Princeton Faculty Win 4 DOE Genesis Grants in 278-Project AI Science Push
Updated
Updated · Princeton University · Jul 22
Princeton Faculty Win 4 DOE Genesis Grants in 278-Project AI Science Push
3 articles · Updated · Princeton University · Jul 22
Summary
Four Princeton faculty members won DOE Genesis Mission grants, joining a 278-project national effort to use AI to speed scientific discovery in energy, security and other fields.
Hantao Ji and Egemen Kolemen will lead fusion-focused projects at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, using neural networks and a digital twin to model plasma behavior, improve control and predict space-weather disruptions.
Josh Atkinson and Jürgen Hackl will build a machine-learning model with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to predict how microbes transfer DNA—a pathway central to antibiotic resistance and bioengineering applications.
Princeton researchers are also contributing to Genesis projects led elsewhere on groundwater and flood hazards, synthetic biological cells and plasma-fluid physics, extending the university's role beyond its four lead awards.
The Genesis Mission, launched by DOE on July 22, is designed to double U.S. scientific productivity by combining AI, high-performance computing and national lab capabilities; OpenAI has separately pledged up to $17 million in support.
Can America's ambitious nuclear energy plan truly satisfy the colossal power demands of its new AI infrastructure?
Will this national AI partnership accelerate discovery for all or create a new class of 'AI-haves' in science?
As AI begins to form its own scientific hypotheses, how will researchers validate its unprecedented discoveries?
Building the World’s Most Powerful Scientific Platform: The Genesis Mission’s Decade to Double U.S. Science
Overview
Launched by the U.S. Department of Energy in November 2025, the Genesis Mission is a pivotal national initiative designed to double American scientific productivity within a decade. By strategically integrating artificial intelligence and advanced computing across the national research landscape, the mission aims to fundamentally transform American scientific capabilities. This effort is a direct response to escalating global competition in science and technology, especially from countries like China that have rapidly increased their research investments. Envisioned as a modern-day equivalent of the Manhattan Project or Apollo Program, the Genesis Mission highlights its urgent national importance and ambitious goals.