Columbia Engineering launched the Columbia Fusion Research Center, which aims to accelerate the development of fusion energy science and technology to provide a sustainable and scalable energy source. Carlos Paz-Soldan, associate professor of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia Engineering, will serve as founding director.

The Center aims to accelerate the development and deployment of this technology through deep engagement with the fusion private sector. It will nurture existing partnerships with industry and provide a strategic framework for collaboration with new partners. The Center will approach the complex research challenges facing fusion energy by facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration across fields including mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, materials science, data science, plasma astrophysics, and energy policy.

The private sector is racing to develop an approach to generate electricity economically using this safe and sustainable source. The Center aims to support this effort through a partnership mechanism that enables timely access to expertise from academia. This will strengthen Columbia’s partnerships with the constellation of fusion startups that currently sponsor research at the University and set the stage for additional partnerships.

The Center will further support research by funding projects and fellowships that offer early career researchers the opportunity to work without the burden of meeting specific external grant requirements. The Center will also support undergraduate-focused computational programs and contests for Columbia students, a summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students, and a weekly seminar series. It will also support a K-12 student-run outreach program operated by Plasma Physics Laboratory.