Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Idaho Operations Office and Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), has released the Fiscal Year 2026 Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) funding opportunity, designed to support outstanding early career faculty in nuclear energy-related fields. As DOE-NE’s most prestigious early career award, the DECP seeks to empower rising academic leaders to advance the next generation of nuclear energy research and education. This program emphasizes integrated excellence across research, teaching, and leadership, aiming to foster faculty who can inspire and train future nuclear energy professionals. The DECP offers multi-year support for untenured, tenure-track assistant professors at U.S. colleges and universities. The program specifically targets faculty who are within four years of their initial tenure-track appointment and no more than ten years beyond the award of their doctorate as of January 31, 2026. Applicants must demonstrate a compelling plan that integrates innovative research, educational strategies, and leadership development in nuclear energy. Funded projects should align with the NE’s mission to advance nuclear science and technology for clean energy, environmental sustainability, and economic benefit, including sustaining existing reactors, enabling advanced reactor deployment, and supporting cutting-edge fuel cycle research. Up to four awards are anticipated for FY 2026, with each project receiving up to $800,000 in total funding over a five-year period. While cost sharing is encouraged, it is not required. The total available program funding is approximately $3.2 million. Allowable use of funds includes personnel, research infrastructure, curriculum development, and project-specific expenses; however, applications involving the construction of new university nuclear reactors or duplicating existing capabilities will not be considered. Collaborations with national labs may occur only when access to unique facilities is needed, but national laboratories may not act as co-investigators or collaborators. Foreign entities are ineligible, and all project work must be conducted within the U.S. Eligible applicants must submit a full application via NEUP.gov by March 3, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The application process involves several detailed components including a technical volume (project narrative), CVs, career objective statements, endorsement letters, capabilities documentation, and budget forms. Proposals must demonstrate a clear research vision, integration of research with education, and the ability to meet program goals. All required documents must follow strict formatting rules outlined in the NOFO and be submitted in PDF format unless otherwise specified. Incomplete applications or those not meeting eligibility criteria will be deemed non-responsive. Applications will undergo a multi-step review process including a compliance check, responsiveness review, and technical merit evaluation. Proposals are judged based on scientific innovation, alignment with DOE-NE mission areas, educational integration, and leadership potential. Additional selection factors may include geographic diversity, programmatic balance, and alignment with NE research priorities. Final award decisions are expected by September 30, 2026, with funding start dates anticipated on or around February 1, 2027. Awards are not generally transferable if the principal investigator changes institutions, although exceptions may be considered. This opportunity is structured as an annual program and includes provisions for regular updates based on Congressional direction, policy shifts, or national priorities. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the registration and application process early, as obtaining the necessary Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), SAM.gov registration, and NEUP.gov credentials may take several weeks. All applications are protected by DOE confidentiality protocols, and proprietary data must be marked accordingly. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Highlight leadership, integration of research and education, and alignment with NE mission.