Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DE-FOA-0003538
- Agency
-
National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $3,100,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Energy
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- For Profit Organizations
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- Small Businesses
- Points of contact
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy seeks competitive research and development proposals to advance nuclear energy science and technology through the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) program. Eligible applicants include U.S. universities, colleges, national laboratories, for-profit organizations, and small businesses, with all work required to be performed in the United States. Proposals must address at least one of four primary NE mission priorities: enabling continued operation of existing nuclear reactors, deploying advanced nuclear reactors, developing advanced nuclear fuel cycles, or maintaining U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology. The program evaluates applications through a multi-phase merit review process based on relevance to NE mission (scoring component), advancement of knowledge (35%), technical quality of proposed research and development (35%), and applicant team capabilities (30%). Critical deadlines include a Letter of Intent due January 5, 2026, Pre-Application deadline of February 3, 2026, and Full Application deadline of June 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST, with anticipated award notifications by September 30, 2026.
The opportunity provides approximately $57 million in total funding across three primary areas: approximately $43 million for up to 50 University/College-led R&D Projects and NSUF Access awards of up to $1 million each (or $1.1 million with REU supplements), approximately $6 million for up to 3 NSUF Access Only Projects, and approximately $6 million for up to 2 University-led Integrated Research Projects of up to $3 million each. An additional $2 million supports Research Experiences for Undergraduates supplements of up to $100,000 each. Project periods typically extend up to three years, with extensions up to seven years available for projects involving NSUF access with neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination. Applications must be submitted through NEUP.gov and require SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity Identifier prior to submission.
Synopsis
The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) mission is to advance nuclear energy science and technology to meet U.S. energy, environmental, and economic needs. NE has identified the following goals to address challenges in the nuclear energy sector, help realize the potential of advanced technology, and leverage the unique role of the government in spurring innovation: · Enable continued operation of existing U.S. nuclear reactors · Enable deployment of advanced nuclear reactors · Develop advanced nuclear fuel cycles · Maintain U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology NE strives to promote integrated and collaborative research conducted by national laboratory, university, industry, and international partners under the direction of NE's programs, and to deploy innovative nuclear energy technologies to the market and to optimize the benefits of nuclear energy.
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