Research will Focus on both Existing and Next-Generation Facilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide up to $7 million over two years for research and development (R&D) in accelerator science and technology for nuclear physics research.

Research will focus both on laying the groundwork for next-generation accelerators and on potential upgrades to existing facilities. Topics of interest include superconducting radio-frequency technology, high field superconducting magnets, and the development of ion sources, among other technologies.

“Accelerator technology has been the key to unlocking the secrets of matter—and it has also found valuable applications in medicine and industry,” said Timothy Hallman, DOE Associate Director of Science for Nuclear Physics. “This investment will help keep the United States in the lead in this indispensable technology.”

DOE national laboratories, universities, and nonprofits will be eligible to lead applications for the two-year awards, which will be selected based on peer review. The funding opportunity envisions awards both for single investigators/small groups and for large multidisciplinary teams.

Planned funding for Fiscal Year 2020 will be about $3.5 million, with a similar amount planned for FY 2021, contingent on congressional appropriations.

The full text of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, along with a parallel, companion announcement for DOE laboratories, can be found on the funding opportunities page of the Office of Nuclear Physics within DOE’s Office of Science.