Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program

Key Facts

Status: Forecasted

Posted date: December 15, 2025

Archive date: April 2, 2026

Close date: March 3, 2026

Opportunity ID: 361022

Opportunity number: DE-FOA-0003540

Opportunity category: Discretionary

Agency name: Idaho Field Office

Agency code: DOE-ID

Award floor: $0

Award ceiling: $800,000

Cost sharing required: No

Funding Instrument Types
  • Grant
Category of Funding Activity
  • Energy
Eligible Applicants
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Tools
Categories (use these for quoted searches)
  • agency_code:doe_id
  • category_of_funding_activity:energy
  • cost_sharing_or_matching_requirement:false
  • eligible_applicants:private_institutions_of_higher_education
  • eligible_applicants:public_and_state_controlled_institutions_of_higher_education
  • funding_instrument_type:grant
  • opportunity_category:discretionary
  • status:forecasted
Description

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.

Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program
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.
[Forecasted] Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program
Forecasted
Idaho Field Office
Energy
Grant
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
2025-12-15