Energy Department Announces Up to $400 Million for Basic Research to Advance the Frontiers of Science

Annual funding opportunity advances the Trump Administration’s priorities across Basic Energy Sciences, Fusion Energy Sciences, Nuclear Physics, and more.

Energy.gov

October 1, 2026
Estimated Read Time   min

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced its annual funding opportunity of up to $400 million to advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge and lay the foundation for future technologies and innovation. The funding delivers on President Trump’s Executive Order Restoring Gold Standard Science by supporting rigorous, transparent, and mission-driven research across DOE’s Office of Science to strengthen America’s scientific and technological leadership.

“Foundational research is where the breakthroughs that shape America’s future begin,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil. “Through this investment, we are empowering our nation’s researchers to pursue bold ideas, push the boundaries of discovery, and build the scientific foundations for tomorrow’s technologies—strengthening America’s global leadership in science and innovation.”

The funding will support research across DOE’s Office of Science and its major programs to tackle some of the nation’s greatest scientific challenges and accelerate discoveries in areas critical to America’s future. Research will span Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics, and Isotope R&D and Production.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), informally known as the “Open Call,” is issued annually at the beginning of each Fiscal Year (FY). It provides a vehicle for DOE’s Office of Science to solicit applications from institutions for research support in areas not covered by more specific, topical NOFOs issued by the office in FY 2027.

More details about this Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found here.

DOE’s Office of Science is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, funds research at hundreds of universities nationwide, and stewards 10 of DOE’s National Laboratories.

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(202) 586-4940 or DOENews@hq.doe.gov

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