The Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO) Program

The recent APS-DPP Community Planning Process (CPP), as well as the FESAC Long Range Plan (LRP), highlighted the need for a robust and diverse workforce to tackle the challenges of a growing plasma physics and fusion energy field.  One specific recommendation from the CPP (recommendation B-6) was the creation of a summer research program for undergraduate students.  Within the workforce development section of the LRP report, it recommends to “Reinstate and create fellowships to help recruit and retain top students from – a diverse applicant pool into FES research areas.“

With the support of a direct grant from the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences and the logistical support of the US Fusion Outreach Team, we’ve launched the Plasma and Fusion Undergraduate Research Opportunities (PFURO) Program which gives undergraduates from all over the country the chance to conduct research with groups from universities and other research institutions in the fields of plasma physics and fusion energy sciences. 

PFURO is designed to complement the successful DOE Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program and offer students the opportunity to conduct research at universities and other institutions that are ineligible to host SULI students.  In this inaugural year of the PFURO program, 8 students were selected from a pool of 143 eligible applicants to conduct research at 7 universities and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

In this presentation, we will report on the 2021 edition of the PFURO program and on the expected changes and expansion for subsequent years.