UW-Madison’s fusion energy research leverages advanced facilities and interdisciplinary expertise to advance plasma science and energy machine design.

Our research programs combine plasma physics, astrophysics, theory, simulation, and experimentation to investigate plasma behaviors, sources, and properties; sustain magnetically confined plasmas; and study plasma-material interactions. Researchers also focus on plasma startup and heating methods, diagnostic technologies, and divertor operations, all critical components of fusion reactor design.

Efforts within the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics (NEEP), the Department of Physics, the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory (WIPPL), the Department of Astronomy, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering position UW-Madison as a leader in developing the scientific foundations and engineering innovations needed for practical fusion energy, as well as in preparing the global fusion energy workforce.