The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $134 million in funding to support two programs aimed at advancing fusion energy research and innovation in the United States. The funding will go toward the next round of Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) Collaboratives and the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) awards.
According to DOE, these investments are intended to strengthen connections between private industry, national laboratories, and universities working on fusion technologies. “Under President Trump’s leadership, DOE is unleashing the next frontier of American energy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Fusion power holds the promise of limitless, reliable, American-made energy—and programs like INFUSE and FIRE ensure our innovators have the tools, talent, and partnerships to make it a reality.”
Of the total funding, $128 million is allocated for seven FIRE Collaborative teams that aim to create an innovation ecosystem for fusion energy science and technology. These teams are tasked with bridging basic science research from DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program with efforts in the growing fusion industry.
An additional $6.1 million will fund 20 projects under the INFUSE program. This initiative seeks to accelerate private-sector development of fusion energy by lowering barriers for collaboration between businesses and national labs or universities. Selected projects cover areas such as materials science, laser technology development, high temperature superconducting magnet assessment, artificial intelligence learning for modeling and simulation in fusion research, and other enabling technologies needed for economical fusion energy.
Fusion energy is based on replicating processes found in stars like the sun and has potential to provide abundant and reliable power. After passage of the Energy Act of 2020, FES increased its focus on commercializing fusion through industry-relevant programs such as INFUSE and FIRE Collaboratives.
DOE officials say these initiatives are a significant step toward maintaining U.S. leadership in fusion research while supporting domestic manufacturing supply chains and technologies important for national security and defense interests. The announcement aligns with President Trump’s executive order on Unleashing American Energy by promoting domestic production capabilities within the expanding American fusion sector.
A full list of selected projects can be accessed via the Fusion Energy Sciences program homepage: https://science.energy.gov/fes/.
For INFUSE awards, proposals were solicited from industry participants who competed for one-year grants ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 each. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory managed a peer review process before final selections were made by DOE.
The FIRE Collaboratives could receive up to $220 million over four years if future congressional appropriations are secured; $31 million is designated for Fiscal Year 2025 alone. However, selection does not guarantee an award—funding is contingent upon successful negotiations between DOE and applicants.
