Chain Reaction Innovations 2027 Cohort: DOE-Funded Entrepreneurship Program at Argonne National Laboratory
Quick Answer
Chain Reaction Innovations (CRI) is a Department of Energy entrepreneurship program at Argonne National Laboratory that embeds individual innovators in physical science and energy technology fields for up to two years. Selected innovators receive a personal stipend, travel allowance, and health benefits through an ORISE fellowship, along with lab space, technical collaboration, and structured mentorship at Argonne. The program is open to individuals, not companies, and applicants must have at least five years of technology R&D experience and be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. Applications are submitted through the CRI online portal at chainreaction.anl.gov.
What Is Chain Reaction Innovations?
Chain Reaction Innovations was created at Argonne National Laboratory to accelerate the applied research, development, and deployment of physical science-based technologies, including materials and manufacturing innovations, capable of transforming the nation's energy systems. The program addresses a specific gap in the innovation pipeline: early-stage technologies that are too scientifically or technically uncertain for venture capital funding, but that hold significant potential for energy and manufacturing impact.
Rather than funding a company or research proposal directly, CRI funds the innovator. The program embeds selected entrepreneurial researchers within Argonne National Laboratory, pairing them with scientific and technical mentorship, unique R&D assets, and national laboratory expertise. The goal is to help innovators move their technology from proof-of-concept to proof-of-product within a defined period, while simultaneously developing the entrepreneurial skills needed to commercialize it.
CRI is a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), a DOE Office of Technology Transitions initiative that places entrepreneurs inside national laboratories. Argonne is currently recruiting its 2027 cohort through this solicitation.
Program Benefits
Selected innovators may receive up to 24 months of program resources, subject to performance reviews and availability of funding. Benefits include:
A personal stipend, travel allowance, and health benefits through an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellowship for up to 24 months
Lab space and technical collaboration support from Argonne National Laboratory for up to 24 months
Structured Chain Reaction Innovations programming and mentorship
Participation is governed by a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Argonne and the innovator's company. Either party may terminate the CRADA with sixty days written notice. All benefits are contingent on funding availability, negotiation of a mutually agreeable scope of work, innovator performance, DOE selection and site access approval, and CRADA approval by DOE, including any required reviews under DOE O 142.3 (Unclassified Foreign National Access Program) and DOE P 485.1 (Foreign Engagements with DOE National Laboratories).
At the end of the first year, innovators undergo a midpoint review to confirm their performance and progress meet the minimum criteria to continue into the second year of the CRADA period.
Program Structure: Two Budget Periods
Scope and Planning Phase (Budget Period 1): Typically lasting less than six months, this phase involves paper-based analysis such as market studies, refinement of the research scope alongside Argonne personnel, and a survey of the intellectual property landscape surrounding the innovator's technology. During this phase, innovators must develop an Intellectual Property (IP) Management Plan, which requires approval from the DOE Technology Manager with concurrence from DOE Patent Counsel before the project can proceed. Innovators must obtain a license or option to license any necessary background IP no later than the one-year review, or risk termination from the program. In some cases, this phase may be shortened or skipped entirely.
Research and Development Phase (Budget Period 2): Once the Scope and Planning phase is complete, or deemed unnecessary, the R&D phase proceeds subject to DOE approval. This is the core technical development period of the CRADA.
Who Is Eligible
Eligibility for the CRI 2027 cohort is specific and individual-based:
Applicants apply as individuals, not as companies or organizations, although a CRADA will ultimately be established between Argonne and the selected innovator's company
Technical leads must have a minimum of five years of technology R&D experience
Technical leads must be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident at the time of initial application submission
The proposed work must have the potential for broad impact aligned with DOE's mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States
Only individuals may apply; incorporated entities may not apply, though applicants may have an incorporated entity associated with their work
Innovators who have raised more than $2 million in private-sector equity at the time of application are not eligible
Current Argonne National Laboratory employees are not eligible to participate while directly employed by the Laboratory; Argonne employees may apply but must take Entrepreneurial Leave or terminate their employment with the Laboratory to participate if selected
What CRI Looks For: Selection Criteria
Argonne evaluates applicants across three core dimensions:
Project Leader. Reviewers look for outcome-oriented, entrepreneurial technical innovators capable of building a foundational technology vision and leading a team. Ideal candidates demonstrate technical strength (detailed knowledge and conceptual depth), outcome orientation (systems-level thinking, risk evaluation, commercial awareness), and personal excellence (drive, resourcefulness, communication skills, integrity, and adaptability).
Project Concept. While concepts may evolve over the course of the program, the initial idea should be technically sound, reasonably differentiated, and framed around a well-defined problem with significant long-term impact potential. Reviewers assess economic impact potential, technical merit and differentiation, business idea maturity (market research, IP position, understanding of barriers to entry and incumbents), and CRI fit, meaning how much the program's support would change the innovator's timeline or probability of success.
Technology Fit. Proposed innovations must align with the technology mission space of the CRI program sponsors. Additional detail is available through the DOE Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) website and the Chain Reaction Innovations application page.
All applicants are reviewed by Argonne National Laboratory and must ultimately be selected by a Federal Official from the Department of Energy.
Required Application Materials
Applicants must submit the following through the CRI online portal at chainreaction.anl.gov:
Innovator narrative: Background on the applicant and their project, including the origin of the idea, current status of the technology and team, and the applicant's motivation and qualifications
Innovator's vision: A description of the technology concept, with commentary on its potential impact on U.S. energy and manufacturing competitiveness
Why Chain Reaction Innovations: An explanation of what attracts the applicant to the program specifically, why CRI is the ideal home for the project compared to alternative paths, and which Argonne people or facilities would be most valuable to the work
Business idea: A description of how the applicant envisions commercializing the technology, including target market, customers, potential suppliers and distributors, relevant intellectual property status, barriers to entry, and market incumbents
Argonne affiliation disclosure: A statement identifying any affiliation with Argonne National Laboratory, UChicago Argonne LLC, or the University of Chicago, or confirmation that no affiliation exists
Optional additional materials: Anything else the applicant chooses to include
One-page resume for the innovator
Technical deck: A five-page high-level overview of the proposed innovation's technical components
Intellectual Property Considerations
Argonne makes no claim to any background intellectual property an innovator brings into the program. Under the CRADA, selected innovators may copyright and publish materials developed during the program, subject to national security considerations and a royalty-free license retained by the government. Innovators generally retain principal worldwide patent rights to inventions they develop under the CRADA, subject to a reserved government use license and the limitations set out in 37 CFR 401.
For inventions developed by Argonne itself under the CRADA, the innovator does not own the invention but receives an option for up to an exclusive license for the term of the CRADA plus six months.
Every participant is required to establish an IP Management Plan that sets clear, mutual expectations for handling both background IP and any IP developed during the program.
Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Notes
Work conducted through CRI must comply with Argonne's Prime Contract and its conflict of interest policies. Innovators affiliated with Argonne, UChicago Argonne LLC, or the University of Chicago are subject to an organizational conflict of interest management plan.
Applicants should also be aware that the CRI application review involves independent advisors external to Argonne and DOE, and that CRI finals and related events are open to the public. No proprietary information should be included in any application, since submitted information is treated as non-proprietary and not subject to any obligation of disclosure.
How BW&CO Consulting Can Help
Navigating a program like Chain Reaction Innovations involves more than a strong technology story. It requires positioning an individual innovator's narrative, business case, and technical deck to meet DOE's mission alignment criteria, structuring an IP Management Plan that will satisfy DOE Patent Counsel, and understanding how a CRADA fits alongside other non-dilutive funding sources like SBIR and STTR. BW&CO Consulting helps deep-tech and energy technology innovators build application materials that speak the language federal reviewers are looking for, and helps applicants understand how a lab-embedded entrepreneurship award like CRI can complement a broader federal funding strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chain Reaction Innovations a grant to my company? No. Innovators apply as individuals, not as companies or organizations. Once selected, Argonne establishes a CRADA with the innovator's company, but the initial application and eligibility criteria apply to the individual.
Can I apply if I already have a company? Yes. Individuals with an incorporated entity may apply, but the incorporated entity itself cannot be the applicant. However, innovators who have raised more than $2 million in private-sector equity at the time of application are not eligible.
How much funding does CRI provide? CRI does not provide a lump-sum grant. Instead, selected innovators receive up to 24 months of an ORISE fellowship stipend, travel allowance, and health benefits, plus Argonne lab space, technical collaboration, and mentorship, contingent on funding availability and performance.
Can current Argonne employees apply? Yes, but they cannot participate while directly employed by Argonne. Selected Argonne employees must take Entrepreneurial Leave or terminate their employment with the Laboratory to participate in the program.
What happens after the first year? Innovators undergo a midpoint review at the end of year one to confirm their progress meets the minimum criteria required to continue into the second year of the CRADA period.
Who owns the intellectual property I develop at Argonne? Innovators generally retain principal worldwide patent rights to inventions they personally develop under the CRADA, subject to a reserved government use license. If Argonne itself develops an invention under the CRADA, the innovator instead receives an option for up to an exclusive license for the CRADA term plus six months.
Where do I apply? Applications are submitted through the online portal at chainreaction.anl.gov.
