Innovation Crossroads Cohort 2027
A two year hard tech fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with a $115,000 yearly stipend and lab access. Applications close on October 30, 2026.
Innovation Crossroads is a two year fellowship for hard tech founders at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Applications for Cohort 2027 opened on September 15, 2026.
Fellows get a living stipend of $115,000 a year, a health insurance stipend and a professional development allowance for travel, training and customer discovery. They also get access to the laboratory facilities, research equipment and staff, plus research and development funding for work done with the laboratory.
The programme adds business mentorship, entrepreneurial training and introductions to people in industry and universities.
Applications come from individuals rather than companies. An applicant needs a doctoral degree or equivalent experience, has to be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, must have raised no more than $2 million in non government funding over three years, and has to be willing to move to the Knoxville and Oak Ridge area for the two years. The technology has to fit the missions of the Department of Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The application window runs from September 15 to October 30, 2026 at 20:00 Eastern Time. The programme itself starts in August 2027.