Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW) | DE FOA 0002767

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002767

The Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002767) is a Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science pilot grant program designed to grow and diversify the future quantum computing and quantum networking workforce. In practical terms, it is meant to bring more people from underrepresented groups into quantum-focused career paths, while also helping institutions that have historically been left out of the ASCR research and training ecosystem build stronger, lasting capacity in these areas. The program sits within DOE Office of Science, Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), and it is framed as part of ASCRs commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive scientific community that can sustain U.S. leadership in science and technology.

A central feature of ASCR-RENEW is that it leverages DOE resources that many universities and colleges cannot easily replicate on their own, especially national laboratory infrastructure, user facilities, and other specialized research platforms. The program emphasizes hands-on training and research experiences for undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty, particularly those affiliated with institutions that are underrepresented in the ASCR portfolio. Examples called out include non-R1 institutions and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), explicitly including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The underlying idea is that real access to advanced facilities, projects, and mentorship accelerates skill-building in ways that classroom learning alone cannot, and that those experiences can translate directly into stronger job prospects across the quantum ecosystem, including careers at DOE national laboratories.

Beyond individual training outcomes, the opportunity also highlights institutional impact. RENEW is intended to help build foundations for sustained Office of Science research and training activity at institutions that have not historically been well represented in the SC portfolio. That means projects are expected to do more than fund a short-term internship-like experience; they should also strengthen longer-term pipelines, research engagement, and training infrastructure so that future cohorts of students and researchers from those institutions have clearer pathways into quantum computing and networking. Award teams should also expect integration into the broader ASCR and Office of Science community, since principal investigators, key personnel, students, and postdocs supported by RENEW awards will be invited to participate in ASCR researcher meetings and/or SC-wide professional development and collaborator events.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 81.049 (Science and Technology and other Research and Development). The original closing date listed for the opportunity was 2022-09-16, and the award ceiling was stated as $500,000. The synopsis does not specify the exact number of expected awards in the provided text, but it does clearly position the program as a pilot effort, which usually implies a limited initial cohort intended to demonstrate scalable approaches and inform future funding rounds.

Eligibility is broadly open to domestic applicants, with one explicit exclusion: nonprofit organizations classified under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible. The announcement also provides detailed rules for federally affiliated entities. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories cannot apply as the lead applicant; they may only participate as a team member in a multi-institutional application or as a proposed subrecipient under another organizations application. If a national lab is part of a recommended project, its funding is handled through the DOE Field-Work Proposal System under the labs DOE contract, rather than through the prime award, and the FOAs administrative provisions do not apply to the lab or its subcontractors. By contrast, non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and other federal agencies may apply either as lead applicants or as team members, and they may also serve as subrecipients. In those cases, funding typically flows through an interagency agreement to the sponsoring federal agency, with additional authorization steps referenced in the FOAs later sections.

Overall, ASCR-RENEW is best understood as a workforce-and-capacity building grant focused specifically on quantum computing and networking, using DOE laboratory and user facility ecosystems as the training ground. It aims to widen participation, strengthen the presence of underrepresented institutions in ASCR-related quantum work, and create durable pathways that connect students, postdocs, and faculty to real research environments and professional networks that can carry them into long-term quantum careers.

• The Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Scientific Computing Research - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (ASCR-RENEW)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0002767

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