Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) Cohort 2027 Fellowship at Argonne National Laboratory

About

CRI is a two-year, non-equity fellowship that embeds four to six technical founders per cohort at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, providing a $115,000 annual stipend, healthcare benefits and national laboratory facilities to de-risk early-stage energy and science technologies.

Benefits

• 💰Stipend and Healthcare Benefits
  Guaranteed: A stipend of US$115,000 per year for two years, plus healthcare benefits
• 🎓MEP Fellowship
  Guaranteed: A Manufacturing Entrepreneurship Partnership (MEP) fellowship funded through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), covering a stipend, health insurance, and a travel allowance
• 🚀Non-Dilutive Innovation Funding
  Guaranteed: Non-dilutive funding to help de-risk technological innovations
• 🧪Laboratory and Workspace Access
  Guaranteed: Access to Argonne laboratory equipment, working and laboratory facilities, and office space
• 🔬Technical Expertise and Facilities
  Guaranteed: Connections to Argonne technical experts, facilities, and capabilities, including access to the named user facilities described by the programme
• 🤝Principal Investigator Mentorship
  Guaranteed: Pairing with an Argonne principal investigator or host scientist
• 🌐Business and Industry Networking
  Guaranteed: Networking opportunities with business experts, investors, mentors, and corporate partners
• 🔒Equity Protection
  Guaranteed: The U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne, and their employees do not take an equity stake in the startup
• 📜Intellectual Property Rights
  Guaranteed: The startup receives rights to inventions and data generated during the programme and may negotiate an exclusive licence to certain intellectual property developed under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), where applicable
• 🔄Fellowship Renewal
  Conditional: The ORISE fellowship is provided for the first year, with the possibility of a one-year renewal
• 💵Continued Funding
  Conditional: Continued funding is subject to the availability of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy
• 📄Verification Documents
  Mandatory for selected candidates: Upload a resume and transcripts or other official documentation verifying the degree in Zintellect; offers are contingent on receipt of these documents and eligibility verification by ORISE

Eligibility Criteria

• 🇺🇸 Citizenship and Residency
• Mandatory: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent U.S. residents at the time of application
• 🧪 Technical Experience
• Mandatory: Applicants must have at least five years of research and development (R&D) technology experience, a doctoral degree, or equivalent experience in an appropriate discipline
• 🚀 First-Time Founder Status
• Mandatory: Applicants must be first-time technical founders
• 💰 Private Funding Limit
• Mandatory: Applicants must not have raised more than US$2 million in private-sector funding at the time of application
• 🏢 U.S. Incorporation
• Mandatory: If affiliated with a startup at the time of application, the startup must be incorporated in the United States
• 📋 Business Structure
• Mandatory: Selected innovators must belong to an incorporated business structured as a C Corporation, rather than a limited liability company (LLC)
• ⚖️ Conflict of Interest and Compliance
• Mandatory: Applicants must pass a conflict-of-interest due diligence review and comply with Argonne’s Prime Contract requirements, including a non-negotiable Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) containing non-disclosure agreement (NDA) language and an Intellectual Property (IP) Management Plan
• 📍 Relocation and Residency
• Mandatory: Applicants must relocate to and reside in the Chicago area to embed at Argonne
• 🔬 Technology Focus and Development Timeline
• Mandatory: The technology must support the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission and require approximately two years of development to reach the pre-commercial prototype stage
• ⭐ Preferred Technical Background
• Preferred: Technical founders with hands-on laboratory experience developing an early-stage technological innovation, particularly in areas that leverage Argonne’s resources and specialist focus areas
• ℹ️ Argonne and University Affiliations
• Applicants affiliated with Argonne, UChicago Argonne LLC, or the University of Chicago are not automatically disqualified; however, such affiliations trigger an organisational conflict-of-interest management plan, and participation is not guaranteed

Participation Commitments

• 🏢 Full-Time Commitment and Relocation
• Mandatory: Selected innovators must commit fully to the programme and reside at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, relocating to the Chicago area if they do not already live there
• ⏱️ Fellowship Time Commitment
• Mandatory: The appointment is structured as an 80% time ORISE fellowship, with the remaining 20% provided by the participant or their future research partners
• 🤝 Business Development and Mentorship
• Mandatory: Innovators must work with CRI partner mentor organisations on legal, financial, marketing and business operations development and planning, and engage a qualified business mentor
• 📄 Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
• Mandatory: Innovators must sign an individual, non-negotiable CRADA with Argonne that includes non-negotiable non-disclosure agreement (NDA) language
• 🧠 Intellectual Property Management Plan
• Mandatory: Innovators must develop an IP Management Plan and obtain U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approval during the Scope and Planning phase before proceeding to the R&D phase
• ⚖️ Conflict of Interest and Compliance
• Mandatory: Innovators must pass conflict-of-interest due diligence and comply with Argonne’s Prime Contract requirements, federal site-access rules and export-control requirements
• 🔐 Security and Foreign Engagement Reviews
• Conditional: Innovators must complete the Foreign National Access Program process and, if they are lawful permanent residents, applicable DOE Policy 485.1 foreign-engagement reviews
• 💰 Additional Funding
• Expected: Innovators are expected to secure additional outside funding
• 📅 Programme Duration and Graduation
• Expected: Innovators are expected to graduate from the programme after two years
• 💵 Participation Fees and Tuition
• Not stated: Official materials do not state whether participation fees or tuition apply
• 📊 Equity Stake
• Confirmed: The programme explicitly takes no equity stake in the startup

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other

Target Location

Applicant geography: CRI is described as a nationwide U.S. program for individuals who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent U.S. residents at the time of application; citizenship or lawful permanent residency is mandatory. Company geography: applicants do not need to have incorporated a company when applying, but if they belong to a startup at application that startup must be incorporated in the United States, and selected innovators must structure the business as a C Corporation. Residency requirement: DOE requires all LEEP fellows to embed in their host laboratory, so selected innovators must live in or relocate to the Chicago area and be in residence at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois.