DOE SBIR/STTR — ASCR Topics

DOE SBIR/STTR ASCR Topics

Offers innovation teams support in advanced computing and hardware-oriented technologies.

The DOE Office of Science Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program contributes annual topic areas to the DOE Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program, which is managed by the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) following a consolidation effective April 28, 2026. ASCR's recurring topic areas cover high-performance computing software infrastructure, quantum computing, artificial intelligence for scientific applications, and high-speed scientific networking. The program is authorized through FY2031 under the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act.

Phase I awards are approximately $200,000 over 6–12 months and test technical feasibility. Phase II awards are approximately $1.6 million over up to 24 months and develop the technology further. Phase III is unfunded by DOE and targets commercialization using private or other federal funds. Eligibility is limited to for-profit U.S. small businesses with fewer than 500 employees and greater than 51 percent U.S. ownership. Universities and national laboratories are not eligible as lead applicants but may participate as STTR research partners. For FY2026, Phase II applications for current Phase I awardees are opening in June 2026; some Phase I topic solicitations open in June or July 2026, with additional Phase I windows expected in late summer 2026.

Applicants should identify ASCR-specific topic numbers within the annual DOE SBIR/STTR solicitation published on the OTC portal. Contact for the program is sbir-sttr@science.doe.gov. Hundreds of awards are made annually across all DOE offices. Competitive proposals address a specific ASCR topic number, demonstrate technical innovation beyond the current state of the art, and present a credible commercialization pathway. Signing up for the DOE SBIR newsletter at govdelivery.com/accounts/USEERE/signup/49563 is the most reliable way to track solicitation release dates.