Press Releases

From December 2025 to May 2026, fifteen students from fourteen universities across the United States met virtually to learn about the policies, institutions, and organizations that determine the direction of fusion energy development in the US. Those months of preparation culminated May 9th through 15th, when the 2026 Fusion Student Delegation (FuSD) traveled to Washington, D.C. for its third annual program. Over the course of the week, delegates met with federal agencies, congressional fellows, policy and legal experts, and industry and academic leaders to deepen understanding of how science, government, and policy impact fusion in the US and abroad. Delegates then brought their perspectives as students, researchers, and constituents to Capitol Hill by advocating for fusion energy in meetings with 72 congressional offices. The cohort included undergraduate and graduate students with a range of academic backgrounds and research interests in fusion energy. 

Preparing the Delegation for D.C. 

From January through May, FuSD held a series of educational meetings designed to give delegates the technical and policy background needed to participate meaningfully in fusion policy conversations. Early meetings gave delegates a broad technical foundation in fusion, exploring the scientific and engineering challenges involved in creating, sustaining, and ultimately harnessing fusion energy. Delegates then explored the broader fusion ecosystem and the policy framework surrounding it, including federal research programs, private industry, international collaboration, major legislation affecting fusion, and the regulatory framework for fusion energy. Later meetings focused on policy research and preparing delegates to communicate effectively with congressional offices.

Delegates also worked in smaller research groups to examine specific questions facing the fusion community. Topics included university fusion fellowships, support for student researchers, and global workforce development and competition in fusion. 

Putting Months of Preparation Into Practice 

FuSD arrived in Washington on Saturday, May 9. During the weekend, delegates worked together to turn their research into the 2026 FuSD Policy Brief, prepare for individual meetings, research the offices and organizations they would visit, and practice communicating their ideas to audiences outside their own technical fields.

From Monday through Wednesday, delegates met with leaders across the U.S. fusion research, policy, regulatory, and commercialization ecosystem. FuSD reconnected with the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), ARPA-E, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Fusion Industry Association, ClearPath, Third Way, and fusion legal expert Amy Roma. These conversations explored fusion regulation and commercialization, federal research priorities, workforce development, and the evolving relationship between publicly funded research and the growing private fusion industry.

Delegates also met with the Department of Energy’s newly formed Office of Fusion, providing an opportunity to learn about the office as it begins defining its place within the federal fusion ecosystem. Students discussed how the Office of Fusion’s responsibilities and priorities will distinguish itself from and complement the longstanding role of DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences branch.

For the first time, FuSD met with representatives from the National Science Foundation, expanding the Delegation's conversations about federal research beyond DOE and providing students with another perspective on how the federal government supports fundamental science and develops the scientific workforce. 

FuSD also met with congressional fellows from the American Physical Society (Hannah Griggs) and the American Nuclear Society (Alyssa Hayes). These conversations gave delegates the opportunity to hear from scientists who brought their technical backgrounds directly into congressional offices and to learn how scientific expertise can inform the policymaking process.

Developing a Student Policy Agenda 

The knowledge delegates developed throughout the spring and during the first half of the week in DC shaped the message they brought to Capitol Hill.

The 2026 FuSD Policy Brief focused on three priorities: building the fusion workforce and domestic supply chain, strengthening fusion innovators through university programs, and sustaining U.S. leadership in the global fusion ecosystem. 

Fusion will require scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, operators, and manufacturers. The Delegation highlighted opportunities to expand university fusion programs, strengthen research and internship pathways, develop domestic manufacturing capabilities, and emphasized support for the Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences program.

Bringing Student Perspectives to Capitol Hill

On Thursday and Friday, the 2026 Fusion Student Delegation participated in 72 congressional meetings, including 54 House offices and 18 Senate offices. Together, those meetings reached approximately 12% of the House of Representatives and 18% of the Senate. 

Conversations were tailored to each district’s connection to fusion. Offices representing major universities and national laboratories often focused on research, education, and workforce development, while those with fusion companies discussed public-private partnerships and commercialization. In districts with fewer direct ties to fusion, delegates highlighted the broader benefits of fusion energy and opportunities for local manufacturing and industry to contribute to the emerging fusion supply chain.

More Than a Week in Washington 

By the time the 2026 Delegation left Washington on May 15, students had spent nearly five months learning how the fusion ecosystem operates, analyzing existing policies, developing their own recommendations, advocating for those ideas with decision-makers, and networking with scientists, policymakers, and leaders throughout the fusion community.

FuSD was created to give students a way to engage with questions that will shape the field they are preparing to enter. Today's students will eventually become the researchers, engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders responsible for carrying fusion progress forward.

With its third annual program complete, FuSD is now preparing for 2027 and another year of bringing students into the conversation about the future of fusion energy.

Acknowledgements 

The Fusion Student Delegation thanks the congressional offices, federal agencies, congressional fellows, scientists, policy experts, legal professionals, industry leaders, and other members of the fusion community who shared their time and perspectives with the 2026 Delegation.

FuSD also extends its gratitude to the American Nuclear Society and the Coalition for Plasma Science. Their support has allowed the program to continue growing and providing students with opportunities to engage directly with fusion policy.

Contact: fusion.delegation@gmail.com | fusiondelegation.org

The 2025 Fusion Student Delegation: Students Bring Their Voices to America’s Fusion Future in FuSD’s Second Year

The Fusion Student Delegation (FuSD) returned to Washington, D.C. in June 2025 with a new cohort of fourteen students from across the nation. Building on the success of its inaugural year, the Delegation engaged directly with executive branch leaders, federal regulators, industry partners, think tanks, and congressional offices shaping America’s fusion energy strategy.

FuSD is a non-partisan, student-led organization, proudly inspired by the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation’s thirty years of impact on the fission community. The inaugural 2024 program was launched with support from the University Fusion Association, which helped select the first cohort and arrange several meetings. In 2025, FuSD was fully organized and led by students, from applications and interviews to program logistics and execution.

Preparing the Delegation

FuSD selected delegates through a multi-stage online process, drawing students from across the United States. Once chosen, delegates organized into subgroups focused on workforce development, research and innovation, supply chain resilience, and regulation.

From January to May, FuSD hosted General Body Meetings to prepare for the week in D.C. These sessions defined community agreements, refined policy priorities, and provided advocacy training. FuSD also engaged with guest speakers including Dr. Patrick White (Nuclear Innovation Alliance), Professor Carlos Paz-Soldan (Columbia University), and Joseph Orellana (House Science, Space, and Technology Committee).

Each subgroup contributed research to a Policy Primer and collaborated to draft the 2025 FuSD Policy Brief presented in Washington.

A Week in Washington

The Delegation’s leaders organized a detailed program to expose students to many different facets of the U.S. fusion effort. FuSD began the week by meeting with leading voices from think tanks and industry, including Hogan Lovells, ClearPath, Third Way, the Fusion Industry Association, and Eni S.p.A. These conversations gave Delegates a firsthand view of the challenges facing the private sector and the policy environment shaping the emerging fusion supply chain.

FuSD also met with several federal entities to learn more about the regulatory and strategic ecosystems within government. Delegates met with staff at the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), held discussions with leaders from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), and spoke with both Democratic and Republican staff of the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy. These conversations gave delegates a firsthand look at how fusion policy is shaped across agencies and at the committee level in Congress.

On the legislative side, Delegates dedicated two full days to meetings on Capitol Hill. Over the course of Thursday and Friday, FuSD met with 71 congressional offices — up from 34 in 2024 — covering 21% of the Senate and 12% of the House. At these meetings, Delegates presented the 2025 Policy Brief and explained the importance of sustained investment in fusion research, workforce development, and supply chain security. This sharp increase in outreach underscored FuSD’s growing capacity as a student-led organization and its ability to elevate fusion’s profile on Capitol Hill.

Policy Impact and Momentum

FuSD’s 2025 Policy Brief called for Congress to fully fund the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences at its authorized level of $1.05 billion in FY26, positioning fusion as a cornerstone of U.S. scientific and energy leadership. Delegates highlighted three priorities:

1. Sustained public-private partnerships and federal programs to accelerate development.

2. Expansion of university research and workforce development pipelines.

3. Investment in critical facilities and supply chains to secure U.S. leadership.

Delegates encouraged congressional offices to join the bipartisan Fusion Energy Caucus and emphasized fusion’s role as a long-term, zero-carbon energy solution. Building on 2024, when FuSD’s Policy Brief emphasized regulatory clarity and early workforce support ahead of the bipartisan passage of the ADVANCE Act, the 2025 Delegation broadened the agenda by adding supply chain security and critical facility investment.

Looking Ahead

With its second successful year completed, FuSD is establishing itself as an annual tradition for student voices in fusion policy. The 2026 program, already in planning, aims to broaden student participation across universities and to engage an even wider range of stakeholders in the fusion community.

Applications for the 2026 Delegation will open on October 1,  2025, at fusiondelegation.org/apply and will close on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT. The program is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students in the United States, as well as recent graduates who will be no more than six months past completing their degree at the time of the FuSD program week. Students from all majors and disciplines are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Acknowledgements

FuSD extends its gratitude to the University Fusion Association (UFA) for its role in supporting the Delegation’s creation and continued growth. The Delegation also thanks the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and the Fusion Industry Association (FIA) for their support of the 2025 program, and expresses appreciation to the many policymakers, regulators, and industry representatives who engaged with the Delegation during its week in Washington.

Contact: fusion.delegation@gmail.com | fusiondelegation.org

The 2024 Fusion Student Delegation: Empowering Student Voices in Fusion Energy Policy

FuSD is a new program for the future leaders of fusion energy and science policy. This year, eleven graduate and undergraduate students from across the nation gathered in D.C. to engage first-hand with the policy questions central to the future of fusion energy. Delegates met with executive branch leaders, regulators, industry partners, and congressional offices charting the course of America’s fusion strategy. FuSD is a non-partisan organization, and is proudly inspired by the Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation’s hard work and impact on the fission community for 30 years.

To assemble the Delegation, the University Fusion Association (UFA) solicited qualified candidates from colleges and universities across the United States through an online application. Once selected, the FuSD members self-organized into special-interest subgroups focused on workforce development, research and innovation, and the current policy landscape related to fusion energy. These students conducted extensive research, developing targeted action items to present to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. in the form of a Policy Statement.

The Delegation’s leaders organized a detailed program to expose Delegates to many different facets of the U.S. fusion program, as well as the fission landscape. FuSD discussed recent private industry developments and the status of the fusion supply chain with the Fusion Industry Association (FIA), the Washington DC-based think thanks Clear Path and Third Way, Hogan Lovells Global Energy Practice leadership, and representatives from Commonwealth Fusion Systems, TAE Technologies, and Eni S.p.A.

FuSD also met with several federal entities during its week in Washington DC to learn more about the regulatory and strategic ecosystems within the federal government. Meetings included the Department of Energy Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E).

On the legislative side, FuSD met with 34 US Congressional Offices, covering roughly 5% of the House of Representatives and 10% of the Senate. At these meetings, FuSD members presented the policy statement and informed staffers about the importance of supporting the U.S. fusion effort.

Following FuSD’s efforts in D.C., a key pillar of the Delegation’s requests for congressional offices was achieved.  The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act (ADVANCE Act) passed with strong bipartisan support just two weeks after FuSD’s visit, including language that codifies the regulatory framework for fusion machines. This bill was signed into law by President Biden on July 9, 2024.

Fusion energy is a bipartisan effort, with enthusiasm evident across the Delegation’s congressional meetings. Maintaining this momentum is crucial for the future of fusion energy policy. Encouraging congressional offices to join the Fusion Energy caucus proved to be an effective strategy, increasing their exposure to fusion energy technologies and fostering future involvement and support.

FuSD looks forward to visiting the nation’s capital in 2025 with a new cohort of delegates. Applications will open at www.fusiondelegation.org in late September, with interviews during the month of November, and final decisions in early December. Undergraduate and graduate students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Acknowledgements

FuSD extends its gratitude to Dr. Carlos Paz-Soldan and Dr. Saskia Mordijck for their vision for creating this organization and invaluable support in its establishment. The Delegation would also like to thank the UFA, ANS and FIA for their support of this important endeavor, as well as John Starkey for providing many hours of thoughtful advice and guidance for FuSD’s trip to D.C.  Dr. Jean Paul Allain and Dr. Rian Bahran helped the Delegation greatly through their public recognition of FuSD in their speeches at the White House Summit on Thursday, 6/6. Finally, FuSD thanks Amy Roma and Caroline Anderson for arranging meetings with important key players of the fusion energy ecosystem.

Contact: fusion.delegation@gmail.com | fusiondelegation.org