WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $85 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be awarded in early 2010 to support at least 50 early career researchers for five years at U.S. academic institutions and DOE national laboratories. 

“This funding highlights the Administrations continued commitment to building the nation’s scientific workforce by attracting top emerging researchers to careers in vital areas of basic research,” said Secretary Chu.  “By investing in scientific researchers in their formative years, we can provide scientists with the resources to do some of their most exciting and productive work.” 

To be eligible for the competition, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant professor at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory.  The applicant must also have received a Ph.D. within the past ten years. 

Each university award will be at least $150,000 per year for five years to support summer salary and other research expenses.  For DOE national laboratories, awards will be at least $500,000 per year for five years to support year-round salary and expenses.

Early career researchers may apply to one of six Office of Science program offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Biological and Environmental Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Fusion Energy Sciences; High Energy Physics; or Nuclear Physics.  Proposed research topics must fall within the programmatic priorities of DOE’s Office of Science, which are provided in the program announcements.  Funding will be competitively awarded on the basis of peer review. 

Letters of intent will be due on August 1, 2009, and proposals will be due on September 1, 2009.

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