Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program
Closed Posted
- Opportunity number
- DE-FOA-0003540
- Agency
-
National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy
- Applications due
- Award size
- Up to $800,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
-
- Energy
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- Points of contact
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy is seeking research proposals from untenured assistant professors at U.S. universities to advance nuclear energy science and technology. Eligible applicants must be no more than four years beyond their initial assistant professor appointment and no more than ten years beyond their doctorate as of January 31, 2026, and are prohibited from including co-PIs or having previously received similar federally funded early career awards. Proposed research must align with NE's core mission areas: Fuel Cycle Research and Development, Reactor Concepts Research, Development, and Demonstration, or Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies. Evaluation will employ three equally weighted criteria (33.34% each): advancing state of knowledge in nuclear energy research, demonstrating an integrated research-education-service plan with broader societal impacts, and demonstrating qualifications and leadership potential within the nuclear energy community. The full application deadline is March 10, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with anticipated award notifications by September 30, 2026.
The program will distribute approximately $3.2 million across 0-4 awards ranging from $0-$800,000 each, supporting a five-year project period anticipated to begin February 1, 2027. All research work must be performed in the United States, with applications submitted through NEUP.gov following registration in SAM.gov and Grants.gov. Cost sharing is encouraged but not required, and any proposed cost share contributions must be incrementally matched throughout the award period.
Synopsis
The Office of Nuclear Energy's (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: • Keep existing U.S. nuclear reactors operating; • Deploy new nuclear reactors; • Secure and sustain our nuclear fuel cycle; and • Expand international nuclear energy cooperation. All applications submitted under this NOFO must demonstrate a strong tie to NEs mission. NE conducts crosscutting nuclear energy research and development (R & D) and associated infrastructure support activities to develop innovative technologies that offer the promise of dramatically improved performance for its mission needs while maximizing the impact of DOE resources. NE strives to promote integrated and collaborative research conducted by national laboratories, universities, industry, and international partners in conjunction with NE's programs and to deploy innovative nuclear energy technologies to the market to meet the strategic goals and optimize the benefits of nuclear energy. NE funds research activities, through both competitive and direct mechanisms, as required to best meet those goals. This approach ensures a balanced R & D portfolio and encourages new nuclear power deployment with creative solutions to the universe of nuclear energy challenges through various major research programs funded by NE.
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