Early Career Research Program
The Department of Energy's Office of Science offers early career grants for basic research in physical sciences, energy, and scientific tools to advance U.S. innovation.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
Office of Science has archived this opportunity.
Funder: Office of Science - U.S. Department of Energy
Due Dates: April 22, 2025 (Current Closing Date)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,750,000 total per award; estimated total program funding $136,000,000
Summary: Supports early career researchers conducting basic physical sciences research to advance U.S. energy, economic, and national security innovation.
Key Information: Eligibility restricted to U.S. institutions of higher education, DOE national labs, and institutions operating SC user facilities; no cost sharing required.
Description
The Early Career Research Program, offered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science (SC), aims to support promising early career scientists engaged in fundamental research in the physical sciences. The program’s mission aligns with SC’s broader goal to deliver scientific discoveries and develop major scientific tools that transform our understanding of nature and advance the energy, economic, and national security interests of the United States.
Research supported under this program spans a wide range of topics including energy production, conversion, storage, transmission, and use, as well as fundamental studies of subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, DNA, proteins, and cells. The program encourages innovative research that probes fundamental disciplinary questions and leverages the nation’s 28 state-of-the-art national scientific user facilities.
This funding opportunity is designed to empower early career investigators who hold positions with sufficient permanence to conduct independent research and, for those outside DOE-affiliated institutions, who work with students to develop the future scientific workforce.
