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INFUSE program

The Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) is a U.S. Department of Energy public-private partnership program. It provides private fusion energy companies with access to the expertise, computational resources, and experimental facilities of the national laboratory system to accelerate fusion energy development.

Overview

The Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) is a program established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy. Administered by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), INFUSE functions as a public-private partnership, specifically designed to connect the burgeoning private fusion industry with the extensive scientific and engineering capabilities of the DOE's national laboratory complex. The program's primary goal is to address critical technology and scientific challenges faced by private companies, thereby de-risking their development pathways and fostering a robust domestic fusion ecosystem.

INFUSE is not a direct cash grant program. Instead, it provides companies with financial awards, or vouchers, that are used to fund work performed by researchers and engineers at national laboratories. This model allows private entities to leverage unique, high-value assets—such as advanced computational modeling codes, specialized materials science facilities, and large-scale plasma diagnostic tools—that would be prohibitively expensive or time-consuming to develop independently. By facilitating this collaboration, INFUSE aims to overcome specific technical hurdles that stand in the way of achieving commercially viable fusion energy.

Program Mechanism

The operational structure of INFUSE is centered on a competitive, peer-reviewed award process. The program issues regular Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) to which private-sector fusion companies can respond with proposals. These proposals must identify a specific technical challenge and a partnering national laboratory with the requisite capabilities to address it.

Key elements of the mechanism include:

  • Voucher-Based System: Successful applicants receive an award that directly funds the partnering national laboratory's scope of work. The award value typically ranges from $50,000 to $500,000, covering the laboratory's labor, materials, and facility time. This structure ensures that federal funds are directed toward the public research infrastructure.
  • Cost-Share Requirement: Companies are required to provide a minimum 20% cost-share, which can be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. This requirement ensures that the company has a vested interest in the project's success and promotes efficient use of resources.
  • Technical Focus Areas: Proposals are solicited within specific technology areas critical to fusion development. These often include:
    • Enabling Technologies: High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets, vacuum and plasma-facing components, and diagnostic systems.
    • Materials Science: Development and testing of materials for structural, breeding blanket, and plasma-facing applications under extreme fusion conditions.
    • Modeling and Simulation: Access to high-performance computing for advanced simulations of plasma behavior, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), and engineering systems.
    • Fusion System Design: Integrated design and analysis, including neutronics, tritium fuel cycle, and power conversion systems.
  • Review Process: Proposals are evaluated by a panel of independent technical experts based on their scientific merit, potential impact on the company's progress, and the feasibility of the proposed collaboration with the national laboratory. The process is managed to ensure fairness and to select projects with the highest probability of accelerating progress toward a fusion pilot plant.

Intellectual property (IP) generated during an INFUSE project is typically handled through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the company and the laboratory, with terms negotiated to protect the company's pre-existing IP while allowing for the potential licensing of new, jointly developed IP.

Historical Development

The concept for INFUSE emerged from a growing recognition in the mid-2010s of the rapid rise of private investment in fusion energy. While the DOE had long funded foundational fusion science, primarily through research at universities and national labs on devices like the tokamak, there was no formal mechanism to support the specific, applied-technology needs of private ventures.

  • 2018: The idea was formalized following a DOE workshop on public-private partnerships. The workshop identified the need for a flexible, agile program to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.
  • 2019: The INFUSE program was officially launched, initially as a pilot initiative managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in conjunction with FES. The first round of funding was announced in November 2019, awarding $4.6 million to 12 projects. This inaugural round established the program's core operational model.
  • 2020: Following the successful pilot, management of the program was fully transitioned to the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). FES continued to issue annual FOAs, expanding the network of participating laboratories and refining the technical focus areas in response to industry needs.
  • 2022: The program's importance was underscored by the White House's announcement of a "Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy." INFUSE was highlighted as a key component of the strategy to support this vision. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 further authorized and expanded milestone-based public-private partnership programs, solidifying the policy foundation for initiatives like INFUSE.

Throughout its history, the program has been led by key figures within the DOE, including Dr. James Van Dam, the former FES Associate Director, and program manager Dr. Arlene Kalin. Their leadership was instrumental in establishing and growing the program's scope and impact.

Current Status

As of 2026, INFUSE is a well-established and integral part of the U.S. national fusion program. It has conducted multiple funding rounds, supporting dozens of projects across a wide range of private fusion companies and concepts. The program's annual budget has remained stable, reflecting sustained bipartisan support for public-private partnerships as a strategy to accelerate fusion commercialization.

In its most recent funding cycles, the program has placed increased emphasis on challenges related to the fusion fuel cycle, particularly tritium breeding and materials qualification. This shift reflects the industry's maturation from focusing solely on plasma physics to addressing the integrated engineering challenges of a full fusion power plant. According to a 2024 DOE report, the program had funded over 60 distinct projects with more than 20 private companies since its inception, with total awards exceeding $25 million.

The network of participating national laboratories is robust, including major fusion research centers like the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), as well as labs with specialized capabilities such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for lasers and diagnostics, and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory for magnet science.

Notable Implementations

INFUSE has enabled collaborations with many of the leading private fusion companies in the United States. These partnerships have yielded tangible results, advancing the technical readiness of various fusion approaches.

  • Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS): A frequent awardee, /companies/commonwealth-fusion-systems has used INFUSE to collaborate with national labs on HTS magnet technology, materials science for their SPARC and ARC tokamak designs, and advanced diagnostics. For instance, a project with MIT and PPPL focused on validating novel radio-frequency heating actuators.
  • TAE Technologies: TAE has leveraged INFUSE awards for work on its advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration (FRC) concept. Collaborations with PPPL and LANL have focused on plasma stability, diagnostic development, and modeling of energetic particle behavior.
  • Helion: Helion has partnered with national labs through INFUSE to refine diagnostic techniques for its high-beta FRC plasmas and to model aspects of its pulsed, non-ignition fusion-propulsion system. A 2023 project with ORNL focused on characterizing neutron production and material responses.
  • Zap Energy: This company has used INFUSE support to work with LLNL and other labs on modeling and experimental validation of its sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch concept. Projects have addressed electrode materials, plasma-material interactions, and stability physics.
  • Type One Energy: Focused on stellarator development, Type One has engaged with ORNL and PPPL to leverage their world-leading expertise in stellarator design, 3D magnetic coil manufacturing, and plasma theory, directly supporting the design of their Infinity One pilot plant.

Open Challenges

Despite its success, the INFUSE program faces several challenges related to its scale, scope, and integration into the broader national fusion strategy.

  1. Scalability: The program's current funding level, while impactful for targeted R&D, is insufficient to address the larger-scale, capital-intensive engineering and construction challenges that companies face as they move toward pilot plants. A single award is a small fraction of a company's total R&D budget.
  2. Breadth of Scope: As the number of private fusion companies grows and their technological approaches diversify, the program must continually adapt its technical focus areas. Balancing the needs of established leaders with those of emerging startups presents an ongoing portfolio management challenge.
  3. Access to Facilities: Some of the most critical national laboratory facilities, such as those for extensive neutron materials testing or tritium handling, have limited availability. Prioritizing and scheduling access between foundational science programs (like support for ITER) and private company needs can create logistical bottlenecks.
  4. Transition to Larger Partnerships: INFUSE is designed for discrete, short-term R&D projects. A key challenge is creating a clear pathway for successful collaborations to evolve into larger, more strategic partnerships, such as the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, without creating funding gaps.

Outlook

The 5- to 15-year outlook for the INFUSE program appears strong, with its role likely to evolve alongside the maturation of the private fusion industry. It is expected to remain a cornerstone of the U.S. public-private fusion strategy. In the near term (5 years), the program will likely see a continued focus on closing technology gaps for pilot plant designs, with an emphasis on materials, blankets, and the tritium fuel cycle. The number of applicant companies is expected to increase, potentially requiring an expansion of the program's budget to maintain its impact.

Over the longer term (10-15 years), as several companies begin constructing and commissioning pilot plants, the nature of the support they require will change. INFUSE may adapt to focus more on regulatory science, licensing support, and operational challenges, such as remote handling and plant maintenance. It could also serve as an incubator for a second generation of fusion startups and supply chain companies focused on specialized components and subsystems. The program's success will ultimately be measured by its contribution to helping one or more private companies achieve net energy gain and progress toward a commercially viable fusion power plant, fulfilling its mission to accelerate the timeline for fusion energy.

References

  1. Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) — U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science (2024)
  2. DOE Announces $4.6 Million for Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Fusion Energy — U.S. Department of Energy (2019)
  3. A Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy — The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2022)
  4. Fusion Energy Sciences Program Update — Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) (2023)
  5. DOE Announces $5.5 Million for Research on Fusion Energy — U.S. Department of Energy (2023)
  6. Public-private partnerships for fusion energy: A US perspective — Journal of Fusion Energy (2021)
  7. The Fusion Industry in 2023 — Fusion Industry Association (2023)