DOE emphasizes the EFRC program as a bridge across disciplines to accelerate discovery and train the next generation of energy scientists.

Funding recipients include U.S. colleges and universities, national laboratories researchers, and private sector companies, addressing fundamental questions across materials sciences, chemistry, geosciences, and biosciences.

The program builds on the EFRC model, prioritizing collaboration among national laboratories and universities to accelerate discovery, tool development, and workforce training for the American energy science enterprise.

Proposals should pursue topics such as unconventional computing, AI/ML for materials and chemistry, complex chemical systems, critical minerals and materials, nuclear energy science, subsurface science, electrical energy storage, advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, and quantum systems/quantum computing.

The U.S. Department of Energy is announcing a $352 million funding opportunity for Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to support basic research underpinning energy technologies and accelerate emerging energy systems in the United States.

The program seeks to accelerate breakthroughs in critical minerals, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing by fostering collaboration among universities, DOE National Laboratories, and other institutions.

Eligible applicants include accredited U.S. colleges and universities, National Laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private sector companies.

Funding aims to advance cross-disciplinary outcomes by connecting researchers across academia, national labs, and industry.

A webinar is planned for March 9, 2026, at 1 PM ET to provide more information, with registration via Zoom.

Energy Secretary highlights AI as a key enabling technology for accelerating fundamental science, including fusion research, with a catalytic impact on scientific progress.

The initiative aligns with broader goals of unifying federal research efforts and leveraging high-performance computing to support emerging technology research.

Since 2009, EFRCs have supported 107 centers across 190+ institutions, training over 6,200 people and yielding substantial scholarly and patent output (thousands of publications and hundreds of patents and patents).