The University of Utah, one of the nation’s leading research universities, has been selected to receive multiple U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Genesis Mission awards, joining a national cohort of research institutions advancing transformative science and technology.
The Genesis Mission invests in ambitious, high-impact research designed to accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen U.S. competitiveness, and address some of the nation’s most complex scientific and technological challenges. The University of Utah’s awards recognize research teams whose work has the potential to drive breakthroughs in areas of national importance.
“The Genesis Mission reflects how scientific discovery is evolving; bringing together artificial intelligence, national laboratories, universities, and interdisciplinary research teams to tackle challenges that no single institution could solve alone,” said Jake Jensen, senior associate vice president for research.
University of Utah research teams
U researchers are contributing to multiple Genesis Mission projects that reflect the breadth of the university’s expertise in artificial intelligence, energy systems, and atmospheric science.
In the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Gannet Hallar is leading the Bridging Resolution Disparities in the Genesis of Mixed-Phase Clouds (BRIDGE) project, with Court Strong serving as co-principal investigator. Collaborating with researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Texas at El Paso, the team will combine advanced atmospheric observations, artificial intelligence, and predictive modeling to improve understanding of how clouds form and produce precipitation. The research aims to improve precipitation forecasting, an important step toward strengthening water security in the western United States and beyond.
Professor Steven Krueger in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences is a co-investigator on a Michigan Technological University-led project that brings together researchers from Brigham Young University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the University of Utah. Together, the team will combine cloud-chamber observations, advanced computer modeling, and artificial intelligence to better understand how clouds produce rain. The research aims to improve precipitation forecasting and strengthen weather and climate models that support water resource management and environmental prediction.
Assistant Professor Rohan Basu Roy in the Kahlert School of Computing and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute is leading a University of Utah project to help address one of artificial intelligence’s newest challenges: the growing demand for electricity to power AI data centers. His team is developing an AI-driven resource control plane that can intelligently manage computing workloads, allowing data centers to reduce energy use during periods of high demand while minimizing impacts on performance. The project aims to improve grid reliability, lower operating costs, and help prepare the nation’s energy infrastructure for the rapid growth of AI computing.
Assistant Professor Morteza Fayazi in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is a co-investigator on a University of Washington-led project, Transforming Science and Energy with AI. The collaboration brings together researchers from multiple institutions to apply artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery and advance next-generation energy systems.
“The University of Utah has built a research enterprise that brings together expertise across disciplines to solve problems of national and global importance,” said Erin Rothwell, senior vice president for research. “These Genesis Mission awards recognize the creativity of our researchers and the strength of the partnerships that make ambitious science possible.”
About the Genesis Mission
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission supports transformative research designed to accelerate scientific discovery, foster collaboration, and strengthen America’s research and innovation ecosystem. By investing in visionary research teams, the initiative aims to expand scientific knowledge and develop technologies that address some of the nation’s most significant scientific and technological challenges.
Media contact: Amanda Ashley, amanda.ashley@utah.edu, 385-495-4540