Student Research on Sweden's Energy Transition (SWEET)
George Washington University·Washington, DC·2026 cycle
Closed for cycleEcology/Conservation/Evolutionary BiologySocial Sciences✓ verified
How will we power the industries of the future? How can we balance tensions between political priorities, labor and environmental variables, and technological possibilities in the green transition? Explore these questions and many more as a participant in SWEET! This program engages a cohort of 8 Washington, DC-area undergraduate and graduate students in a collaborative and interdisciplinary research experience spanning the spring and summer of 2026. Students will work closely with faculty mentors at the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden’s northernmost university, to investigate the challenges and opportunities in Sweden’s green energy transition. Northern Sweden is a green industrial cluster, hosting fossil-free iron mines, green steel factories, data centers, and much more. This research requires working with local stakeholders in industry, government, and Indigenous communities to better understand the connections between quickly evolving technological innovations, community attitudes regarding renewable energy technologies, and the impacts of energy infrastructure on local populations and environments. Students will participate in a 3-credit course in research methods in Washington, DC during the spring semester before traveling to Luleå, Sweden for 5 weeks in the early summer (tentatively May 18 - June 22, 2026) to support ongoing research. Upon returning to the U.S., students will spend the rest of the summer synthesizing their findings. Students will receive a stipend of $4200 in the summer in addition to fully funded travel (flights, lodging, food, and local transportation). We will be hosting two online information sessions: Tuesday, September 16th at 9am | Link to register Thursday, September 18th at 4pm | Link to register Contact Bob Orttung (rorttung@gwu.edu) with any questions. Applications are due on October 5, 2025. Applicants can expect to hear back by late October.
Energy, energy transition, electricity, renewable energy, hydropower, hydrogen, mining, green transition, European Union, Europe, Sweden, community-based research, sustainability, EV, battery, data centers, environment, interdisciplinary
Eligible applicants must: Be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college or university in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area Be able to participate in weekly in-person classes at the George Washington University during the spring 2026 semester, tentatively scheduled for Tuesdays 2:30-5pm Have a valid passport and be available to travel internationally in May-June 2026 We prefer that participants: Study a STEM subject, though students from non-STEM disciplines are eligible if they demonstrate that the experience will contribute to a future in STEM Are upper-level undergraduate (in their third or fourth years) or master’s students during the spring 2026 semester Have previous research or international experience Strong candidates will demonstrate a commitment to collaborative and interdisciplinary learning, as well as writing and analytical skills.