Chain Reaction Innovations: Difference between revisions

{{<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span>|ProgramName=Chain Reaction Innovations

|Purpose=Chain Reaction Innovations embeds early-stage innovators at Argonne National Laboratory to develop clean energy and science technologies into market-ready solutions. It aims to accelerate technology commercialization, foster entrepreneurship, and address climate change through a two-year fellowship model.

CRI has nurtured startups like ClearFlame Engines and NUMiX Materials, leveraging ANL’s [[Advanced Photon Source]] and [[Mira supercomputer]], with Cohort 9’s application closing November 8, 2024, and fellows starting June 2025.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span>  

{{<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span>|url=https://chainreaction.anl.gov}}

* Drive economic impact with over $600 million in investments and hundreds of jobs.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span>

Chain Reaction Innovations is sponsored by EERE’s [[Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office]] (AMMTO), hosted at ANL, and directed by Dick Co since 2016. It integrates mentorship from ANL’s 1,400 researchers and partnerships with the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center and mHUB, funded through AMMTO budgets.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span>

CRI began in May 2016 with a $2 million DOE investment as part of LEEP’s expansion from Cyclotron Road, with Cohort 1 graduating in June 2019 after raising significant funding.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span> Milestones include Cohort 3’s 2019 selection, the 2022 LEEP Summit, and Cohort 9’s call opening September 4, 2024, closing November 8, with over $666 million amassed by December 2024 per ANL metrics. It continues to support DOE’s clean energy agenda.

Initial funding of $2 million in 2016 launched CRI, with over $20 million in DOE support by 2025—e.g., $6 million for Cohort 8—yielding $666 million in follow-on funding.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span> Ongoing AMMTO funding provides fellowships ($150,000-$200,000 per fellow), lab resources, and ecosystem growth, with no end date aligned to DOE’s mission.

CRI embeds 4-7 fellows annually at ANL for two years, offering R&D access, mentorship, and resources, showcased at events like the 2023 Chicago Demo Day.<span class="error">Expansion depth limit exceeded</span> It advances through cohort cycles—e.g., Cohort 9 starts June 2025—focusing on innovations like decarbonized fuels, adapting to energy needs with no fixed end.