Congratulations to ATAP Research Scientists Sam Barber and Lucas Brouwer for being awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office (DOE) of Science Early Career Research Program (ECRP). They are among over 90 scientists nationwide and 14 in California to receive this prestigious award.

This is the 14^th year of the ECRP, which aims to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by supporting exceptional researchers during the first ten years following their doctoral studies. The awards are part of DOE’s “long-standing efforts to develop the next generation of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] leaders to solidify America’s role as the driver of science and innovation around the world,” states the DOE.

Based in the BELLA Center at ATAP, Barber’s work is focused on developing next-generation light sources using laser-plasma accelerators. His ECRP project, “Extending the reach of light source facilities with precision laser plasma injectors,” aims to provide a blueprint for integrating LPA-driven light sources into existing and future light source facilities. The work could provide the scientific community with the tools to advance research in areas such as biotechnology and quantum materials science.

Brouwer is researching superconducting magnets and their applications at ATAP’s Superconducting Magnet Program. His ERCP project, “Fixed-Field Superconducting Magnets for Rapid, High Power Acceleration of Muons and Protons,” seeks to extend the capabilities and energy reach of future accelerators by advancing fixed-field acceleration, in which alternating gradient magnets are employed to transport beams of different energy without changes in magnetic field.

To read the DOE press release announcing the awards, click here. For the Berkeley Lab press release, click here.