CO-LABS Joins the Energy Sciences Coalition Urging Congress to Support the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Program

CO-LABS has joined with the Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) to urge Congress to appropriately fund the the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and not implement the 57% cut proposed in the Trump Administration’s FY 2026 budget request. The Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) is a broad-based coalition of organizations representing scientists, engineers and mathematicians in universities, industry and national laboratories who are committed to supporting and advancing the scientific research programs of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and in particular, the DOE Office of Science.

We join in this statement with the University of Colorado Boulder along with dozens of science and research organizations and universities such as the Society for Science at User Research Facilities, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, IEEE-USA, Materials Research Society, Michigan State University, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Princeton University, American Geophysical Union, Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and many others.

We recognize that ARPA-E is an integral component of the U.S. R&D ecosystem. It has a demonstrated, 15-year track record of success in helping commercialize high-risk, high-reward energy technologiesand sustained and increased funding for ARPA-E is crucial to win the global technology race and ensure U.S. energy dominance.

Modeled after the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

(DARPA), ARPA-E’s key to success has been dynamic program managers with innovative

science and technology backgrounds and flexibility to pivot to meet new challenges and

opportunities, rigorous program review, active project management, and results-oriented

commercialization goals.

Read the full Energy Sciences Coalition statement at this PDF download link:

Energy Sciences Coalition ARPA-E FY 2026 Support Statement May 2025.pdf

Download PDF • 124KB

ARPA-E features a broad portfolio of high-risk, high-reward research with rigorous program design and agile, active management practices. It also focuses on results and market transitions, ensuring promising projects are not stranded.

ARPA-E also emphasizes the creation and nurture of active communities of technology experts.

Since its inception, ARPA-E has supported 1,700 cutting-edge energy technology projects at small businesses, national labs, and research universities in nearly every state. 258 projects have attracted nearly $15 billion in private-equity follow-on funding, 167 new U.S.-based companies have been created, and 34 companies have market valuations of over $22 billion from mergers, acquisitions, and initial public offerings.

Read more from the Association of American Universities report.