Office of Science Financial Assistance Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 81.049
- Agency
-
Department of Energy
- Grant awards
- 26,981 $32,663,694,174 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Block Grant
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 89-0222-0-1-251
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Energy Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (CFDA 81.049) funds basic research across physical sciences, with a most recent grant award dated September 15, 2026, and an open continuation solicitation accepting applications through September 30, 2027.
The program supports fundamental scientific research spanning Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Isotope R&D and Production. Recent awards demonstrate concrete scope: quantum information systems research (superconducting qubits, qudit development, quantum error correction), materials chemistry and catalysis (electrocatalytic reduction, colloidal systems, actinide coordination chemistry), plasma physics (tokamak modeling, laboratory plasma dynamics), atmospheric and environmental science (aerosol-cloud interactions, forest biogeochemistry, seismic processes), bioenergy crop optimization using AI, and computational methods for chemistry and physics discovery. Funding also supports research training, such as the $16.7 million Computational Science Graduate Fellowship award and Gordon Research Conferences.
Awards are predominantly Project Grants (95 percent of 25,707 awards), with smaller shares of Cooperative Agreements (4 percent), Block Grants, and Formula Grants. The Department of Energy Office of Science dominates funding, accounting for 9,965 awards totaling $18 billion in federal dollars obligated. The broader DOE entity obligated an additional $14.51 billion across 16,979 awards. The remaining federal partners (NNSA, Office of Environment Health Safety and Security, Office of Environmental Management) represent a minor share of the portfolio.
Combined federal dollars obligated across the program total $32.66 billion; combined total obligations including non-federal cost-share are $32.98 billion. Recent individual Project Grant awards range from $5,000 for workshops to approximately $2 million, with typical investigator-led awards in the $600,000 to $1 million range. Award dates cluster in August and September 2026; the portfolio shows 202 awards made year-to-date in 2026, a decline from prior years (659 in 2025, 884 in 2024).
Multiple opportunities remain active. The FY 2027 Continuation solicitation (DE-FOA-0003665) accepts applications through September 30, 2027, covering all SC research areas with unrestricted eligibility. The Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot (DE-FOA-0003673, due January 12, 2027) funds doctoral training with dual competency in super intelligence and another scientific discipline, open to U.S. institutions of higher education. The Quantum Genesis Q Competition (DE-FOA-0003657, due October 19, 2026) invites domestic commercial entities to develop fault-tolerant quantum computers. Renewal applications must be submitted no later than six months prior to project expiration. Institutions of higher education, national laboratories, nonprofit and for-profit private entities, state and local governments, and consortia are eligible. Selection is based on scientific or technical merit, appropriateness of method, competency of personnel and resources, and budget reasonableness in peer review.
Objective and description
- Objective
SC is the Nation's largest Federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and the lead Federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for our Nation's energy future. SC is an established leader of the U.S. scientific discovery
- Description
SC's basic research portfolio, which includes extramural grants and contracts supporting nearly 29,000 researchers located at over 300 institutions and the 17 DOE national laboratories, spanning all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Our researchers advance our understanding of the natural universe and create the discoveries that can be exploited in numerous fields.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Except where a program solicitation establishes more restrictive eligibility criteria, individuals and organizations in the following categories may submit proposals: Institutions of higher education; National Laboratories; Nonprofit and for-profit private entities; State and local governments; and consortia of entities described above.
- Uses of assistance
See information at https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/Science-Highlights for features about our research activities. A full listing of past and current awards is available at https://pamspublic.science.energy.gov/WebPAMSExternal/interface/awards/AwardSearchExternal.aspx
- Use restrictions
Per 10 CFR 605.16, awards in support of conferences and scientific/technical meetings will not include payment for indirect costs.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Generally, financial assistance awards are awarded as a three-year project period composed of three one-year budget periods that are either fully funded at the time of award or funded on an annual basis. Generally, funding restrictions are placed on fully-funded awards with planned annual funding releases. In both cases, funding/funding releases are authorized based on criteria established in the individual award terms and conditions including adequate progress and availability of funds, if applicable.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Applications will be subject to scientific merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance: Scientific and/or Technical Merit or the Educational Benefits of the Projects; Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach; Competency of Applicant's Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources; and, Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget; and other appropriate factors, established and set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
- Award procedure
After selections, DOE may negotiate a financial assistance award with the selected applicant. Only a DOE Contracting Officer is authorized to approve financial assistance agreement.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Normally, 6 months from receipt of grant application. Every notice of funding opportunity published at https://www.grants.gov will detail its anticipated notification schedule.
- Renewals
Renewal applications must be submitted no later than six months prior to the scheduled expiration of the project period and must include a separate section that describes the results of work accomplished through the date of the renewal application (see 10 CFR 605.9). Renewal applications shall be submitted electronically in response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement through Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov.
Grant opportunities
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Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 26,981 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Atomics | $1,774,119,649 | 5% |
| 2 | Michigan State University | $1,613,911,339 | 5% |
| 3 | Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | $1,498,671,679 | 5% |
| 4 | University Of Wisconsin System | $1,241,891,427 | 4% |
| 5 | University Of Illinois | $566,442,813 | 2% |
| 6 | University Of California, LOS Angeles | $473,824,628 | 1% |
| 7 | University Of Washington | $445,926,006 | 1% |
| 8 | California Institute Of Technology | $430,530,290 | 1% |
| 9 | Regents Of The University Of Michigan | $386,839,033 | 1% |
| 10 | University Of Texas At Austin | $380,334,776 | 1% |
10 of 3,167 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $911,414,278 |
| FY2025 | $1,386,493,321 |
| FY2024 | $1,655,932,397 |
| FY2023 | $1,730,933,040 |
| FY2022 | $1,523,447,608 |
| FY2021 | $1,379,915,040 |
| FY2020 | $1,344,237,670 |
| FY2019 | $1,289,842,099 |
| FY2018 | $1,330,718,013 |
| FY2017 | $1,130,911,566 |
| FY2016 | $1,150,948,432 |
| FY2015 | $1,123,478,061 |
| FY2014 | $1,134,524,872 |
| FY2013 | $1,011,513,455 |
| FY2012 | $1,028,790,425 |
| FY2011 | $2,007,950,205 |
| FY2010 | $2,321,636,655 |
| FY2009 | $2,266,964,594 |
| FY2008 | $855,074,606 |
| FY2007 | $840,712,625 |
| FY2006 | $952,785,983 |
| FY2005 | $998,640,310 |
| FY2004 | $975,636,015 |
| FY2003 | $789,810,034 |
| FY2002 | $812,412,509 |
| FY2001 | $781,447,617 |
Show all 26
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 81.049?
Assistance Listing 81.049 is Office of Science Financial Assistance Program, a federal grant program run by Department of Energy.
What is the CFDA number for Office of Science Financial Assistance Program?
Its CFDA number is 81.049: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 81.049 awarded?
26,981 grant awards under 81.049 have obligated $32,663,694,174 in federal funds to 3,167 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 81.049?
The recipients obligated the most under Office of Science Financial Assistance Program are General Atomics ($1,774,119,649), Michigan State University ($1,613,911,339) and Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ($1,498,671,679).
How much did 81.049 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 81.049 obligated $1,386,493,321 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 81.049?
3 of the latest 50 opportunities under 81.049 are open or forecasted. The latest, Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot, was posted on October 8, 2026.
On GovTribe
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