Fellowship · Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States

Innovation Crossroads

A two-year fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for founders of early-stage energy and advanced manufacturing startups. Fellows get a US$115,000 yearly living stipend, lab access and R&D funding, and mentors.

Open · closes 30 Oct 2026 Run by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for the U.S. Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program

Verified 19 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages

Terms

Funding
US$115,000 Living stipend of US$115,000 a year for two years, plus a health insurance stipend, a professional development allowance and R&D funding for work with ORNL researchers
Instrument
Grant
Equity taken
not published
Programme fee
not published
Duration
not published
Cohort size
not published
Cohorts
not published
Delivery
In person
Stages
not published
Sectors
Energy, Deep tech
Open to founders from
United States
Perks
  • Access to ORNL facilities, equipment and experts
  • Business mentors, entrepreneurial training and investor connections

Written review runs November-December 2026, online semifinal interviews in January 2027 and in-person finals at ORNL in March 2027. Cohort 2027 is selected in May-June 2027 and starts in August 2027.

Application dates

Open · closes 30 Oct 2026Cohort 2027

Cohort 2027: applications opened 15 September 2026 and close 30 October 2026.

Who can apply

  • Apply as an individual, not a company; each team member applies separately
  • Doctoral degree or equivalent experience, and a US citizen or lawful permanent resident
  • Willing to relocate to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area for two years and sign a cooperative R&D agreement with ORNL
  • No more than US$2M raised in debt or equity from non-government sources in the three years before applying

What founders should check

  1. The programme does not publish how much equity it takes. Ask before you accept a place.
  2. It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
  3. It runs in person in Oak Ridge. Plan to be there for the length of the programme.
  4. Applications are open until 30 October 2026. That is less than a month away, so start the form now.

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