Fiscal Year 2026 Phase II Continuation Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research | DE FOA 0003539

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003539

The Fiscal Year 2026 Phase II Continuation Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003539) is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) grant program aimed at carrying forward nuclear energy research that has already shown promise under prior DOE-NE university-led awards. The core idea is continuity: this solicitation is not meant to start brand-new, unrelated projects, but instead to extend and strengthen earlier Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) research pathways that are ready for a next step. In practice, applicants are expected to propose follow-on work that directly complements prior NEUP-funded efforts and helps move that work toward clearer outcomes, stronger validation, and greater usefulness to DOE-NE program goals.

The opportunity is tightly framed around DOE-NE's mission to advance nuclear energy science and technology in ways that support U.S. energy reliability, environmental goals, and economic competitiveness. Applications must show a clear and credible alignment with at least one of four stated mission priorities: keeping the existing U.S. reactor fleet operating (including technologies that support reliability, safety, life extension, performance, and cost effectiveness); deploying new nuclear reactors (supporting advanced reactor concepts, licensing-relevant technical bases, validation tools, and enabling technologies); securing and sustaining the nuclear fuel cycle (including fuels, materials, supply chain resilience, and related safeguards or sustainability needs); and expanding international nuclear energy cooperation (work that helps enable collaboration, harmonization, or globally relevant technical progress where appropriate). DOE emphasizes integrated and collaborative research, meaning proposals are generally expected to fit within the broader ecosystem of universities, national laboratories, industry partners, and sometimes international collaborators, with a focus on innovation that can be translated into real-world nuclear energy benefits.

This is a Phase II continuation solicitation specifically for projects that are already part of CINR-supported research portfolios and are ending within a defined window. Eligible prior projects include CINR awards spanning research and development (R and D) and Integrated Research Projects (IRPs) that conclude between January 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026. The intent is to avoid losing momentum on work that is midstream but productive, and to allow the most promising efforts to reach more mature technical results. One important boundary is that Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Access Only projects are not eligible for this continuation funding. If a team only needs additional NSUF access, they are directed to pursue that through the separate FY 2026 CINR NOFO process specifically set up for NSUF Access Only requests.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program in the energy category (CFDA 81.121), managed through DOE's Idaho Field Office. The application deadline listed is May 20, 2026. The award ceiling is $1,200,000 per award, and DOE expects to make about four awards under this specific opportunity. While the narrative description highlights an emphasis on U.S. universities as applicants for the Phase II continuation concept, the eligible applicant types listed in the source data include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In practical terms, teams should pay close attention to the specific NOFO language and eligibility rules for lead applicants and partners, since continuation opportunities sometimes require that the follow-on effort be tied to the original award structure, scope, and outcomes.

Overall, the program is best understood as a targeted continuation mechanism: DOE-NE is looking to invest in research lines that have already been vetted and funded, have produced encouraging results, and now need a focused second phase to deepen the technical work, resolve remaining uncertainties, expand validation, or better position the results for deployment, commercialization, broader adoption by the nuclear sector, or integration into DOE-NE program needs. The strongest applications will make an explicit case for why the earlier NEUP-funded work is worth extending, what specific next technical milestones will be achieved with Phase II support, and how those milestones connect directly to one or more of DOE-NE's four mission priorities and to DOE priorities more broadly.

• The Idaho Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2026 Phase II Continuation Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-12-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

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