Prize Challenge

Nuclear Futures Challenge

The United States faces a long-term energy and national security challenge: developing reliable, resilient, and scalable power systems capable of meeting future demand. Advanced nuclear technologies may play an important role in that future, but progress depends on early-stage advances in the materials, systems, and enabling technologies that support next-generation fusion and fission platforms.

Advancing Foundational Technologies for Future Fusion and Fission Systems

Advanced nuclear technologies, including both fusion and fission systems, represent an important area of long-horizon research and development. Progress in these systems depends not only on reactor concepts themselves, but also on the foundational materials, components, sensing technologies, computational methods, and supporting subsystems that could make next-generation nuclear systems more practical, resilient, and effective over time.

The Nuclear Futures Challenge will identify early-stage, scientifically grounded innovations that could support future advances across fusion and fission pathways.

Through this Challenge, we will award novel enabling technologies with the potential to strengthen the technical foundations of future advanced nuclear systems and contribute to a more secure, resilient, and modern energy future.

AREAS OF INTEREST

  • Liquid metals and molten salts

  • Remote maintenance and rad waste

  • Energy extraction technologies

  • Instrumentation and control

  • Radiation-hardened materials

  • AI and computational methods

  • Radiation hardened measurement technology

  • Other

Timeline

  • Application Opens: December 7, 2026

  • Application Closes: January 21

  • Semifinalist Notification: Early February

  • Semifinalist Virtual Pitch: February 16

  • Finalist Notification: Late February

  • Live Finalist Pitch: March 23-25 TBD

  • Winner Announcement and Reception in Boston: March 23-25 TBD

AWARD STRUCTURE

First Place: $25,000
Second Place:   $15,000
Third Place: $10,000

PITCH TO WIN

Up to ten (10) finalists will present their technologies live at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference in March in Boston, where industry, government, funding, and technical leaders will evaluate early-stage innovations with the potential to advance the materials, systems, and enabling technologies behind future fusion and fission energy systems..

QUESTIONS: Contact Katie O’Connor, katie.oconnor@techconnect.org

FINALIST BENEFITS

  • Full conference pass

  • Visibility to industry, government, and investment leaders shaping the future of critical mineral supply chains

  • Eligibility for a $50,000 total prize pool

  • Connection to a growing ecosystem advancing U.S. energy security through next-generation nuclear technologies

  • Receive one free year of engineering software from MathWorks