Applications will be open to domestic universities, industry, and nonprofit research institutions. Funding will be awarded based on competitive peer review.

“HEDLP is an especially promising area of investigation within plasma physics,” said Dr. Chris Fall, Director of DOE’s Office of Science. “In addition to providing important insights into astrophysical phenomena, it has potential practical applications in industry, medicine, and national security, and it defines a possible pathway to inertial fusion energy.”

HEDLP researchers study ionized matter in laboratory experiments, to explore the behavior of matter at extreme conditions including temperature, density, and pressure. In addition to the many applications of HEDLP in various fields, this research is useful for both plasma science and the study of matter at the atomic scale.

“NNSA continues to push the leading edge of HED science. A strong and broad academic presence in this field plays a key role in setting the conditions for a resilient, responsive Nuclear Security Enterprise over the next half century and beyond,” noted Dr. Mark Anderson, NNSA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation.

Total planned funding is up to $9 million in Fiscal Year 2021 dollars for projects lasting from one to three years in duration. Continued funding is contingent on Congressional appropriations.

The joint Funding Opportunity Announcement titled “High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasma Science” can be found on the funding opportunities page of the Office of Fusion Energy Science within DOE’s Office of Science and on Grants.Gov.

To learn more about NNSA’s stockpile stewardship mission, visit our page on Maintaining the Stockpile.