An annual conference and summer student programs will foster partnerships among academia, national labs, and the private sector.
The University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) has been awarded a $2.25 million grant over three years from the US Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. This funding establishes the Inertial Fusion Energy Science and Technology Accelerated Research (IFE-STAR) ecosystem that brings together academia, national laboratories, and the private sector to develop a clean, safe, and virtually limitless energy source, built on US leadership in inertial fusion.
Inertial fusion energy (IFE) is a cutting-edge technology that mimics the sun's energy production process by fusing atomic nuclei under extreme conditions. Unlike traditional nuclear energy, IFE offers the promise of base-load energy with minimal radioactive waste, and a nearly limitless fuel supply. To more rapidly advance the nation's path to fusion energy, the IFE-STAR ecosystem will advance fusion science and technology by building a national network of coordination and collaboration, while developing the scientists and engineers to grow and sustain the inertial fusion energy community.
The IFE-STAR program brings together three leading research institutions, each spearheading a unique hub to advance IFE science and technology:
- LLE's IFE Consortium on Laser-Plasma Interaction Research (IFE-COLoR) hub
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Science and Technology Accelerated Research (STARFIRE) hub
- Colorado State University's Research in Inertial and Sustainable Energy (RISE) hub
These hubs will leverage their expertise and resources to address critical challenges in IFE development, from target physics to driver technologies. In addition to the individual hubs, the overall ecosystem is envisioned to be inclusive of all current and future viable IFE concepts.
IFE-STAR aims to address critical objectives in IFE development, including:
- Advancing IFE science and technology
- Enhancing coordination and collaboration among researchers
- Developing a diverse and skilled workforce
- Creating an online platform for information sharing and resource allocation
"By uniting world-leading researchers and institutions, we aim to accelerate the development of a new energy industry that could revolutionize our approach to clean, sustainable power," says Christopher Deeney, the director of LLE.
Shaping the future of fusion energy research
This year the initiative will launch an annual conference and a summer undergraduate research experience for developing a fusion-ready workforce.
The IFE-STAR program will host its inaugural conference April 7 to 11, 2025, in Breckenridge, Colorado. This event brings together leading researchers from around the world to discuss the latest advancements and challenges in IFE development.
Another key component of the IFE-STAR initiative is its commitment to developing future talent in the field of fusion energy. To that end, the program is launching a summer research opportunity-IFE-STAR Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)-offering undergraduate students across the US hands-on experience working alongside leading IFE scientists and engineers across more than 20 institutions, including private industry partners.
"The IFE-STAR Ecosystem initiative's emphasis on student involvement and cross-institutional collaboration is crucial in developing a fusion-ready workforce," says Jean Paul Allain, the associate director of science for DOE's Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program. "By fostering collaboration and nurturing talent from all sectors, we ensure that the transition to fusion energy becomes not only a scientific triumph but also a societal transformation."
About the Laboratory for Laser Energetics
Founded in 1970 at the University of Rochester, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) houses the world's two largest laser systems at any academic institution. Renowned for its pioneering research in inertial confinement fusion, plasma physics, high-energy-density physics, and advanced laser technologies, LLE has made transformative contributions to these fields, including groundbreaking work that contributed to the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. Led by a team of award-winning scientists, engineers, researchers, and technicians, LLE not only drives cutting-edge scientific discovery but also plays a vital role in educating and training the next generation of scientists and engineers.
