The Department of Energy‘s National Nuclear Security Administration has selected four universities to operate new centers of excellence under a shared allotment of $40.5M.
These new centers will work to foster collaboration between the NNSA and academia under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances program, the DOE said Monday.
George Washington University will collect $12.5M to operate the Capital/DOE Alliance Center which will focus on high-pressure material science. Russell Hemley will lead this center.
Texas A&M University will receive $12.5M to administer the Center for Research Excellence on Dynamically Deformed Solids, which will study how material microstructure affects the mechanical performance of 3D printed products. Michael Demkowicz will lead this center.
The University of California San Diego will collect $10.5M to oversee the Center for Matter under Extreme Conditions, which will focus on high-energy density physics research and development. Farhat Beg will lead this center.
Lastly, the University of Michigan will receive $5M to administer the Center for Laboratory Astrophysics, which will  investigate high-energy density physics. Carolyn Kuranz and R. Paul Drake will lead this center.
Each university will collect respective funds over a five-year period.
“These cooperative agreements strengthen the nuclear security enterprise by advancing areas of science relevant to the stockpile stewardship mission and ensuring a pipeline of future scientists to carry out that mission,†said Dr. Kathleen Alexander, assistant deputy administrator for research, development, test and evaluation at NNSA’s Office of Defense Programs.
