CMU Researchers Selected for Next Round of DOE Genesis Mission Awards

Carnegie Mellon University researchers will contribute to two new projects selected in Phase II(opens in new window) of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission. The researchers will develop AI tools to deepen understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and advance fusion energy research. 

The Genesis Mission(opens in new window) brings together government, industry, academia and philanthropy to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security by connecting AI, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments. The selected projects expand CMU’s involvement in Genesis, which already includes more than a dozen CMU scholars and researchers.

Using AI to understand the fundamental nature of matter

Colin Morningstar, a professor of physics in the Mellon College of Science, will develop AI tools to improve the complex calculations scientists use to understand the fundamental particles and forces that govern matter. His research uses supercomputer simulations to study the strong force, which binds quarks and gluons into protons and neutrons. 

As co-principal investigator on the MIT-led project  “Lattice QCD at the Intelligence Frontier,” Morningstar will work with researchers from universities and national laboratories to explore how AI can improve simulation efficiency, automate data analysis and optimize scientific software. More precise calculations will help scientists to better interpret results from major particle and nuclear physics experiments. 

“The point of this award is to use new techniques to help us get around some of the stumbling blocks in our calculations,” Morningstar said. “People have begun exploring how AI can assist with this work, but this project gives us the opportunity to take a much more focused approach and determine where these tools can truly make a difference.”

Contributing AI expertise to fusion research 

Jeff Schneider, a research professor in the Robotics Institute at the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science, will collaborate on a Genesis project led by Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). They will develop and use an AI-enabled digital twin of SPARC, the company’s fusion demonstration machine, to create better performing tokamak control policies. Using digital simulations will allow fusion research to happen at a faster pace to meet rising global energy demands.

Together, these projects extend CMU’s contributions to a national effort to make scientific research faster and more effective by developing AI tools that help researchers use complex data, test ideas and guide experiments.