For over 60 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has provided training opportunities for future scientists, engineers, and technical professionals to support DOE’s mission in energy, national security, and the environment. DOE’s 17 national laboratories provide a unique opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce development, offering access to world-leading expertise, scientific user facilities and instrumentation, and multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research teams and programs generally not available in universities or industry.
In partnerships with DOE’s national laboratories, the Office of Science (SC), through the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), provides a suite of workforce development programs that prepare a strong talent pool to help maintain U.S. at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation. Research and technical mentors across the DOE laboratory complex play a pivotal role in delivering quality training experiences to the future generation of workforce. Despite their dedication and important contributions to these training activities, many mentors are not recognized for these crucial mentoring activities.
At DOE national laboratories, students work with teams of experts to gain new scientific knowledge, acquire advanced skills, and practice the use of state-of-the-art equipment at scientific facilities. The mentors can be either researchers or technical professionals who guide students on science, engineering, or technology projects and specialized capabilities to conduct research. In view of the essential role that mentors play on the training of a new generation of STEM professionals, the Office of Science’s WDTS Office establishes the DOE Distinguished Mentors for Workforce Development award program, with the goal to recognize outstanding mentorship, promote best mentoring practices, and help sustain a vibrant mentor pool for workforce development at DOE national laboratories to advance the DOE mission and strengthen the U.S. workforce of tomorrow.
Congratulations to the Inaugural 2025 awardees. Click to view the awardees.
