RPI will lead one Phase I project and support a second, advancing AI applications in critical materials and particle accelerator research
July 31, 2026
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researchers will contribute to two projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Phase I awards under the inaugural Genesis Mission, a national initiative designed to accelerate scientific discovery through artificial intelligence. RPI will lead one project, in collaboration with Ames National Laboratory, focused on developing next-generation permanent magnets, while contributing to a second project led by Brookhaven National Laboratory that will apply AI to improve the operation of particle accelerators.
The RPI-led project, AI-Guided Manufacturing of High-Performance Heavy Rare-Earth-Free Magnets for Critical Materials Security (AIM-MAG), will be led by Jie Lian, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering and materials science and engineering at RPI. Lian’s team will combine AI, materials science, and advanced manufacturing to accelerate the discovery and development of high-performance, heavy rare-earth-free permanent magnets. By integrating scientific literature, existing materials databases, computational modeling, and experimental data into an AI-powered knowledge platform, the researchers aim to uncover relationships between composition, processing, microstructure, and magnetic performance. These insights will guide the design and scalable manufacturing of next-generation permanent magnets with enhanced performance and reduced reliance on critical rare-earth elements. The full research team includes RPI professors Liping Huang and Yunfeng Shi, as well as collaborators from Ames National Laboratory and GE Vernova.
"Some of today's most important scientific challenges are too complex for any one institution or discipline to solve alone," said Lian. "Being part of the Genesis Mission gives us the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers across the country and explore new approaches to designing the next generation of critical materials. By developing heavy rare-earth-free permanent magnets, our research aims to strengthen domestic manufacturing, enhance energy security, and build a more resilient U.S. critical materials supply chain."
RPI also is a partner on a second Genesis Mission Phase I project led by Brookhaven National Laboratory, AI-Driven, Self-Learning Digital Twins for Robust Operation of Particle Accelerators. The project will combine physics-based accelerator models with machine learning to create AI-enabled digital twins that can improve understanding of accelerator operations, account for uncertainty, and support real-time decisions. Yinan Wang, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, leads RPI's contribution alongside collaborators from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Cornell University, RadiaSoft, and Cosylab.
“The Genesis Mission creates an opportunity to rethink how scientists interact with complex systems such as particle accelerators,” said Wang. "I am excited to collaborate with researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory and our other partners on developing new approaches to understanding and operating these advanced scientific facilities."
As part of the Genesis Mission, both projects join a national effort bringing together researchers from universities, national laboratories, industry, and government to develop and demonstrate AI-enabled scientific workflows that accelerate discovery across energy, manufacturing, and national security.
“RPI's selection for two Phase I Genesis Mission projects reflects the university's commitment to research that connects computational and AI advances to disciplines that fuel emerging technologies, and advance scientific understanding and innovation,” said Robert Hull, Vice President for Research at RPI.