Funding will support fundamental research that impacts American science, energy, and national security.
March 3, 2026
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WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science today announced a $352 million funding opportunity for DOE’s Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC), advancing President Trump’s Executive Order Restoring Gold Standard Science by supporting rigorous, transparent, and mission-driven basic research that underpins the next generation of energy technologies. This funding will bring together world-class teams of scientists from universities, DOE National Laboratories, and other institutions to perform fundamental research in materials sciences, chemistry, geosciences, and biosciences. These efforts will lay the scientific foundation needed to accelerate breakthroughs in critical minerals, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing to secure America’s technological leadership.
“For over 15 years, the EFRC program has provided a transformational research environment that has brought together the strengths of our National Laboratories and universities to accelerate discovery, develop innovative tools, and train the next generation of the American energy science workforce,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil. “The EFRCs will continue to play a vital role in bridging disciplines and institutions, advancing foundational science and strengthening America’s leadership to push forward scientific frontiers critical for new energy technologies.”
Since 2009, the EFRC program has supported 107 centers spanning more than 190 institutions in 43 states and Washington, D.C. and trained more than 6,200 students and postdoctoral researchers in energy-relevant team science. EFRC-supported research has resulted in over 17,000 peer-reviewed publications, 780 patent applications, 270 patents, and 135 companies that have benefited from EFRC-enabled innovations.
Applicants must propose basic research that addresses scientific challenges in one or more of the following topics:
- Unconventional computing paradigms
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning for materials and chemistry
- Complex chemical systems
- Critical minerals and materials
- Nuclear energy science
- Subsurface science
- Electrical energy storage
- Advanced manufacturing
- Microelectronics
- Quantum systems and quantum computing
Applications for new and renewing EFRCs are open to accredited U.S. colleges and universities, National Laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private sector companies.
For more information about this funding opportunity and the EFRC program, please register for a webinar on March 9, 2026, at 1 PM ET. Register on Zoom.
The funding opportunity is sponsored by Basic Energy Sciences within the Department’s Office of Science and can be found on the BES funding opportunities website. Total planned funding is up to $352 million, with $88 million in Fiscal Year 2026 dollars and $264 million in outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.