Fusion energy holds the promise of providing safe, sustainable and low-carbon baseload energy that complements other clean energy sources like solar and wind. Realising fusion means solving many science, engineering and technology challenges in a comprehensive research programme.
In Europe, the EUROfusion research consortium takes up the fusion challenge with its strongly goal-oriented Roadmap to Fusion Energy. By involving talented young engineers in its research, EUROfusion accelerates its progress towards the scientific exploitation of ITER and developing the European demonstration fusion power plant DEMO.
The selection of the EEG grants was based on the excellence of the candidates through a rigorous evaluation and interviewing process by an expert panel of retired leading fusion experts and taking into account their diverse backgrounds. EUROfusion is committed to fostering equality, diversity, and inclusion in all its forms including but not limited to gender, nationality, socioeconomic background and disabilities. EUROfusion’s governing body, the General Assembly, approved sixteen EUROfusion Engineering Grants (EEGs) based on the recommendations of the experts in the EEG evaluation panels.
Attracting and developing excellent fusion engineers
As Europe’s fusion research community, EUROfusion is highly committed to developing a workforce capable of solving the physics and engineering challenges towards a fusion power plant. The EUROfusion Engineering Grants support excellent early-career engineers as they hone their skills on key technological questions for the development of fusion energy.
The EEGs are awarded at a post-master and post-doctoral level and cover the salaries of recipients and part of the cost of their research activities and missions for up to two years. Recipients will participate in the Engineering Training Programme to develop skills and competences, increase their visibility, and build up their fusion networks.
About EUROfusion
The EUROfusion consortium coordinates experts, students, and facilities from across Europe to realise fusion energy in accordance with the EUROfusion Roadmap to Fusion Energy. EUROfusion is co-funded via the Euratom Research and Training Programme.
The EUROfusion programme is preparing for experiments at the international ITER project and develops concepts for the European demonstration fusion power plant DEMO. The programme supports fusion education and training and works with companies to develop the European fusion industry.
EEG recipients awarded to start in 2024
Giuseppe Agnello
University of Palermo, Italy
Development of a numerical tool for the transport analysis of radioactive species in the DEMO PHTS
Enrico Aymerich
University of Cagliari, Italy
Real-time heat flux estimation in fusion devices through machine learning techniques
Valeria Candeloro
Consorzio RFX, Italy
Development and exploitation of beam source diagnostics towards optimized operation of neutral beam injectors
Francesca Maria Castrovinci
Brasimone Research Centre, Italy
Design and testing of WCLL BB prototypical mock-ups
Gabriele De Sano
University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
Investigation of feasible engineering strategies to avoid leading edges in a divertor target
Benjamin Ell
Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology, KIT, Germany
Engineering and Operation of advanced Gyrotron systems for todays and future fusion devices at EUrope (EOGEU)
Aljoša Gajšek
Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia
Development of two-phase flow model for thermal-hydraulic simulation of water-cooled divertor targets using the inputs from experimental setup (THELMA upgrade)
Tommaso Glingler
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Integrated analysis for EU-DEMO systems: from failure model to RAMI performance
James Hargreaves
Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), the Netherlands
Evaluation of fatigue data in tungsten and tungsten monoblocks due to divertor strikepoint sweeping
Sujith James
UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), United Kingdom
Co-operative robot handling of challenging payloads
Daniil Koliadko
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
Deuteron-Lithium nuclear data and experiments for the design and safety of the IFMIF-DONES facility
Robert Lürbke
Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP), Germany
Tailored metal matrix composites for high heat flux applications
Pietro Maccari
CR Brasimone, Italy
Design Engineer in support of the R&D of two-phase flow systems in pulsed operation
Cristina Terlizzi
University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
Scalable high-power Modular Multilevel Converters for DEMO Central Solenoid and Poloidal Field coils Power Supplies
Fabio Veronese
Consorzio RFX, Italy
Optimization of ITER-relevant Caesium ovens design, testing and commissioning/operation
Hao Yang
Aix-Marseille Université, France
Advanced control system development for long pulse tokamak operations
