Innovation Crossroads
Climate & Energy · Run by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DOE LEEP node) · Oak Ridge, TN
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Jul 22, 2026- Terms model
- Non-dilutiveGives money that does not take equity: grants, prizes, or credits. Your ownership is untouched.
- Investment
- $115,000/yr living stipend (year one, Cohort 2026) plus health insurance stipend, professional development allowance, and ORNL R&D grant
- Equity taken
- Not publishedTwo-year lab-embedded fellowship funding founders full-time at ORNL; no equity. Cohort 2026 apply page posted a $115,000 year-one living stipend, health insurance stipend, and professional development allowance; the site FAQ separately lists an older ORISE base rate of approximately $80,000/yr plus allowances, so figures vary by cycle. Eligibility: doctorate or equivalent, US citizen or permanent resident, under $2M nongovernment funding in prior three years, relocation to Knoxville-Oak Ridge required. Cohort 2026 window ran Sep 9 - Nov 7, 2025; Cohort 2027 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22.
- Program length
- 104 weeks
- Format
- In person
- Location
- Oak Ridge, TN
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Cohort size
- ~5-8 per cohort (51 startups supported to date)
- Stage focus
- pre-company / first-time science founders
- Sub-vertical
- energy and advanced manufacturing hard tech
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- U.S. Department of Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, ORNL
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Two-year lab-embedded fellowship funding founders full-time at ORNL; no equity. Cohort 2026 apply page posted a $115,000 year-one living stipend, health insurance stipend, and professional development allowance; the site FAQ separately lists an older ORISE base rate of approximately $80,000/yr plus allowances, so figures vary by cycle. Eligibility: doctorate or equivalent, US citizen or permanent resident, under $2M nongovernment funding in prior three years, relocation to Knoxville-Oak Ridge required. Cohort 2026 window ran Sep 9 - Nov 7, 2025; Cohort 2027 window not yet posted as of 2026-07-22.
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Terms in plain English
This is a two-year fellowship, not an investment: you are funded full-time to build your company inside Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and no equity is taken. For the most recent cycle (Cohort 2026), the posted package was a yearly living stipend of $115,000 in year one, plus a health insurance stipend, a professional development allowance, and a substantial grant for collaborative R&D at ORNL. There is no program fee. You must relocate to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area for the two years, though the rest of your team can be based anywhere.
Who this is actually for
First-time science founders at the pre-company or very early stage working on energy or advanced manufacturing hard tech. You need a doctoral degree or equivalent, US citizenship or permanent residency, and no more than $2 million raised from nongovernment sources in the past three years. Only the participating founder must move to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area.
Application windows
Cohort 2026: Opens Sep 9, 2025, closes Nov 7, 2025.
Verified date not recordedSourceCohort 2027 (expected fall 2026 window, not yet posted): Timing expected, exact dates not yet confirmed.
Verified date not recorded
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Jul 22, 2026.