Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Cornell University received a $440,000 project grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Materials Research under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), awarded January 15, 2026, with completion targeted for December 31, 2026. The award supports the installation and site acceptance testing (SAT) of a 20 Tesla superconducting magnet at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) High Magnetic Field (HMF) beamline in Ithaca, New York. This represents the culmination of collaborative efforts between CHESS and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) since 2021 to establish a national user facility for studying material properties under high magnetic fields using X-ray diffraction techniques.

The core deliverables include the physical installation of the superconducting magnet within a custom-built, ferrous-material-free vacuum enclosure, execution of quench testing and energization procedures, validation of design criteria including slow rotation capability at field strength with low sample temperatures and ultra-low vibrations, and integration of the magnet into existing beamline control and safety systems. Cornell teams comprising cryogenics, instrumentation, mechanical, machining, and electrical experts will collaborate with commercial vendor engineers to execute these installation and testing activities. The primary science driver for the facility is quantum materials research. No sub-awards are planned under this grant.