The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide $30 million for new research on fusion energy.

• This funding will provide $17 million for research focused specifically on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches for prediction of key plasma phenomena, management of facility operations, and accelerated discovery through data science, among other topics. (DOE-FOA-0002224)

• An additional $13 million under a separate funding opportunity will be devoted to fundamental fusion theory research, including computer modeling and simulation, focused on factors affecting the behavior of hot plasmas confined by magnetic fields in fusion reactors. (DOE-FOA-0002226)

Applications for the AI/ML funding are open to national laboratories, universities, nonprofits, and private sector companies, working either singly or with multiple institutional partners. Total funding planned for the program is $17 million for projects of two to three years in duration, with $7 million available in FY 2020 and outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.

Applications for the theory funding are open to universities, nonprofits, and private sector companies. Funding is expected to be in the form of three-year grants. Total planned funding will be up to $13 million over three years, with up to $7 million available in FY 2020 and outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations.