Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy 2026 (IGNIITE 2026)

The INSPIRING GENERATIONS OF NEW INNOVATORS TO IMPACT TECHNOLOGIES IN ENERGY 2026 (IGNIITE 2026) program is a funding opportunity issued by the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) under solicitation number DE-FOA-0003624, aimed at supporting early-career researchers focused on transformative energy technology innovations. This program encourages the submission of high-risk, high-reward research projects that have the potential to create entirely new learning curves in energy technology, thereby offering disruptive solutions capable of significantly impacting the energy sector. Eligible applicants must be early-career innovators, and selected awardees will not only receive funding but also engage in mentorship, collaborative events, and interactions with investors and government stakeholders to facilitate the translation of cutting-edge ideas into impactful technologies. The program emphasizes applied research and experimental development projects, especially those that demonstrate proof-of-concept or exploratory efforts in energy technology areas not currently supported by ARPA-E. The broad technical scope invites ideas with the potential to substantially contribute to ARPA-E’s goals, including improving energy security, reducing emissions, increasing efficiency, managing nuclear waste, and enhancing infrastructure resilience. Applications must be submitted exclusively through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE platform by May 29, 2026, and comply with federal regulations governing cooperative agreements and grants. This initiative reflects ARPA-E’s mission to maintain U.S. technological leadership by funding breakthrough research that addresses critical energy challenges and fosters the development of disruptive technologies poised to reshape the energy marketplace.