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Brandan Buschmann, a third-year PhD student in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) and MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE), has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA LRGF).
Under the supervision of Dr. Johan Frenje, Buschmann is working to advance a machine-learning-based reconstruction technique to characterize the three-dimensional structure of ignited implosions at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). His work aims to apply the technique to experimental data to help guide the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) program toward regimes of high energy gain.
“The LRGF program provides Brandan with a unique opportunity to not only conduct cutting-edge research directly relevant to the ICF program at NIF, but also to engage with leading scientists across the national laboratory system,” says Frenje.
This distinguished fellowship supports emerging leaders in high-energy-density physics and nuclear science and includes two 12-week residencies at a national laboratory. Buschmann will conduct research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Casey, a former NSE graduate student and PSFC alumnus.
“I am honored to receive such a competitive fellowship,” says Buschmann. “Working in collaboration with LLNL on important ICF research problems has been a goal of mine for many years. I am excited to utilize the vast resources at LLNL to advance our understanding of ignited implosions at the NIF.”