Project Grant DESC0006614

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), provides $134,481 to Saint Michael's College for theoretical development of reduced plasma kinetic models that allow simultaneous treatment of charged particles and electromagnetic fields. The award supports derivation of new theoretical structures for reduced plasma models, including gyrokinetic plasma models, that preserve exact conservation properties and enable...

This $265,965 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) supports research and development by Nearstar Fusion Inc., a for-profit organization, on a new approach to fusion energy for grid-based electric power. The project aims to perform computational modeling, analytical calculations, and design work to de-risk and establish a point design for a "hypervelocity gradient field fusion" concept. This...

This $600,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Physics supports research to develop a high-density, axially homogeneous helicon plasma source for the AWAKE (Advanced Proton Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment) project at CERN. The research aims to qualify the helicon plasma generation technology for application in next-generation particle accelerator systems, which could significantly reduce the size and cost of future linear accelerators...

FIRE Collaborative: Fusion Neutrons for Integrated Blanket Technology Development The Department of Energy Office of Science awarded a $4.37 million Cooperative Agreement (CFDA 81.049: Office of Science Financial Assistance Program) to the University of Wisconsin System on September 1, 2025, for a one-year project period concluding August 31, 2026. The FIRE Collaborative project develops advanced blanket technologies for fusion energy systems by conducting integrated neutron-based testing and...

This National Science Foundation Project Grant of $390,000 supports computational research into self-generated coronal magnetic fields in high energy density plasmas. Funded under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), the University of Rochester will investigate new instability mechanisms that can generate sufficiently strong magnetic fields to explain observations in laboratory and astrophysical plasma systems. Specifically, the awardee will theoretically analyze and...

This Project Grant award, provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under its Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), enables continued experimental exploration of eruptive plasma behavior in a laboratory setting. The $597,571 award, effective September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027, supports research aimed at advancing the understanding of multi-scale phenomena in real plasmas. The project will focus on studying the observed X-ray generation in a magnetized,...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Physics Project Grant award of $340,000 supports collaborative research between Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to advance the understanding of microscale plasma processes in shock and turbulent environments. The project aims to develop physics-based models of kinetic, non-equilibrium processes in astrophysical plasmas, focusing on particle heating/acceleration in shocks and thermodynamics/transport driven by...

Federal Project Grant Award Summary The National Science Foundation's Division of Physics awarded $350,077 under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to support collaborative research on wave-particle interactions in three-dimensional magnetic fields. The award, effective December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2028, funds a multi-institutional collaboration between Columbia University, West Virginia University, and New York University to advance fundamental...

This Project Grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, supports collaborative research on microscale plasma processes in shock and turbulent environments. The $341,464 award to Columbia University, spanning August 2024 to July 2027, will focus on two key areas: 1) particle heating and acceleration in shocks, and 2) thermodynamics and transport driven by large-scale turbulence. The research aims to develop...

This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $586,041 supports research at the University of Michigan from September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2025 under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). The award will investigate the evolution of instabilities in plasma implosions driven by dynamic screw pinch compression. Researchers will evaluate competing theories computationally and experimentally regarding the roles of electrothermal instability, coronal plasma...