How to Apply

2024 Berkeley Lab Cyclotron Road Fellowship

Thank you for your interest in applying to the 2024 cohort of the Berkeley Lab Cyclotron Road fellowship, a U.S. Department of Energy Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program. Cyclotron Road empowers entrepreneurial scientists to take their innovation to impact by offering knowledge, resources, and connections.

Cyclotron Road applications are collected through our non-profit partner Activate’s portal, in conjunction with their Berkeley community. By clicking on the following link, you may apply for the Cyclotron Road Program via Activate's Apply system. Please select the Berkeley / Cyclotron Road Program within the community selection task of the application. Applications to Cyclotron Road are reviewed by Berkeley Lab staff in coordination with our partners and sponsors.

Apply Now

The Cohort 2024 application season ends on October 17, 2023. Questions? Contact msonsteng@lbl.gov.

What to Expect

Program Overview

Cyclotron Road is a two-year Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) for entrepreneurial scientists as they advance technology projects with the potential for global impact in fields including energy, agriculture, and manufacturing. With support from the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) and Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) along with additional sponsors within the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as the State of California, and philanthropy through our partnership with Activate. Fellows receive a living stipend, entrepreneurial training, and access to Berkeley Lab’s expertise and facilities.

Companies participating in the Activate Berkeley/Cyclotron Road program enter into a Lab Embedded Entrepreneurship Program CRADA with Berkeley Lab that provides favorable IP terms to the companies.

Apply Now

Applications are accepted through October 17, 2023. Reminder: to apply for the Berkeley Lab Cyclotron Road program select the Berkeley / Cyclotron Road community in the application portal, which is managed by our non-profit partner, Activate. You will need to create a SurveyMonkey Apply account and meet the basic eligibility criteria to submit an application.

Also, check out our answers to:

In general, we select applicants annually each Spring/Summer for a two-year fellowship. We look for scientists and engineers who are entrepreneurial leaders in their field, those with the rare combination of exceptional technical skills, an impact-oriented mindset, and a commitment to solving commercially relevant problems.

It is best to start gathering pre-application materials as soon as possible. Applications for the fellowship program are accepted annually in September.

Below are details of the program:

Two Years of Funding

Fellows receive a yearly living stipend of $80,000 to $110,000, health insurance, a relocation stipend, and a travel allowance. This enables them to focus on their project full-time. Each project also receives $100,000 of research support at Berkeley Lab.

World Class Research Labs

Fellows access world-class research tools, equipment, facilities, and expertise through collaboration with Berkeley Lab. Fellows fully own or jointly own all intellectual property developed during their two-year fellowship term.

A Community of Peers

Bringing technology to market can be a long and lonely road. Our fellows take this journey together as part of a dynamic community of scientists, engineers, and technologists who share what they know and celebrate each other’s victories. In addition, the Cyclotron Road team at Berkeley Lab works closely with fellows for networking opportunities, support, and mentorship.

Tailored for scientists and engineers and delivered weekly, our startup curriculum includes sessions on core business and product development concepts, VIP speakers, skill development workshops, and shared learning from other fellows and alumni.

Networking, Mentorship

Our experienced team meets with fellows one-on-one on a regular basis to help develop priorities, provide guidance, and make connections to our broader network of advisors, industry experts, and investors.

In addition, we facilitate connections between fellows and our broad network of industry executives, investors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and other experts from academia, industry, government, and finance—any of whom can serve as advisors or partners.

Eligibility Requirements

Generally, most Cyclotron Road program participants and Activate Berkeley/Cyclotron Road community members who want to access Berkeley Lab are able to do so in a timely manner through the normal onboarding process for US and non-US citizens. However, non-US citizens who are citizens of—or were born in—Iran, North Korea, Cuba, or Syria need U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) permission to work at Berkeley Lab. Additional reviews are also required by DOE to approve research at Berkeley Lab by participants’ companies that are owned, controlled or influenced by entities from Countries of Risk: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. These individual and company review processes can take six months or longer with no guarantee of approval. Participants affiliated with restricted entities and other countries of concern such as Belarus and Ukraine (DNR, LNR and Crimea Regions) are also subject to additional review and approval. See more information at the Berkeley Lab website from the LBNL Research Compliance Office here and under “Foreign Visits & Assignments” here.