The mission of the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) program is to strengthen and increase a diverse pipeline of future science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) professionals. The program started in 1995 by the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) with the goal of increasing opportunities for geology students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In 1999, FE combined this program with its Hispanic Internship Program and Tribal Colleges and Universities Internship Program to form the Minority Education Initiative (MEI). The following year, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson renamed MEI in honor of the late George Thomas ‘Mickey’ Leland. The Secretary stated that the fellowship program would honor his memory by "remembering a great American who dedicated his life to expanding human potential." Since 1995, FE has hosted over 600 summer interns under the MLEF Program.

Eligibility
Be at least 18 years of age at time of application
Be a U.S. Citizen
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
Be currently enrolled full-time as a degree-seeking student in a STEM program at an accredited college or university at the Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral level (Students pursuing an Associate’s degree are eligible to apply if transferring to pursue a Bachelor’s degree for fall 2018). Must be at least a college sophomore at the time of application.
Be available to participate in the full 10-week program
Important Dates
Below are the important dates for the 2019 program.

Application deadline: December 17, 2018

https://orise.orau.gov/mlef/applicants/default.html