NEWS
US Department of Energy opens US $ 400m funding call for advanced science research
The US Department of Energy has put up to US $ 400 million on the table for advanced research spanning computing, fusion, nuclear physics and other fields underpinning American technology.
The funding opportunity will support projects across the DOE Office of Science, targeting foundational research that could feed breakthroughs in computing, energy, materials, biology and physics.
The programme covers Advanced Scientific Computing Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Biological and Environmental Research, Fusion Energy Sciences, High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics and Isotope R & D and Production.
DOE said the funding supports the Trump administration’ s Executive Order on Restoring Gold Standard Science, which calls for rigorous, transparent and mission-driven research. The department positioned the investment as part of a broader effort to reinforce US technological leadership.
“ Foundational research is where the breakthroughs that shape America’ s future begin,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil.“ Through this investment, we are empowering our nation’ s researchers to pursue bold ideas, push the boundaries of discovery and build the scientific foundations for tomorrow’ s technologies.”
The funding is being offered through the Office of Science’ s annual Notice of Funding Opportunity, known as the‘ Open Call’. Issued at the start of each fiscal year, it allows institutions to seek research support in areas not covered by narrowly focused funding opportunities.
For fiscal year 2027, the call gives researchers a route into federal science funding while directing capital towards disciplines central to US competitiveness, including highperformance computing, fusion science, advanced energy research and long-term American industrial innovation.
California backs quantum and fusion with US $ 30 million investment
California has moved to turn its quantum and fusion research base into an industrial advantage, signing new fusion legislation while committing US $ 30 million to quantum and deep-space research.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the measures at a UC Berkeley quantum laboratory, positioning state funding, research institutions and private investment behind technologies increasingly viewed as strategic infrastructure.
The new funding will support quantum research, public-private partnerships and a start-up ecosystem, building on the Quantum California initiative launched in 2025. California has also backed workforce programmes, research facilities and regional development efforts aimed at expanding the sector.
Alongside the investment, Newsom signed SB 925 and AB 2647, legislation designed to accelerate fusion development and reassess the role of advanced nuclear power in California’ s energy system.
SB 925 requires a statewide fusion strategy covering research, commercialisation, manufacturing and regulatory planning. AB 2647 calls for an assessment of new nuclear power plants and advanced nuclear technologies as California works towards 100 % zero-carbon electricity by 2045.
The state already hosts two major US fusion facilities: the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’ s National Ignition Facility, which achieved laboratory fusion ignition in 2022.
California is also expanding its quantum infrastructure. State initiatives include the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, workforce grants and support for university-led research.
The package signals a broader push to convert scientific leadership into advanced domestic manufacturing, skilled jobs and commercial technology, as global competition intensifies across quantum computing, advanced energy and strategic technology supply chains. www. intelligentcio. com
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