The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science today announced it is now accepting applications for the 2026 DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program. The program will advance President Trump’s Executive Order Restoring Gold Standard Science,  providing five-year awards to exceptional early career researchers at U.S. academic institutions, DOE National Laboratories, and Office of Science User Facilities to stimulate new research directions in mission critical areas supported by DOE’s Office of Science.

“The energy and creativity of early career scientists is crucial for propelling scientific discovery forward. The Department of Energy is committed to nurturing this talent through programs like the Early Career Research Program,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil. "These awards provide essential resources and opportunities for collaboration, enabling these researchers to explore novel concepts and accelerate the development of solutions for our nation's energy and scientific landscape." 

To be eligible for the program, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. academic institution or a full-time employee at a DOE National Laboratory or Office of Science User Facility who is within 10 years of having earned a doctorate degree. Awards to an institution of higher education will be approximately $875,000 over five years and awards to a DOE National Laboratory or Office of Science User Facility will be approximately $2,750,000 over five years.  

DOE’s Office of Science is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. Early career researchers may apply to one of seven Office of Science program offices: Advanced Scientific Computing Research; Biological and Environmental Research; Basic Energy Sciences; Fusion Energy Sciences; High Energy Physics; Nuclear Physics; and Isotope R&D and Production. Proposed research topics must fall within the programmatic priorities of DOE’s Office of Science, which are provided in the program announcement. Funding will be competitively awarded on the basis of peer review.  

Pre-applications are mandatory and are due on March 24, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Applications will be due on June 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Only those applicants whose pre-application is encouraged by DOE may submit full applications. 

Total planned funding is up to $145 million, with $79 million in Fiscal Year 2026 dollars and outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations. 

To see more about this funding opportunity please visit the funding opportunities page.