Michigan State University Awarded $5M to Study Fusion Energy

The National Nuclear Security Administration has funded a new research center at MSU to develop better predictive models for creating fusion energy.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The National Nuclear Security Administration has awarded $5 million over the next five years to Michigan State University to establish a new Focused Investigatory Center that will focus on advancing fusion energy research. The center, called the Center for High Order Plasma Turbulence Modeling for Z-Pinch, will bring together MSU faculty and students with researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy, Georgia Tech, and Brown University to develop improved predictive models for creating fusion energy using a process called Z-pinch.

Why it matters

Fusion energy has long been seen as a potential clean and abundant source of energy, but significant challenges remain in developing practical fusion reactors. The research at MSU's new center aims to overcome some of these challenges by creating better computer models to predict and control the complex physics involved in the fusion process, which could help accelerate the development of viable fusion energy technology.

The details

The new center at MSU will leverage the university's expertise in data science and scientific computing using AI and machine learning to develop better predictive models for fusion energy created through a process called Z-pinch. In Z-pinch, a powerful electrical current generates a strong magnetic field that compresses and heats plasma, causing hydrogen atoms to fuse and release energy. However, energy can easily escape during this process, preventing sustained fusion. The MSU researchers will work to identify and block these energy leaks to improve the efficiency of Z-pinch fusion.

  • The National Nuclear Security Administration announced the $5 million award in February 2026.
  • The funding will be spread out over the next five years.

The players

Michigan State University

A public research university located in East Lansing, Michigan that is receiving the $5 million grant to establish a new fusion energy research center.

National Nuclear Security Administration

A semi-autonomous agency within the United States Department of Energy that is providing the $5 million grant to Michigan State University.

Andrew Christlieb

An MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor in the colleges of Engineering and Natural Science who will lead the new fusion energy research center.

Georgia Tech

A public research university in Atlanta, Georgia that will collaborate with MSU researchers on the fusion energy project.

Brown University

An Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island that will also collaborate with MSU on the fusion energy research.

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What they’re saying

“The creation of this center really speaks to the bleeding-edge research happening at MSU.”

— Andrew Christlieb, MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor (dbusiness.com)

“It's about creating a mini collaborative research environment where students and postdoctoral students are conducting basic research and cutting-edge science while gaining national laboratory experience to solve an important problem that is significant to the DOE.”

— Andrew Christlieb, MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor (dbusiness.com)

“The original fusion engine is a star. We are trying to understand the physics of where that matter comes from and the stardust that created us.”

— Andrew Christlieb, MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor (dbusiness.com)

“It's not so much about creating cheap energy, but that would be great for all of us if we could. What I'm really thinking about is you could really change the paradigm about feeding the world. If energy is basically free then, suddenly, you can change the paradigm about what the resources necessary to feed the world become.”

— Andrew Christlieb, MSU Research Foundation Distinguished Professor (dbusiness.com)

What’s next

The new fusion energy research center at MSU is expected to begin operations in the coming months and will collaborate with researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy, Georgia Tech, and Brown University over the next five years as they work to develop improved predictive models for creating fusion energy.

The takeaway

The $5 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration to establish a fusion energy research center at Michigan State University underscores the university's leadership in cutting-edge scientific computing and data science research aimed at solving major challenges in the development of practical fusion energy technology, which could have transformative implications for the future of clean, abundant energy production.