DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program

DOE Office of Science's Early Career Research Program sits inside the Office of Science and backs early-career scientists at U.S. universities and DOE national laboratories or user facilities. It is aimed at researchers within 10 years of earning a doctorate, giving the program a clear role as a first major federal award for new faculty and lab staff in the physical sciences. The program uses grant awards. Academic researchers receive about $875,000 over five years, while researchers at DOE national laboratories or user facilities receive about $2.75 million over five years. The FY2026 cycle required a mandatory pre-application due March 24, 2026, with full applications due June 2, 2026, after encouragement from DOE. Seven program offices participate: ASCR, BER, BES, FES, HEP, NP, and DOE-IP, and the program returns annually. Strong applicants align tightly to one DOE science office's priorities and use the pre-application gate to prove fit before asking for a full submission. The program rewards a focused scientific idea, strong institutional backing, and a project that can stand on its own within a specific Office of Science mission rather than a broad campus program. That extra selectivity makes it most useful to researchers who already have a clear laboratory and program-office match, not just a promising topic.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.