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Office of Science · Department of Energy - Office of Science

Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot

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Key facts

Deadline
Due Jan 12, 2027 · 96 days left
Award size
Up to $20M
Total available
$100M · about 5 awards
Match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Private college or university, Public college or university, and others named in the official notice
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

How this fits you

  • Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
  • No match required
  • Past Tennessee awards on file: 83

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

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More from Office of Science

About this grant

American scientists and engineers will power the super intelligence (SI) revolution in science and innovation through the Genesis Mission. DOE SC hereby invites applications from United States (U.S.) Institutions of Higher Education and domestic doctoral-granting institutions to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of novel four-year doctoral training pilots with dual competency in SI and another scientific discipline. Two high-impact research experiences are required as part of the pilot, one at a DOE National Laboratory or SC user facility and one in industry. The purpose of this pilot is to lay the foundation for the first cohort of Genesis Mission Graduate Fellows, representing a new generation of Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers with exceptional training in SI and scientific disciplines along with practical research experiences. All graduate fellowships supported by this NOFO must support research activities related to SC-relevant Genesis Mission National Science and Technology Challenges as detailed in the Request for Applications (RFA), DE-FOA-0003612.

Who can apply, from the official notice

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 910.126, Competition, eligibility for award is restricted to U.S. Institutions of Higher Education and domestic doctoral-granting institutions as the lead applicant. This restriction on the lead applicant is necessary because only institutions of higher education and doctoral-granting institutions offer doctoral training programs. Applications may include subawards to institutions of higher education, industry, DOE National Laboratories, and SC user facilities.

Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct8
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Dec22
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters.
  3. Jan5
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft.
  4. Jan10
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Jan12
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice DE-FOA-0003673_Part_2.pdf (67 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Award size and project length

  • Award amounts here are for the whole project · p. 7
    “Tasks $ Federal Share % Federal Share $ Nonfederal Share % Nonfederal Share Total Project Cost Task 1 $1,000,000 80% $250,000 20% $1,250,000 Task 2 $500,000 80% $125,000 20% $625,000 Task 3 $400,000 50% $400,000 50% $800,000 Task 4 $100,000 100% $0 0%…” Open page 7

Registrations you need first (2)

  • Grants.gov · p. 18
    “How to Register and Submit an Application in Grants.gov This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for applications to SC.” Open page 18
  • SAM.gov, Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 19
    “Organizations must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration which provides a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and Grants.gov account to apply for grants.” Open page 19

Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

Steps before the deadline

  • Concept paper · p. 9
    “We typically hold it after the initial NOFO release but before the due date for preliminary submissions or the application, if concept papers are not required.” Open page 9
  • Loi · p. 16
    “The PI and anyone submitting on behalf of the PI must register for an account in PAMS before it will be possible to submit a LOI.” Open page 16
  • Loi · p. 16
    “Note that you must select one and only one PI per LOI; to do so, click the “Select PI” button on the far-right side of the screen.” Open page 16
  • Loi · p. 16
    “You must wait until the PI registers before you can submit the LOI.” Open page 16

What to submit

  • Budget narrative / justification · p. 14
    “This authorization may be submitted with the application as part of the Budget Justification for DOE/NNSA National Laboratory Contractor File. [This is not required for the National Energy Technology Laboratory because it is a Government Owned/Government…” Open page 14
  • Form SF-424 · p. 17
    “Do not attach pre-applications to Field 20 of the SF-424(R&R) form or letters of intent to Field 21 of the SF-424(R&R) form.” Open page 17
  • Form SF-LLL · p. 22
    “You must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms (e.g., Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)) in accordance with the instructions on the forms and the additional instructions below.” Open page 22
  • Letters of support or commitment · p. 24
    “Do not include letters of support from Federal officials.” Open page 24
  • Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 24
    “How to Prepare a Biographical Sketch As part of the application, each covered individual at the applicant and subrecipient level must submit a biographical sketch (“Biosketch”).” Open page 24
  • Timeline or schedule of completion · p. 28
    “The DMSP should also provide a timeline for sharing digital scientific data produced under the DOE funded R&D effort not associated with peer-reviewed scholarly publications. 3.” Open page 28
  • Indirect cost rate agreement · p. 30
    “Funds requested for fringe benefits must be calculated as the product of the requested salary and, if present, the negotiated fringe benefit rate contained in an institution’s negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.” Open page 30
  • Project abstract or summary · p. 65
    “- Attach the abstract to Field 7 - Attach the Project Narrative, with all appendices, to Field 8 - Attach nothing to Field 9 - Attach nothing to Field 10 - Attach nothing to Field 11” Open page 65

Formatting rules

  • 12-point font · p. 11
    “Size 12-point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font).” Open page 11
  • single-spaced · p. 11
    “The specified maximum page limit includes the cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth above and single spaced.” Open page 11

Cost share or match

  • Cost share / match · p. 6
    “Standard Cost Share Calculation A project with $1 million in federal funds with a minimum 20% nonfederal cost sharing requirement:” Open page 6
  • Cost share / match · p. 7
    “Nonfederal cost share is not required for outreach = $0 (nonfederal share) Complete the calculation as follows.” Open page 7

Mistakes that get applications rejected (3)

  • Could get your application rejected: The application will not be considered complete and cannot be sent for review until the product list has... · p. 23
    “The application will not be considered complete and cannot be sent for review until the product list has been submitted.” Open page 23
  • Could get your application rejected: If you have not fully complied by the time we are ready to make a Federal award, you will be disqualified... · p. 36
    “If you have not fully complied by the time we are ready to make a Federal award, you will be disqualified to receive a Federal award, and we will select another applicant. 2.” Open page 36
  • Could get your application rejected: Status as a consultant, graduate (master’s or PhD) student, or postdoctoral associate does not... · p. 59
    “Status as a consultant, graduate (master’s or PhD) student, or postdoctoral associate does not automatically disqualify a person from being designated as a “covered individual” if they meet the definition in (a) above.” Open page 59

Who in Tennessee has won this program

31 awards to Tennessee groups in 4 counties since 1988. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$15M2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$13.9M1996
State of TennesseeNashville$12.6M spent that year2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$12.3M2015
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$10.9M1992
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$10.7M2010
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$8.5M1996
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville$6.8M spent that year2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$6.2M2003
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5.9M2011
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5M2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4.3M2009

Source: USAspending.gov; Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 52 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
Atlc Medical ScreeningOak RidgeResearch Foundation of the City University of New York$549K2024
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby CountyUniversity of California, San Diego$500K2023
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyThe Pennsylvania State University$450K2026
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, IncorporatedOak Ridge, Anderson CountyGeneral Atomics$390K2023
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyMichigan State University$388K2026
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of New Mexico$363K2024
Tennessee State UniversityNashville, Davidson CountyMiddle Tennessee State University$360K2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleOregon State University$349K spent that year2025
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyThe Pennsylvania State University$330K2024
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby CountyCase Western Reserve University$322K2026
University of TennesseeMemphis, Shelby CountyCase Western Reserve University$322K2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox CountyCase Western Reserve University$314K2023

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

About the federal program

Office of Science Financial Assistance Program
Program number 81.049 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Energy · Project grant

How applications are judged

Applications will be subject to scientific merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance: Scientific and/or Technical Merit or the Educational Benefits of the Projects; Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach; Competency of Applicant's Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources; and, Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget; and other appropriate factors, established and set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

This program on SAM.gov

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Source: Federal grants from Grants.gov · the official federal record. Last checked by GrantMe Oct 8, 2026.

Reference numbers: official notice number DE-FOA-0003673 · program number 81.049