Collaborative Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences on Long-Pulse International Stellarator Facilities | DE FOA 0001811

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001811

This funding opportunity, titled "Collaborative Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences on Long-Pulse International Stellarator Facilities" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001811), was issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, specifically the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program. It is a discretionary grant opportunity in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category (CFDA 81.049). The core purpose is to support U.S.-led experimental research efforts carried out in partnership with international teams on two major long-pulse stellarator facilities located overseas: Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) in Germany and the Large Helical Device (LHD) in Japan.

The opportunity is aimed at projects that directly contribute to experimental campaigns on these devices, meaning proposals are expected to focus on practical, facility-connected work rather than purely theoretical studies. The scope is framed around the full lifecycle of experimental research: planning experiments (defining objectives, experimental designs, diagnostics needs, and run plans), executing experiments (participating in operations and coordinated experimental sessions with host-facility scientists), and analyzing results (data interpretation, validation, and publication-quality conclusions). While the notice references "topical areas described below," the central theme is clear: advance magnetic fusion energy science by using the unique capabilities of long-pulse stellarators, which can sustain plasmas for extended durations and therefore allow researchers to investigate steady-state-relevant plasma behavior and technology challenges that are difficult to study in shorter-pulse machines.

Programmatically, this call sits within the FES "Burning Plasma Science Long Pulse" portfolio. That framing matters because it signals DOE's intent to push U.S. fusion science toward the issues that become dominant when you move from short experimental discharges to longer, more reactor-relevant operating regimes. By emphasizing long-pulse operation and international stellarator platforms, DOE is leveraging facilities that can explore critical questions at the frontiers of magnetic confinement research, particularly those tied to sustained plasma performance, long-duration control, and the physics and technology needed for reliable operation over time. The call also makes explicit that these awards are meant to strengthen and enable U.S. participation in international collaborations, pairing U.S. researchers with foreign teams to make use of advanced overseas infrastructure that is not available domestically at comparable capability.

In practical terms, the grants are meant to underwrite the U.S. side of collaborative experimental work: supporting researchers who will engage with W7-X and LHD experimental programs, contribute to jointly defined research goals, and help produce analysis that advances the broader fusion community's understanding. The emphasis on collaboration indicates that proposals would typically need clear alignment with host-facility priorities, credible integration into scheduled or planned experimental campaigns, and well-defined roles for U.S. investigators in both execution and analysis.

From the administrative details provided, the opportunity was open to an unrestricted set of applicants (broad eligibility across entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full FOA text). DOE anticipated making around 20 awards, with an award ceiling of $600,000 per award. The FOA was created on September 19, 2017, with an original application closing date of November 28, 2017. Overall, the opportunity reflects DOE FES's strategy of maintaining strong U.S. scientific engagement in top-tier international fusion experiments, specifically using long-pulse stellarator operations to address high-value scientific and technical issues that inform the pathway toward practical fusion energy.

• The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Collaborative Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences on Long-Pulse International Stellarator Facilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 19, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 28, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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