image: Early-stage founders pitch their technologies to earn a fellowship to Chain Reaction Innovations, the entrepreneurship program at Argonne National Laboratory. (Image by Argonne National Laboratory.)
Credit: Image by Argonne National Laboratory.
Innovators with clean and renewable energy technologies are encouraged to apply for a two-year, funded fellowship to embed at Argonne, work with a researcher and develop their startup.
Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI), a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, begam accepting applications for Cohort 2025 on Sept. 4, the program’s ninth group of early-stage startups. Innovators with emerging science and energy technologies are encouraged to apply.
CRI embeds early-stage clean and renewable energy startup founders at Argonne, supporting the next generation of innovators. They receive technical support and mentorship through a fellowship that offers salary, benefits, funds for research and a travel stipend.
“CRI opens Argonne’s doors to innovative ideas. By embedding early-stage startups, we foster collaboration that supports commercialization of technologies that address national sustainability, prosperity and equity. CRI’s programming and our cohort model are additional ways we support emerging technologies to scale up and commercialize more quickly.” — Dick Co, director of CRI
A new cohort is selected each year through an annual call for applications. This year, the application period opened on Sept. 4 and closes at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 8. Those chosen for Cohort 2025 will begin work at Argonne in summer 2025. Anyone interested in developing a technology in DOE’s preferred areas is encouraged to apply.
“CRI opens Argonne’s doors to innovative ideas. By embedding early-stage startups, we foster collaboration that supports commercialization of technologies that address national sustainability, prosperity and equity. CRI’s programming and our cohort model are additional ways we support emerging technologies to scale up and commercialize more quickly,” said Dick Co, director of CRI.
Save the Date: Informational Webinars
CRI will host three informational webinars for those interested in learning specifics about the program and application guidelines. The Oct. 10 webinar will feature CRI startup founders talking about their experiences and answering questions.
- Register for Thursday, Sept. 19, 3 p.m. CT
- Register for Thursday, Oct. 10, 9 a.m. CT
- Register for Wednesday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. CT
CRI staff will also host Zoom drop-in office hours from 1–2 p.m. CT every Friday from Sept. 20 through Nov. 8.
Cohort 2025 Fellowships
- Two-year fellowship, including a $115k per year stipend
- $12,000 per year travel allowance and health care benefits
- Funding to de-risk technological innovations
- Connection to technical experts, facilities and the unique capabilities at Argonne
- Networking with business experts, investors, mentors and corporate partners
- Neither DOE nor Argonne take an equity stake
About CRI
Through a yearly competitive process, CRI awards two-year fellowships to innovators who focus on science and emerging energy technologies. CRI’s mission is to open Argonne’s door to deliver on the promise of a sustainable, prosperous and equitable world — one innovator, one startup at a time.
CRI is supported by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies, Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization and Building Technologies offices in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; the Advanced Scientific Computing Research and Basic Energy Sciences programs in DOE’s Office of Science; DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; and by Argonne.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.