Chevron Fellows

Call for Applications FY27

The Rice Sustainability Institute and Chevron have partnered to establish the Rice Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows Program.

This prestigious fellowship provides 10 graduate students with a $10,000 topping award for the FY26 academic year. Graduate students from any school at Rice University are eligible to apply.

Recent recipients of the fellowship are eligible to reapply after a period of two years from the date of their award.

Meet the 2025-2026 Rice Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows →

Key Dates

  • Applications Open: March 16, 2026
  • Application Deadline: April 23, 2026, 11:59 PM CT
  • Approximate Offer Date: July 1, 2026

Application Process & How to Apply

To apply, fill out the online application form:
➡ Apply Now

✅ Research Statement (maximum 2 pages)
✅ Current Resume

📌 Note: Applicants’ faculty advisors must submit a letter of recommendation directly to si@rice.edu.

Recent recipients of the fellowship are eligible to reapply after a period of two years from the date of their award.

For any questions, please get in touch with us at si@rice.edu.

Research Topics

Our climate and sustainability challenges continue to hinge on how we harvest and use energy. The Rice Chevron Energy Graduate Fellowship Awards reward applicants researching any topics related to scalable innovations in energy that lead to emission reductions across energy value chains, including process intensification of current energy systems, acceleration of technologies related to lower-carbon-intensity energy molecules, and development of scalable future energy systems.

Research could be in any aspects of energy research and innovation with impact to society: for example, practical scalable energy solutions, policy and regulatory frameworks, etc.

Example areas of interest are:

  • Research in technologies related to lower-carbon-intensity energy molecules,including chemical, electrical, biological, and catalytic pathways for carbon dioxide capture and utilization; hydrogen value chain; next-generation renewable fuels, including sustainable aviation fuels; and qualification/quantification of carbon offsets.

  • Research on future energy systems including novel geothermal solutions, energy storage systems, mobility systems, modular nuclear reactors, fusion, etc., focusing on the following aspects:

    • Systems integration for high reliability and high efficiency of non-grid connected lower carbon industrial facilities,

    • Digital/automation disruptors that can redefine operational advantage (such as “emergent AI” and advanced computing, advanced robotics and uncrewed systems, quantum computing for optimization & materials),

    • Optimization of diverse energy systems in micro-grids,

    • Disruptive energy systems that can provide 24/7 large-scale power anywhere including grid-scale energy storage & “heat/molecular storage systems”,

    • Autonomous systems for the construction and operation of industrial facilities, particularly in remote locations,

    • Sustainable policies that lower the uncertainties and remove bottlenecks for businesses and individuals involved in the energy transition,

    • Waste as a resource, particularly waste heat, wastewater, and the by-products of new energy forms,

    • New sustainable sources of materials, particularly minerals, needed for the energy transition,

    • Integrated techno-economic and techno-social analyses assessing how technologies may evolve and be adopted.

Selection & Review Process

A faculty-led review committee, with representatives from the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing, will evaluate applications.

If you have any questions, please contact us at si@rice.edu. Click here to fill out the application: Apply Now.