/Office for Research and Innovation
Proposal Development

 

DOE Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot

DOE GENESIS MISSION GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PILOT Portal

All applications for this internal competition must be submitted via InfoReady. You can sign in using your Net-ID and your @stonybrook.edu email address. Please allow sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the portal prior to submitting your pre-application. Pre-application requirements are listed in the announcement below.

The Office for Research and Innovation invites applications for the DOE Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot program, which will establish accelerated four-year doctoral programs that integrate rigorous dual-competency academic coursework in super intelligence (SI) and scientific disciplines with practical research experiences. Stony Brook University can submit ONE application to this program. 

Please see below for details. If you are interested in applying, you must submit a pre-application via the DOE Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot Portal in InfoReady by Friday, October 23, 2026, at 9 am. Pre-applications for internal review and selection must be uploaded to the portal as a single PDF document.

KEYWORDS: Artificial Intelligence, “Super Intelligence” (SI), Doctoral Education

WHAT DOES IT FUND: DOE SC hereby invites applications to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of novel four-year doctoral training pilots with dual competency in super intelligence (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.  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. Successful applications will establish pilots that produce an initial cohort of approximately 100 Genesis Mission Graduate Fellows in four years.     

     Successful Pilots must incorporate: accelerated four-year pathways including expected outcomes and a management plan to assess progress and effectiveness; a dual-competency framework including advancing SI through science discovery and advancing science discovery through AI; two structured research experiences, one at a DOE National Laboratory or SC user facility and one in industry; and student financial support including highly competitive stipends, full tuition, health insurance, and research-related travel and accommodations. See p. 15 of NOFO for ineligible types of applications. All Fellows must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. No such restrictions apply to PIs, mentors, collaborators, or the classmates of Fellows. 

THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT FUND: Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in the NOFO; Applications focused solely on curriculum development; Applications that are not based on sound scientific principles (e.g., violates the laws of thermodynamics); Applications lacking proposed research activities with a recognized impact on the SC-relevant Genesis Mission National Science and Technology Challenges as detailed in RFA DE-FOA-0003612.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS: No PI eligibility restrictions.

AWARD: $12M to $25M over five years. Award funding will support Fellows through stipends, tuition, and health insurance. Funding will also cover expenses for two extended (ten weeks or more) research experiences in industry and at DOE National Laboratories or SC user facilities. Funding will also support mentor travel in support of thesis-related work and, when appropriate, mentor time. Continuation funding (funding for the second and subsequent budget periods) is contingent on availability of funds appropriated by Congress and future year budget authority, progress towards meeting the objectives of the approved application, submission of required reports, and compliance with the terms and conditions of the award.

COST SHARE: Not required.

SPONSOR DEADLINE: Required pre-application/LOI due November 9, 2026. DOE will host an informational webinar November 4, 2026 at 4 pm ET (registration link). Full application due January 12, 2027

 

PRE-APPLICATION: A complete pre-application should include the following:
  • Project narrative (no more than 2 pages) that includes:
    • A clear and concise description of the objectives and technical approach of the proposed pilot, including both the dual-competency framework of curriculum development and Genesis Mission research activities. Successful Pilots must incorporate: accelerated four-year pathways including expected outcomes and a management plan to assess progress and effectiveness; a dual-competency framework including advancing SI through science discovery and advancing science discovery through AI; and two structured research experiences, one at a DOE National Laboratory or SC user facility and one in industry.
    • A high-level description of the cost, schedule, and major milestones of the pilot. Student financial support must include highly competitive stipends, full tuition, health insurance, and research-related travel and accommodations. 
  • PI's CV/Biosketch

 

REVIEW CRITERIA listed in descending order of importance (see p. 36 of NOFO):

  • Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project;
  • Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach;
  • Competency of Applicant’s Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources;
  • Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget; and
  • Appropriateness of the Data Management and Sharing Plan.

 

See p. 38 of NOFO for other selection factors DOE may consider.