Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Integrative Activities awarded $291,425 to the University of Alabama under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) to support an EPSCOR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) Research Fellows project, effective May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2028. The award provides fellowship support to an Assistant Professor and training for a graduate student to conduct research on lithium ion diffusion through solid-electrolyte interphases in battery materials. The project leverages machine learning-accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and enhanced sampling techniques to elucidate ion diffusion mechanisms at the atomic level, with particular focus on understanding how crystalline and amorphous layers at cathode-electrolyte interfaces affect ion transport, both with and without carbonate species formed during battery manufacturing.

The research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Mundy at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and is positioned at the Richland, Washington facility. Through this collaborative effort, the project aims to advance battery charging speed and longevity while building workforce capacity in atomistic simulations and battery materials research. The award supports knowledge transfer in enhanced sampling molecular dynamics techniques and provides direct training opportunities to graduate students in computational methods critical to the nation's energy future and advanced manufacturing capabilities.