Nearly 300 projects selected from historic RFA response spanning all 50 states to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science, and national security.
July 22, 2026WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the first projects selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications (RFA) as part of President Trump’s historic Genesis Mission. The national portfolio of research teams will help develop and demonstrate AI-enabled scientific workflows designed to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science, and national security.
Designed to double America’s scientific productivity, the Genesis Mission brings together DOE’s world-class scientific capabilities, advanced AI, high-performance computing, and the nation’s leading researchers to transform how scientific discovery is conducted and strengthen American leadership in science and technology.
“America has no shortage of bold ideas or talented scientists, and the response to the Genesis Mission proves that,” said **U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. **“The 278 projects selected today represent the very best of our nation’s scientific enterprise. The remarkable number of high-quality proposals we received demonstrates that America’s innovation pipeline is strong, and it points to even greater opportunities for future investment and continued expansion of the Genesis Mission portfolio.”
The Genesis Mission RFA generated the largest response to a funding opportunity in DOE history. Following a rigorous merit review process, the selected projects represent:
- 278 awards: 87 led by DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) National Laboratories, 168 led by universities, 19 led by companies, and 4 led by nonprofit organizations.
- 342 participating institutions: 16 DOE and NNSA National Laboratories, 142 universities, 157 companies, 13 nonprofit organizations, and 14 other institutions.
These projects will address some of the nation’s most pressing energy, scientific, and engineering challenges, including in nuclear energy, critical mineral extraction, intelligent chip design, and commercial fusion energy.
Among the selected projects, the largest is a three-year, $60 million investment in nuclear energy that will harness AI to help deliver nuclear facilities faster and safer while cutting operating costs to provide Americans with affordable, reliable, and secure energy.
“The extraordinary response to this Genesis Mission application process demonstrates that America’s scientific community is ready to reimagine how discovery happens,” said Under Secretary for Science Dr. Darío Gil. “Through the Genesis Mission, we are bringing together the nation’s leading researchers, institutions, and technology partners to build the next generation of scientific capability. We look forward to seeing these teams demonstrate new research workflows that accelerate discovery and reveal what is possible when AI and science advance together.”
With today’s selections, research teams will begin developing and demonstrating AI-enabled scientific workflows designed to accelerate scientific discovery across DOE’s mission areas. Awardees will gain access to the Genesis Mission Platform, including AI agent frameworks, advanced AI models and software made available through industry partners, and high-performance computing resources across DOE’s National Laboratories and partner facilities. Together, these capabilities will enable researchers to rapidly design, test, and refine new approaches to accelerate scientific discovery.
Read additional information about today’s announcement. Learn more about the Genesis Mission.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that process