Energy Resilience Fellow

This opportunity is offered through the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) and is based at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. It is a paid research appointment and not a government position.

About the Role

The Energy Resilience Fellow will serve as a senior member of the West Point Energy Resilience research team within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The role involves working directly with Dr. Todd Davidson to develop, scope, and execute research on energy systems, supporting cadet work, and collaborating on projects across the Army and national defense ecosystem.

Key research areas include:

• Optimization of microgrids by modeling energy infrastructure, including asset and dispatch strategies to increase resilience
• Analytical and empirical assessment of electric and hybridized vehicles, small modular reactors, alternative fuels, portable power systems, and engine design
• Hardening of infrastructure and solutions to reduce fuel supply lines (e.g., solar PV)
• Technoeconomic analysis and other energy-system topics driving resilience, security, and performance

The Fellow will interface with senior military and civilian decision-makers, represent West Point as a subject matter expert, and build collaborative relationships with national labs, academic partners, and other institutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise as a senior member of the Energy Resilience research team
• Develop, scope, and execute research on energy systems
• Support cadet work and collaborate on energy-system projects with Army and defense ecosystem partners
• Publish high-quality research and mentor others in the field of energy systems
• Engage with senior decision-makers and represent West Point as a subject matter expert
• Build collaborative relationships with national labs, academic institutions, and other partners

Requirements

• Highly motivated to study, mentor, and publish as a thought leader in energy systems
• Graduate degree (or in progress) in a relevant field (e.g., mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering; mathematics; operations research; optimization)
• Track record of publishing high-quality literature related to energy systems, including electricity dispatch modeling
• Strong background in system optimization and operations research (energy systems expertise preferred but not required)

Skills

Valuable skills for the position include:

• Energy systems modeling
• Technoeconomic analysis
• Multi-objective optimization
• Electricity dispatch modeling
• Programming (Python, Matlab, Julia, etc.)
• Thermodynamics
• Data management
• User interface development
• Decision support tools

Application Requirements

• At least two samples of technical writing, with attestation that the work is original and not AI-generated (peer-reviewed publications preferred)
• Evidence of ability to complete technically rigorous analysis (e.g., code in Python or Matlab solving a multi-objective optimization problem, professionally formatted Excel solutions, or other relevant work)
• Contact information for three professional references (supervisors, mentors, or teachers who can attest to professionalism, creativity, work ethic, and character)

Benefits

• Health insurance stipend
• Relocation supplement
• Travel support for professional advancement

Pay

$60,000–$100,000 annually, pending qualifications.