WASHINGTON, September 10, 2024 -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the selection of 91 early career scientists from across the country who will receive a combined $138 million in funding for research covering a wide range of topics including artificial intelligence, fusion energy, and quantum. These awards are critical to the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to develop the next generation of STEM leaders to solidify America’s role as the driver of science and innovation around the world.

“Investing in cutting edge research and science is a cornerstone of DOE's mission and essential to maintaining America’s role as a global innovation leader,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Biden-Harris Administration is funding scientists and researchers at our nation’s national labs and universities, early in their careers, ensuring they have the resources to expand scientific discovery and pursue solutions to some of the most complex questions.”

The 2024 Early Career Research Program (ECRP) awardees are at 50 universities and 12 DOE national laboratories. These awards, which include research on artificial intelligence, fusion energy, quantum, and much more, are critical to DOE’s longstanding efforts to develop the next generation of STEM leaders to solidify America’s role as the driver of science and innovation around the world.

The ECRP bolsters the nation’s scientific workforce by supporting exceptional researchers at the outset of their careers, when many scientists do their most formative work. Since its inception in 2010, the program has made 961 awards, with 631 awards to university researchers and 330 awards to national laboratory researchers.

Awards to an institution of higher education are approximately $875,000 over five years and the minimum request for awards to a DOE national laboratory or Office of Science user facility are approximately $2,750,000 over five years.  

The 91 awards announced today will go to scientists in 26 states and the District of Columbia: California (25); Illinois (12); Pennsylvania (6); New Mexico, New York, and Washington (5 awards each); Arizona, Connecticut, and Georgia (3 awards each); District of Columbia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia (2 awards each); and Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin (1 award each).