Environmental Remediation and Waste Processing and Disposal

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management and subordinate agencies fund Environmental Remediation and Waste Processing and Disposal (CFDA 81.104), with the most recent grant award issued on April 1, 2026. The program supports technology development and demonstration for tank waste processing and closure, contaminated groundwater and soil remediation, nuclear materials disposition, facility decontamination and decommissioning, and environmental monitoring and compliance support at DOE sites and former nuclear weapons complex locations. Assistance awards are predominantly Project Grants (64 percent, 140 awards) with substantial Cooperative Agreement activity (31 percent, 67 awards) and a smaller Block Grant component (5 percent, 11 awards). Maximum award term is five years, with approval timelines ranging from two months to one year.

Over 33 years of funding history, 219 total awards have obligated $772.9 million in federal dollars (combined federal and non-federal share: $817.6 million). Recent activity remains steady at two to four awards per year; 2025 saw four awards and 2026 has issued two awards to date. The Department of Energy dominated the portfolio with 150 awards totaling $297.4 million, followed by the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (16 awards, $236.6 million) and DOE Office of Environmental Management (48 awards, $227.6 million). Award magnitudes range from under $100 thousand to multi-million-dollar commitments; recent representative awards include Florida International University's five-year Cooperative Agreement for radioactive waste processing and soil-groundwater remediation research and technology development ($3.05 million, March 2026), Nevada Department of Environmental Protection oversight of waste management at Nevada National Security Site ($17.8 million, July 2021), and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control permitting and compliance support for Savannah River facility pit production ($15.7 million, October 2021). Eligible applicants include public, quasi-public, and private entities; educational institutions; nonprofit organizations; state and local governments; and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. No recent open DOE grant opportunities under this listing are currently posted in the source; the most recently closed opportunity was the DOE Traineeship in Robotics (due September 30, 2015), which sought Cooperative Agreements to accredited universities for graduate-level training aligned with DOE environmental management robotics and workforce needs.