MIT researchers will participate in 15 collaborative research projects selected for funding under Phase I of the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, the university announced on July 23, 2026. The national initiative aims to create an integrated science discovery platform combining artificial intelligence, supercomputing, quantum technologies, and advanced scientific instruments.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the selections during its Genesis Summit in Washington. Final research funding for MIT remains subject to successful award negotiations for each project. In Phase I, participating teams will focus on demonstrating research workflows that combine AI with scientific investigation while evaluating the approach's scientific merit.
2>MIT-Led InitiativesSix of the selected Phase I projects feature principal investigators from MIT. Chemical engineering professor Martin Bazant leads an initiative focused on AI-driven discovery of electrochemical separation methods for rare earth elements. Applied mathematics professor Laurent Demanet directs a project applying AI to learn missing constitutive structures in fracture models, while associate professor Ronald Garcia Ruiz leads research on AI-driven quantum sensing for fundamental physics tests.
Additional MIT-led projects include multi-agent inverse design of block polypeptoids into hierarchical nanostructures under professor Bradley Olsen, the CATALYST project for core accelerated trajectories led by principal research scientist Cristina Rea, and a multi-modal application of the FM4NPP foundation model directed by physics professor Gunther Roland.
2>Collaborative ProjectsNine additional projects involve MIT researchers working alongside external institutions, national laboratories, and industry partners. A generative engineering framework for rotating blade design is led by GE Vernova Advanced Research Center, with associate professor Faez Ahmed leading the MIT contribution. Argonne National Laboratory leads a project on superconducting polychronous computation, featuring electrical engineering professor Karl Berggren.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory leads two partner projects, including an AI workflow initiative for lab discovery and a generative AI framework for water-energy security, both involving assistant professor Haruko Wainwright. Other partner initiatives cover agentic digital twins with Texas A&M University, high-complexity data streams with Purdue University, MXene memristors with Northeastern University, and fusion magnet digital twins with Holger Witte at MIT's Bates Research and Engineering Center.
Projects in Phase I that demonstrate promising pathways toward transformative capabilities at scale may be considered by the Department of Energy for further Genesis Mission funding in subsequent phases.
