Energy Department Unveils $293 Million Genesis Mission for AI-Driven Science
March 30, 2026 · 2 min read
David Almeida
The Department of Energy on March 18 released a $293 million Request for Applications under the Genesis Mission, a sweeping initiative that enlists artificial intelligence to tackle 21 national science and technology challenges—from advanced manufacturing and critical minerals security to nuclear energy and quantum information science.
Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil framed the investment as a call for cross-sector collaboration. "With these investments we seek breakthrough ideas and novel collaborations leveraging the scientific prowess of our National Laboratories, the private sector, universities, and science philanthropies," Gil said. Fifty-one organizations have already signed collaboration agreements.
Two Phases, Two Scales of Ambition
The RFA (DE-FOA-0003612) is structured in two phases. Phase I awards range from $500,000 to $750,000 for nine-month projects and require small teams that include at least two of the following: DOE or NNSA national laboratories, industry partners, or higher-education and nonprofit institutions. Phase II awards jump to $6 million to $15 million over three years and demand at least one national lab and one industry partner.
DOE plans to issue these awards as Other Transaction agreements—either fixed-price, milestone-based contracts or cost-reimbursement vehicles. For-profit applicants must contribute cost shares: a minimum of 20 percent for basic R&D, rising to 50 percent for demonstration and commercial applications. All awards carry a U.S. Competitiveness provision requiring products to be "manufactured substantially in the United States."
Key Deadlines for Applicants
Phase I applications and Phase II letters of intent are due April 28, 2026. Phase II full applications follow on May 19. DOE anticipates a July 1 start date for funded projects and held an informational webinar on March 26. The full RFA is available at science.osti.gov.
Grant seekers tracking AI-adjacent federal funding can monitor this and similar opportunities on grantedai.com. DOE has signaled FY2027 amendments will open additional competitive rounds, making the Genesis Mission a multi-year pipeline worth following.
For deeper analysis of federal AI funding trends and DOE opportunity strategies, visit the Granted blog.