Timely Updates from VPDoR on DOE Genesis Opportunity, O'Neill Staff Award, and Research Development Event

Dear Chairs and Directors,

I hope you are getting some respite during spring break.

This newsletter provides updates on the following topics:

  • DOE Genesis Funding Opportunity, Internal Deadline: March 30, 2026
  • Marsh O’Neill Nominations, Deadline March 31, 2026 @ 8:00pm
  • Research Development Event: Funding Friday Office Hours, April 24, 2026

DOE Genesis call, with opportunity for Stanford-SLAC research partnerships

The Department of Energy (DOE) has released its highly anticipated call for proposals, The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI.  On offer is support for interdisciplinary teams that can accelerate scientific discovery and R&D workflows through the development of advanced AI models and frameworks.

The call encompasses 99 different focus areas (overview created by RDO, SUNet ID required) across many fields of science and engineering. Universities may submit no more than one application per focus area as the lead institution (unlimited number as non-lead).

  • Detailed information in the FOA: DE-FOA-0003612
    • DOE deadline: April 28, 2026, for Phase I applications and Phase II LOIs
    • Award amounts:
      • Phase I (small teams): $500K to $750K (9 months)
      • Phase II (large teams): 3 to 5 times Phase I levels of funding (3 years)
    • Demonstrating advantage from AI capabilities will be key
    • Teams need to include partners from national laboratories (e.g., SLAC) and/or industry.
  • Limited submission/internal competition (Required for Stanford lead)
    • Because the Genesis call has a limited submissions component, all teams that plan to submit a proposal with Stanford as the lead institution are required to submit a short internal proposal by March 30, 2026.  For details and to apply, click here
    • In the event there are multiple proposals within a single focus area, the teams will be notified and VPDoR will engage the university’s Limited Submissions Committee to select the proposal that will advance. If no applications are received for a given focus area by the deadline, those open slots will move to a first-come, first-served process.
    • Status of the various focus area slots can be viewed here (SUNet ID required)
  • Resources and support by the Stanford Research Development Office:
    • We created a Stanford-SLAC Partner Search google form to help you offer and/or ask for key expertise or capabilities within the Stanford-SLAC ecosystem, with the resulting spreadsheet acting as a “marketplace of ideas”. There won't be any top-down attempt at matchmaking; this is a self-driven process. You must be logged into google with your SUNet ID to access.
    • DOE also has a national Teaming platform for a broader partner search.
    • More useful links and information on the RDO webpage on Genesis

Marsh O’Neill Awards Nominations

The Marsh O'Neill Award for Exceptional and Enduring Support of Stanford University's Research Enterprise is an opportunity for Stanford faculty to publicly acknowledge outstanding staff members who support the university’s research activities. Any faculty member may nominate any staff member, including Academic Staff, who has made an exceptional and enduring contribution to research and scholarship at Stanford. The award includes a $5,000 prize.  Nominations are being accepted via the O’Neill form. The deadline is Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 8:00 p.m.

Additional information about the award, Mr. O’Neill, the nomination process, and previous recipients is available on Marsh O’Neill Award webpage.

Funding Fridays Office Hours:

During the winter, the Research Development Office and University Corporate and Foundation Relations, in partnership with SoM grant development services, held several “Funding Fridays” Office Hours sessions for faculty. The goal was to offer informal, strategic advice on opportunities for diversifying sponsored research funding. The final session in the series will be held on April 24 from 2:00–3:00 p.m. on Zoom. The format is drop-in and it is open to all Stanford researchers with PI status. More information on the series is available on the Funding Fridays Office Hours webpage.

Please share relevant parts of this letter with anyone in your orbit who may find the information and links helpful.

 

Stay safe and be well,

David Studdert

Vice Provost and Dean of Research