The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to fostering groundbreaking research and development across the nation. A cornerstone of this commitment is the Office of Science Early Career Research Program, designed to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by providing substantial support to exceptional scientists in the early stages of their careers. For Fiscal Year 2025, the DOE is continuing this vital program, offering a significant opportunity for early career researchers to make impactful contributions to the scientific community.
“The ingenuity and dedication of early career researchers are crucial for driving progress in basic science. The DOE Office of Science is proud to invest in these promising individuals through the Early Career Research Program,” stated Harriet Kung, DOE’s Deputy Director of Science Programs for the Office of Science. “These awards are pivotal, enabling them to explore innovative concepts and leverage the state-of-the-art resources available at our user facilities, thereby accelerating the pace of scientific discovery.”
This prestigious program provides substantial funding over five years to researchers at U.S. universities, DOE national laboratories, and Office of Science user facilities. Specifically, higher education institutions can receive approximately $875,000, while DOE national laboratories and Office of Science user facilities may be granted around $2,750,000. These funds are intended to enable early career scientists to pursue innovative research directions within the DOE’s core mission areas.
Eligibility for the DOE Early Career Research Program is carefully defined to target researchers who are within the first ten years of their doctoral degree. Applicants must hold an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professorship at a U.S. academic institution or be a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory or Office of Science user facility.
The scope of research supported by the program is broad, encompassing eight key Office of Science program offices. These include:
- Advanced Scientific Computing Research
- Biological and Environmental Research
- Basic Energy Sciences
- Fusion Energy Sciences
- High Energy Physics
- Nuclear Physics
- Accelerator R&D and Production
- Isotope R&D and Production
Proposed research must align with the strategic priorities of these DOE Office of Science programs, as detailed in the program announcement. Funding decisions are made through a rigorous peer-review process, ensuring that only the most promising and impactful projects receive support.
The application process for the Fiscal Year 2025 program involves a mandatory pre-application step, with a deadline of February 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Following pre-application review, successful applicants will be invited to submit full applications, which are due by April 22, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. It is essential to note that only applicants who receive formal encouragement from the DOE are eligible to submit full applications.
To provide further guidance, the DOE hosted a webinar on January 31, 2025, to discuss the funding opportunity and answer applicant questions. Resources from this webinar, including slides and video recordings, along with frequently asked questions (FAQs), are available on the Office of Science funding opportunities page (Announcement Number: DE-FOA-0003450).
The DOE Early Career Research Program represents a significant investment in the future of American science and innovation. By empowering early career researchers, the program not only supports individual scientists but also strengthens the nation’s overall scientific capabilities. For those eligible and ready to advance their research, the FY 2025 program is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge science and make a lasting impact. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review the full program announcement and utilize the available resources to prepare competitive applications.
