The rapid advancements in fusion energy research underlines an urgent need for a strong workforce capable of driving future fusion engineering and technology developments. Recent achievements, such as the first experimental demonstration of fusion implosion with a target gain larger than unity at the National Ignition Facility, have unveiled the potential for fusion to serve as a sustainable energy source. These advancements, coupled with the White House’s bold decadal vision for commercial fusion energy, highlight the pressing need to grow, diversify, and sustainably develop the talent pipeline in fusion engineering and technology. To address this critical demand, this project aims to leverage the collective strengths of six academic institutions (Tennessee Tech University, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, Southern Adventist University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and University of Tennessee – Knoxville), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and nearly ten private fusion companies to create workforce training initiatives and enhance curriculum development, thereby preparing a new generation of researchers for careers in fusion engineering and technology.

This initiative is developed around the following three objectives. (1) We will establish a student mentoring program to involve undergraduate and graduate students through consecutive summer internships at ORNL and a private fusion company, where they will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge research and commercial applications of fusion technology. Students will also benefit from continued mentorship in the form of career guidance and professional development during academic semesters. (2) We will collectively develop a series of new courses and special-topics modules to be implemented at participating universities, which will be shared publicly with the broader academic community. This curriculum development effort will be guided by private fusion companies and national lab leaders, reflecting the needs and recent advancements in fusion engineering and technology. (3) To promote the sustainability of the project efforts, we will create an inaugural entrepreneurship and innovation focused bootcamp – the Fusion Innovation Bootcamp – designed for sustained training and participation of students in fusion engineering. Student trainees will engage with fusion startup professionals, national lab researchers, and university faculties in a dynamic curriculum featuring lectures, panels, hands-on sessions, and pitch presentations. Key findings and insights from student mentorship, curriculum development, and bootcamp training in this RENEW project will be disseminated at a fusion engineering and technology workshop during a major national conference.

The integration of student mentoring, curriculum development, and bootcamp engagement ensures that the training and involvement of participants is sustained beyond the duration of this RENEW project and into the future of fusion engineering and technology. This project aims to sustainably improve workforce conversion and retention, increase representation of underrepresented and economically disadvantaged minorities in the fusion industry, enrich fusion engineering curricula across academia with vital course materials, and establish a sustainable talent pipeline from academic institutions to the public and private fusion sectors.