective of advancing fission energy development through the research efforts of the Fellows. The Fellowship targets critical technical fields, including reactor physics, nuclear materials science and engineering, radiation shielding technology, thermal hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics, acoustic technology, artificial intelligence technology, quantum computing, and fracture mechanics. The program exclusively seeks doctoral candidates in nuclear engineering or closely related disciplines in the aforementioned research areas.
The 2026 Rickover Fellowship application cycle is open.
Program Sponsors
U.S. Department of Energy Naval Reactors Division
Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy, Naval Reactors Division
By: Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation, Bettis Laboratory and Knolls Laboratory
This program description was prepared under Grant Number DE-NR0000806 between The U.S. Department of Energy and the South Carolina Universities Research & Education Foundation.