Through the Cogen Summer Fellowship program, the Energy Institute has been working with outside local companies to create fellowships for students. This program has just finished its 2025 cycle of operation, and has helped students gain experience in the real world. Students work to gain real industry experience in energy, environmental, or engineering research.

The program itself lasts 10 weeks, spanning the whole summer, with the students working paid full-time hours. This operation is funded 50% by the Energy Institute and 50% by participating companies and labs. The work, however, is done entirely with the outside company or lab. Students can designate which companies or labs they wish to work with in their application, with each project having different desired majors, skills, and qualifications of the applicants. Companies involved in the 2025 fellowship included the City of Fort Collins, Solas Energy, the Energy Institute Rapid Prototyping Lab, and more. This fellowship can cover not only traditional lab research, but also communications, marketing, administrative support, or policy, depending on the host company’s needs and the student’s interests.

Students who have participated in this Fellowship program have noted on the amount they have learned that wasn’t directly in the description. From career insight to learning how small businesses change as they get larger, this Fellowship has more than just STEM applications.

These students exit their Fellowships as a more well-rounded person and a better candidate for future opportunities. This fellowship allows for students to participate in networking, to learn more about their chosen field, and have hands-on exposure to real world engineering and environmental technologies. Working with local industry leaders gives students the opportunity to build connections, while also developing skills that will carry them throughout the rest of their careers.

Any company that wants to host a fellow and help a student to engage in cutting-edge clean energy/sustainability technologies should reach out to Hilary Klein for more information or visit our Cogen Fellowship information page.