The United States faces a long-term energy and national security challenge: developing reliable, resilient, and scalable power systems capable of meeting future demand. Advanced nuclear technologies may play an important role in that future, but progress depends on early-stage advances in the materials, systems, and enabling technologies that support next-generation fusion and fission platforms.

Advanced nuclear technologies, including both fusion and fission systems, represent an important area of long-horizon research and development. Progress in these systems depends not only on reactor concepts themselves, but also on the foundational materials, components, sensing technologies, computational methods, and supporting subsystems that could make next-generation nuclear systems more practical, resilient, and effective over time.

The Nuclear Futures Challenge will identify early-stage, scientifically grounded innovations that could support future advances across fusion and fission pathways.

Through this Challenge, we will award novel enabling technologies with the potential to strengthen the technical foundations of future advanced nuclear systems and contribute to a more secure, resilient, and modern energy future.

Application Opens December 7, 2026    Deadline: January 21