DOE Genesis Mission Funding Opportunity (DE-FOA-0003612)

The DOE Genesis Mission Funding Opportunity supports interdisciplinary teams working to accelerate scientific discovery and research and development workflows using novel artificial intelligence models and frameworks. The program is intended to advance national science and technology priorities through phased projects that connect AI capabilities with high-impact technical challenges across multiple DOE mission areas.

Program Overview

DOE’s Genesis Mission RFA invites applications from small and large interdisciplinary teams addressing national science and technology challenges using AI-enabled approaches. The opportunity spans a broad set of mission areas, including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear fission, quantum information science, semiconductors and microelectronics, discovery science, and energy.

The funding structure includes FY26 Phase I small-team applications, FY26 Phase II large-team applications, and a pathway for FY26 Phase I award recipients to apply later for Phase II support. That design makes this program relevant both for earlier-stage interdisciplinary concepts and for more mature collaborations prepared to expand team scope and technical ambition.

Supported Activities

Depending on topic area, supported activities may include:

• AI-enabled research and development workflows for advanced manufacturing challenges
• Interdisciplinary modeling, data, and computational approaches in biotechnology and discovery science
• AI applications relevant to critical materials, semiconductors, and microelectronics
• Challenge-driven work in nuclear fission, energy systems, and quantum information science
• Phased team-based work that can mature from small-team investigation into larger collaborative efforts

Cost Share or Payment Structure

Cost sharing is generally not required for basic and applied research under this RFA, except for for-profit entities. For-profit entities, whether serving as prime recipients or subrecipients, must provide at least 20 percent cost share for basic and applied research and development activities and 50 percent of total project costs for demonstration and commercial application tasks.

That distinction is important for consortia and mixed teams. Applicants should evaluate the proposed scope carefully to understand whether the work fits basic or applied R&D, or whether portions of the project could trigger a higher cost-share expectation.

Eligible Applicants

All types of domestic applicants are eligible, except certain nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.

• Institutions of higher education
• For-profit organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• DOE and NNSA National Laboratories
• Non-DOE and non-NNSA federally funded research and development centers
• Other federal agencies
• Applicants proposing qualified non-domestic subrecipients where justified

Application Timing

FY26 Phase I Applications Due: April 28, 2026

FY26 Phase II Letters of Intent Due: April 28, 2026

FY26 Phase II Applications Due: May 19, 2026

Phase II Applications Resulting from FY26 Phase I Awards Due: December 17, 2026

Because this RFA contains multiple tracks and deadlines, applicants should confirm early whether they are pursuing Phase I, direct Phase II, or a later Phase II pathway tied to a Phase I award.

Official Program Link

DOE Office of Science RFA page for DE-FOA-0003612

Advisory Perspective

Opportunities like this often reward more than a strong technical idea. Competitive teams typically need a clear challenge definition, an interdisciplinary structure that is genuinely necessary to the work, a credible data and workflow strategy, and a practical explanation of how AI methods will accelerate research rather than simply accompany it.

LEC Partners supports organizations in evaluating whether a proposed concept is aligned with the structure of the funding opportunity, whether the team composition and technical workflow are well matched to the stated challenge, and where feasibility, commercialization, or execution assumptions may need further development before submission. That support is intended to improve assessment and readiness, not to imply any funding outcome.

Questions We Commonly Address

• Is a concept better suited for FY26 Phase I or direct FY26 Phase II submission?
• How should teams frame the role of AI so it is central to the proposed workflow rather than peripheral?
• What kinds of interdisciplinary partnerships are likely to strengthen credibility?
• How should for-profit participants plan for cost share across different work types?
• What evidence best demonstrates that a proposed team can execute across science, data, and mission application requirements?