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There are many funding opportunities available to nuclear technology developers through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), many of which are listed below. This list is not comprehensive and may not contain the latest information related to each funding opportunity. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to each funding opportunity directly. You may also contact Chris Lohse, Innovation & Technology Manager, at [email protected] or 925-698-9988.

DOE Nuclear Energy Funding Opportunities

Funding OpportunitiesDescriptionTimeframeFunding
Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR)Provides competitively awarded access to the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) by the industry for non-proprietary nuclear materials and fuels research. CINR is the primary means to award irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) access. It also supports DOE-NE mission and program-directed work scopes primarily led by universities or national labs with the possibility of industry participation.Call: August
Award: July
Duration: up to 3 years for R&D; up to 7 years for PIE and testing
Up to 500K for R&D
Up to $4M for irradiation and PIE (NSUF)
(0% cost share)
GAIN Nuclear Energy (NE) VouchersProvides competitively awarded access to DOE national labs for U.S. businesses to tap into the intellectual and technical resources needed to overcome critical technology challenges for their advanced energy products and gain a global competitive advantage. Awarded funds are sent directly to a national laboratory to perform work on behalf of an awardee.Continuously open
Award: Quarterly
Duration: 12 months
$50–500k
(20% cost share)
NSUF Rapid Turnaround Experiments (RTE)Offers an avenue for researchers to perform irradiation effects studies of limited scope on nuclear fuels and materials of interest utilizing NSUF facilities. R&D funding is not provided, and work is to be completed within 9 months.3 times per year
Duration: 9 months
Up to $50K
(0% cost share)
Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR)Offers competitively awarded funding to small businesses to encourage the development and commercialization of their technologies. SBIR targets the entrepreneurial sector and seeks to offset the risk and expense of necessary R&D. SBIR is comprised of three phases, each contingent on building from the results of the previous phase.Phase 1: 6 months
Phase 2: 2 years
Phase 3: Refer to
website
Phase 1: up to $150K
Phase 2: up to $1M
Phase 3: $0 SBIR Funds
(Refer to website)
Technology Commercialization
Fund (TCF)
Seeks commercialization of laboratory technology with industry partners. Leverages R&D funding in applied energy programs to mature promising energy technologies that are originally conceived at national laboratories with the potential for high impact.Call: February
Award: July
Duration: 1-2 years
Topic 1: $100 – 150K
Topic 2: $250 – 750K
(Refer to website)
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