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DOE: Genesis Mission - Transforming Science and Energy with AI
DOE is soliciting new FY26 Phase I (small team) and Phase II (large team) applications in the following topic areas: Advanced Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Critical Materials, Nuclear Fision, Nuclear Fusion, Quantum Information Science, Semiconductors and Microelectronics, Discovery Science, and Energy to accelerate scientific discovery and R&D workflows using novel AI models and frameworks.
By achieving AI advantage, these teams will advance the DOE's mission and ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through science and technology. Teams are encouraged to leverage the extensive scientific and data resources of the DOE, the National Laboratories, U.S. industry, and academia.
Phase I
In Phase I, applicants must propose small teams with partner institutions from at least two of the following categories: (1) DOE/NNSA National Laboratory or a Scientific User Facility (2) Industry, and (3) Institute of Higher Education (IHE)/Non-profit/Other.
In Phase I, teams will design and demonstrate a clear, tangible research workflow that incorporates AI with concrete evaluation of the potential for AI advantage. Success may include demonstrating increased predictive power or scientific insight from appropriately-curated data, more tightly coupling data and experiments to validate hypotheses, building new models and analyzing their impact on discovery speedup, identifying scaling metrics that show how performance improves with more data or computing resources, improving and speeding up experimental workflows (e.g., through automation or AI-informed parameters), or other proposed metrics that the team would like to be considered. The goal is to provide quantitative analysis of whether a proposed approach is on a trajectory toward a transformative scientific capability, justifying further investment.
Phase II
In Phase II, applicants will be expected to propose large teams with at least one partner institution from categories (1) DOE/NNSA National Laboratory or a Scientific User Facility, or (2) Industry. Inclusion of lead or partner institutions from category (3) Institute of Higher Education (IHE)/Non-profit/Other. are strongly encouraged but not required.
During Phase II, meritorious Phase I and new Phase II teams will pursue the promising directions identified during the first phase. DOE envisions a level of effort (including team size and budget) at 3 to 5 times the initial phase. Receipt of a Phase I award will not be a prerequisite for submitting a letter of interest and application for Phase II. If a team believes they have already achieved the goals of Phase I awards, they may apply directly for a Phase II award in FY26.
***Please note, according to the current RFA (p.9) "An amended RFA will be issued to provide updated instructions about the Phase II LOI and application."
We will provide updated instructions for Phase II when available.
Challenge Areas
1 - Reenvisioning Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Productivity
2 - Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution
3 - Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply
4 - Delivering Nuclear Energy that is Faster, Safer, Cheaper
5 - Accelerating Delivery of Fusion Energy
6 - Transforming Nuclear Restoration and Revitalization
7 - Discovering Quantum Algorithms with AI
8 - Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery
9 - Recentering Microelectronics in America
10 - Securing U.S. Leadership in Data Centers
11 - Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories
12 - Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality
13 - Enhancing Particle Accelerators for Discovery
14 - Unifying Physics from Quarks to the Cosmos
15 - Predicting U.S. Water for Energy
16 - Scaling the Grid to Power the American Economy
17 - Unleashing Subsurface Strategic Energy Assets
18 - HPC Code Curation, Translation, and Development for Accelerated Scientific Discoveries
19 - AI for Scientific Reasoning
20 - Cybersecurity for AI-driven Science Workflows
21 - Artificial Intelligence in Fluid Flow for Energy Components and Technologies
Institutional Limit: *One (1) Application/LOI Per Focus Area within a Challenge Area
**Applicant institutions are limited to no more than one application as the lead institution per focus area for Phase I and Phase II applications combined.
Funder Deadlines:
Phase I Applications: April 28, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Phase II LOIs: April 28, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Phase II Applications: May 19, 2026, 11:59pm ET
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