DOE Genesis Mission Opens $293 Million in AI Grand Challenges
April 7, 2026 · 2 min read
Arthur Griffin
The Department of Energy released a Request for Application on March 17 for $293.76 million in funding under the Genesis Mission — a White House-led initiative to rewire American scientific research with artificial intelligence. Applications for Phase I and Phase II letters of intent are due April 28, 2026.
The Genesis Mission, authorized by Executive Order 14363 in November 2025, aims to double the productivity of American science and engineering within a decade by fusing federal scientific data with frontier AI capabilities.
21 Challenge Areas, From Biotech to Nuclear Energy
The funding spans 21 national challenge areas including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical minerals supply security, nuclear energy, autonomous laboratories, and materials with predictable functionality. Teams will develop AI-driven solutions that leverage DOE's massive scientific datasets and national laboratory infrastructure.
The $293 million sits within a broader $320 million investment that funds four pillars: the American Science Cloud, a new shared computing infrastructure; the Transformational AI Models Consortium; 14 robotics and automated laboratory projects; and 37 foundational AI research awards.
Who Can Apply — and What DOE Expects
Phase I targets small, interdisciplinary teams that must include partners from at least two categories: DOE national laboratories, industry, or universities and nonprofits. Phase II requires large teams with at least one national lab and one industry partner.
For-profit entities face a 20 percent cost share for R&D and 50 percent for demonstration activities. All awards carry a U.S. competitiveness provision requiring products and inventions to be "manufactured substantially in the United States" unless a waiver is obtained.
DOE plans to issue additional Phase II guidance and update focus areas for FY2027.
Why This Matters for Grant Seekers
With a three-week window before the April 28 deadline, research teams and small businesses with AI capabilities should review the full RFA details immediately. The Genesis Mission represents the federal government's largest coordinated bet on AI for science — and DOE is building the partnerships now that will define the next decade of federally funded research. In-depth analysis of this opportunity is available on the Granted blog.