DOE Genesis Mission — AI Science & Energy Challenges

Genesis Mission — DE-FOA-0003612

Supports national artificial intelligence and science challenge response through sustained development grants.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Genesis Mission FY2026 Request for Application (RFA DE-FOA-0003612), posted March 17, 2026, made $293 million available through the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science to apply artificial intelligence to 26 national science and technology challenges. The 26 challenges, announced February 12, 2026, by Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil, span advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, and quantum information science. Specific challenges include scaling the grid, harnessing nuclear data, achieving AI-driven autonomous laboratories, recentering microelectronics in America, and discovering quantum algorithms with AI. Eligible applicants were interdisciplinary teams drawn from DOE national laboratories, U.S. industry, and academia.

The program offered two distinct award tracks. Phase I awards ranged from $500,000 to $750,000 for nine-month projects. Phase II awards ranged from $6 million to $15 million over three years. Teams could apply directly to Phase I, Phase II, or both in the FY2026 cycle. Successful Phase I teams are eligible to compete for Phase II awards in future funding cycles. Applications were submitted through science.osti.gov/Funding-Opportunities and Grants.gov. The Phase I application deadline was April 28, 2026; Phase II letters of intent were also due April 28, 2026; full Phase II applications were due May 19, 2026. Both deadlines have passed as of June 2026, so the FY2026 competition is closed.

Organizations that did not apply in FY2026 should monitor DOE's Office of Science funding page for a follow-on Genesis Mission solicitation. The program reflects DOE's strategic priority of accelerating scientific discovery through AI and is backed by the White House's broader AI competitiveness agenda. Teams combining national lab computing infrastructure with industry commercialization capabilities and academic domain expertise were the target profile for Phase II awards in the $6–$15 million range.