Innovation Crossroads: Difference between revisions

{{Program

|ProgramName=Innovation Crossroads

With initial backing from EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (TVA), CRI has nurtured startups like SkyNano Technologies, leveraging ORNL’s facilities such as the [[Manufacturing Demonstration Facility]] and [[Spallation Neutron Source]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://innovationcrossroads.ornl.gov |title=Innovation Crossroads |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref>  

{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://innovationcrossroads.ornl.gov}}

* Enhance U.S. clean energy competitiveness with significant private investment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/lab-embedded-entrepreneurship-program |title=LEEP Overview |publisher=Department of Energy}}</ref>

Innovation Crossroads is sponsored by EERE’s AMMTO, hosted at ORNL, and directed by a Program Manager, integrating mentorship from ORNL’s 7,000+ scientists and engineers and partnerships with the University of Tennessee and TVA. Funding from AMMTO and TVA supports fellowships, lab access, and business training.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/ornl-welcomes-six-new-research-fellows-innovation-crossroads |title=Cohort 8 Announcement |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref>

Initiated in May 2017 with $2.5 million from DOE and TVA, Innovation Crossroads expanded LEEP from Cyclotron Road and Chain Reaction Innovations, welcoming its first cohort of five fellows after a 2016 announcement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/innovation-crossroads-launches-develop-next-generation-clean-energy-entrepreneurs |title=CRI Launch |publisher=Department of Energy}}</ref> Milestones include Cohort 3’s 2019 expansion, Cohort 7’s 2023 impact ($450M+ funding), and Cohort 8’s June 2024 start, with Cohort 9 applications open as of February 2025, reinforcing its role in clean energy entrepreneurship.

Initial funding of $2.5 million in 2017 launched CRI, with over $20 million in DOE support by 2025—e.g., $1.4 million annually for 5-7 fellows—yielding $450 million+ in follow-on funding.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://innovationcrossroads.ornl.gov/our-impact/ |title=CRI Impact |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref> Ongoing AMMTO and TVA funding provides fellowships ($90,000-$200,000/year per fellow), R&D grants (up to $200,000), and resources, with no end date as it supports DOE’s energy goals.

CRI embeds 5-7 fellows annually at ORNL for two years, offering lab facilities, mentorship, and training, with progress showcased at events like the 2022 LEEP Summit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/lab-embedded-entrepreneurship-program |title=LEEP Overview |publisher=Department of Energy}}</ref> It advances through cohort cycles—e.g., Cohort 9 call opened fall 2024—focusing on innovations like carbon-negative nanotubes, adapting to market needs without a fixed end.