Four Northwestern University research projects won Phase I funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, a federal program the White House says aims to double American research productivity within a decade by pairing artificial intelligence with scientific investigation.
The selections, announced Tuesday, July 22, at a summit in Washington, D.C., make Northwestern one of dozens of universities represented in the initiative's inaugural cohort of more than 270 projects nationwide. The broader Genesis Mission carries more than $5 billion in federal commitments across more than 15 agencies, according to the White House.
Northwestern's funded projects span fusion energy, quantum electronics, sustainable plastics manufacturing, and quantum computing.
What the projects involve
Randall Q. Snurr, the John G. Searle Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at McCormick School of Engineering, leads a team using AI and machine learning to find new materials for separating lithium isotopes. That separation is a critical bottleneck for fusion energy, which depends on a scarce lithium isotope to produce fuel.
"The scientific principles behind lithium isotope separation are understood, but the materials landscape remains largely unexplored," Snurr said. "By combining physics-based simulation, machine learning and carefully targeted experiments, we hope to move beyond isolated discoveries and create a systematic way to identify materials with the performance needed for a viable domestic fusion fuel cycle."
Jie Gu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at McCormick, is contributing to an Argonne National Laboratory-led project developing AI tools for electronic systems that operate near absolute zero, a requirement for quantum technologies. Gu's work focuses on incorporating superconducting elements into commercial chip fabrication.
Edward "Ted" Sargent, director of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy, leads a project using AI to coordinate a process for converting captured carbon into polyethylene, one of the world's most common plastics. The current manufacturing method relies on fossil-fuel-derived hydrocarbons.
Ian Low, a professor of physics and astronomy in Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is contributing to a second Argonne-led project building an AI framework for quantum-computing simulations of atomic nuclei.
Northwestern's role in the national effort
Two of the four projects are led by Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, with Northwestern faculty as contributors. Argonne is also planning a National Genesis Mission Supercomputing Center of Innovation on its Lemont campus, seeking at least $6 billion in private investment for the center's first phase, according to federal procurement documents.
Sumit Dhar, Northwestern's interim vice president for research, said the selections reflect the strength of the university's partnership with Argonne National Laboratory.
What comes next
Under Phase I, project teams will design, develop, and test AI-enabled research workflows to determine whether integrating AI with scientific investigation can accelerate discovery. The university has not disclosed specific dollar amounts for its awards. No timeline for Phase II selections has been published.
