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The Department of Energy's Office of Technology Commercialization has opened the FY26 Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR Phase I opportunity, funding small business research across four AI-for-science topic areas tied to DOE's Genesis Mission.
Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution seeks advanced AI applications for biochemicals and bioproducts, including AI tools to support biomolecular design and to accelerate bioreactor design and biomanufacturing. Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery covers AI for quantum computing and networking, specifically qubit decoherence mitigation, quantum error correction, and automating and optimising quantum resource estimation tools.
Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality seeks AI frameworks enabling inverse design, where materials are engineered backwards from specific required properties, for energy and manufacturing applications. Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories covers integration of AI into experimental workflows using advanced robotics, AI for network operations, diagnostics and remote handling.
Phase I awards are up to 250,000 dollars over six to 12 months, with approximately 40 awards totalling 10 million dollars and lifecycle funding up to 44 million dollars.
The defining feature of this cycle is a mandatory pitch-first process: companies submit a 700-word pitch answering four equally weighted questions covering summary, technical promise, commercialisation potential and team qualifications, and only accepted pitches are invited to submit a full application. Pitches were due 10 September 2026 at 2:00pm ET. A company may submit a maximum of three pitches.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Applicants must be US small businesses meeting standard SBIR/STTR Phase I eligibility, which includes 500 or fewer employees, majority US ownership, and a principal investigator primarily employed by the applicant company; STTR submissions additionally require a formal partnership with a qualifying research institution. New applicants must enter through Phase I under the mandatory pitch-first process, and DOE states it is not currently offering a Direct to Phase II pathway for new applicants under this solicitation, so prior feasibility work does not let a company bypass the Phase I stage. Each company may submit a maximum of three pitches. The pitch is a 700-word submission scored on four equally weighted questions: project summary, technical promise, commercialisation potential and team qualifications. Only companies whose pitches are accepted are invited to submit a full application, so the pitch is the binding gate and should be written as a competitive document rather than a registration formality. Proposals must map to one of the four named topic areas: biotechnology, AI for quantum computing and networking, materials inverse design, or AI-driven autonomous laboratories. Phase I periods of performance run six to 12 months with awards up to 250,000 dollars excluding approved assistance expenses. Pitches were due 10 September 2026 at 2:00pm ET, with the full application deadline set for invited applicants; companies that missed this cycle should monitor the DOE SBIR/STTR portal for the next Genesis Mission release. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I awards are capped at 250,000 US dollars per project excluding approved assistance expenses, so amount_min and amount_max are both 250,000 because DOE publishes a single Phase I ceiling rather than a range. Roughly 40 Phase I awards are expected, totalling about 10 million dollars, with cumulative lifecycle funding across all selected projects reaching up to 44 million dollars as companies progress through later phases. Phase I periods of performance run six to 12 months. The practical implication of the roughly 40-award pool against a nationwide small business applicant base is that the pitch stage is the real competition, not the full application. DOE is not currently offering a Direct to Phase II pathway for new applicants under this solicitation, so a company that believes it has already completed feasibility work cannot skip the 250,000 dollar stage and must enter through Phase I like everyone else. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was September 10, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
FY26 Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR Phase I: AI for Biotechnology, Quantum, Materials Design and Autonomous Laboratories is funded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The FY2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education, with emphasis on multidisciplinary research where more than one traditional discipline interacts. The Army, Navy, and Air Force basic research offices are seeking applications across 22 topic areas including artificial intelligence and autonomy, information sensing and processing, and systems manipulation. MURI grants typically provide $1.25 million to $1.5 million per year for three years with option to extend two additional years. Approximately $170 million in total funding is available annually across all topics. The program is administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Army Research Office (ARO), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
The NSF Convergence Accelerator is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds multidisciplinary teams working to solve national-scale societal challenges through convergence research and innovation. Launched in 2019 under NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, the program operates in two phases: Phase 1 awards are up to $750,000, with successful teams advancing to larger Phase 2 awards. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education and nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Track I and Track K focus on specific high-priority topics announced each funding cycle. The next deadline is June 15, 2026. Proposals must comply with updated NSF research security policies effective July 2025.
The NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering: Future Computing Research (Future CoRe) program (NSF 25-543) supports foundational computing research and education with a strong emphasis on AI and machine learning. The program funds research that advances the foundations of computing including AI/ML theory, algorithms, systems, and applications. Future CoRe supports small to medium-sized research projects that can have significant impact on computing foundations. The program has target dates of February 5, 2026 and September 10, 2026 for proposal submissions (note: these are target dates, not deadlines, meaning proposals may be submitted at any time but will be reviewed in batches around these dates). Investigators may not serve as PI, co-PI, or Senior/Key Personnel on more than two proposals submitted within any consecutive 12-month period across all Future CoRe programs. This is one of NSF's primary mechanisms for funding fundamental AI and machine learning research at U.S. academic institutions, covering areas such as machine learning theory, natural language processing, computer vision, robotics foundations, and human-AI interaction.
On July 22, 2026, the White House announced more than $5 billion in federal commitments for the Genesis Mission — the Department of Energy-led national initiative to fuse AI, exascale computing, and the 17 national labs into a single scientific platform. Nearly 300 projects across all 50 states were selected from a historic Request for Applications, and 15-plus agencies are now attaching funding to a set of National Science and Technology Challenges. Here is what the Genesis Mission is, how the money is structured, and the concrete on-ramps for researchers, universities, and small businesses who were not in the first cohort.
Read articleOn August 24, 2026, DOE and SBA signed a memorandum of agreement creating the Small Business Investment Company-Energy Initiative, pointing a $58 billion SBA-leveraged investment program at DOE's technology priorities. No application, no NOFO, no deadline. Here is how SBIC capital actually works, why a January 2026 rule change made this possible, and what a company sitting on a DOE Phase II award should do about it.
Read articleOn July 22, 2026 the White House committed more than $5 billion to expand the Genesis Mission — the government-wide 'AI for science' effort — announcing 278 first projects and 14 National Science and Technology Challenges spanning health, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and national security. More than 15 federal agencies are contributing awards, datasets, and facilities. Here is how the pieces fit, why it reorganizes the science-funding map, and how to position for the awards flowing out of it.
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