Join Oak Ridge National Laboratory as an independent, early-career research staff member. The Distinguished Staff Fellowship program provides three years of fellowship funding, purposeful mentorship, and professional development to help exceptional scientists and engineers establish research programs aligned with ORNL and U.S. Department of Energy missions.
Distinguished Staff Fellows pursue ambitious research while contributing to projects across the laboratory. Each fellow works within an ORNL division and follows a mentoring and integration plan developed to connect the fellow with scientific collaborators, facilities, sponsors, and future funding opportunities. The program is designed to establish a foundation for a long-term research career at ORNL.
Research Independence
Fellows develop new lines of inquiry while contributing to related ORNL projects.
Purposeful Mentorships
Senior researchers help fellows build networks, understand ORNL resources, and align their work with DOE missions.
Three Years of Fellowship Funding
Divisions help fellows identify research and funding opportunities that can support a successful transition beyond the fellowship period.
A Path Toward Continued Collaboration
ORNL intends the fellowship to support a long-term relationship when continued employment is mutually beneficial to the fellow and the laboratory.
Early Career Development
Program activities introduce fellows to laboratory leadership, research organizations, and funding mechanisms.
One Program, Three Fellowships
ORNL’s Distinguished Staff Fellowships honor three scientists whose research and leadership shaped the laboratory. The names reflect broad research traditions within one fellowship program. Candidates submit one application, and ORNL assigns the fellowship designation to each selected candidate based on the candidate’s research area.
