DOE Opens $293 Million Genesis Mission for AI-Driven Research
March 23, 2026 · 2 min read
Claire Cummings
The Department of Energy has released a $293 million Request for Application under its Genesis Mission, the agency's most ambitious initiative yet to deploy artificial intelligence across critical national science priorities. Announced March 17, the program — formally titled "The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI" — invites interdisciplinary teams from national laboratories, universities, and industry to propose AI-driven solutions to more than 20 challenge areas.
Five Priority Domains and a Two-Phase Funding Structure
The Genesis Mission targets advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, and quantum information science. Specific challenges include scaling biotechnologies, accelerating fusion energy research, discovering quantum algorithms, and building fully autonomous AI-driven laboratories.
Funding comes in two tiers. Phase I awards range from $500,000 to $750,000 over nine months, supporting proof-of-concept work. Phase II jumps to $6 million to $15 million over three years for teams ready to build and deploy complete AI frameworks. Applicants can enter at either phase in FY 2026, and successful Phase I teams remain eligible for future Phase II competitions.
"The Genesis Mission has caught the imagination of our scientific and engineering communities to tackle national challenges in the age of AI," said Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil.
April 28 Deadline Approaching Fast
Phase I applications and Phase II letters of intent are due April 28, 2026. Full Phase II applications follow on May 19. DOE is hosting an informational webinar on March 26 to walk potential applicants through the process, with full details available through the DOE funding opportunities portal.
What This Means for AI Research Teams
The two-phase structure lowers the barrier to entry for smaller teams — a $500,000 Phase I award can fund initial feasibility work without requiring the infrastructure for a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project. Combined with the separate $68 million DOE investment in AI foundation models announced the same week, the department has now committed over $360 million to AI-driven research in a single month. Teams working at the intersection of AI and physical sciences should begin assembling interdisciplinary proposals now. For deeper analysis of federal AI funding trends, visit the Granted blog.