This page provides information for all opportunities to propose experimental studies to be awarded runtime during a DIII-D experimental campaign. This page is regularly updated as new opportunities to propose projects to be performed at DIII-D become available and includes information on the annual Research Opportunity Forum to propose fusion research projects and information for opportunities to propose Frontiers Science projects

The purpose of the DIII-D Research Opportunity Forum (ROF) is to solicit community input on DIII-D experimental priorities and goals, including via proposals for thrusts and task forces; vet those ideas through the DIII-D Research Council; and then submit experimental proposals to achieve those goals using a new proposal engine directly (for current users) or via a series of forms (non-users). Further details on the new submission process are included below.  

Several new processes have been introduced with the goal of a continuous experimental planning process that is open to a broader spectrum of researchers across the fusion energy and adjacent technologies communities, and has a fair and impartial evaluation of proposals. In particular, there are two significant changes compared to historical practices: (1) the initial proposal requires more technical detail in the initial stage (rough concepts of an experiment are no longer accepted) and (2) the scientific and technical merits of proposals will be evaluated using a dual-anonymous review process prior to the ROF group breakout meetings.

Updated Memorandum on DIII-D Research Opportunity Forum process for 2026

DIII-D Run Time Guidance for FY2026

Please note that all DIII-D experimental proposals, except those for Frontiers Science, the Torkil Jensen Award, and the Director’s Reserve, will be subject to submission through the Proposal Engine, as detailed below.

Call for Proposals

The DIII-D National Fusion Facility is inviting collaboration in its upcoming program. The DIII-D team is a national and international collaboration amongst ~100 institutions. Collaborators manage elements of the program, generate ideas and innovations, lead experiments, build and operate diagnostics and other equipment, analyze data, provide theory and modeling support, and report and publish results worldwide. Opportunities also exist for graduate and undergraduate students to lead experiments.

The DIII-D program is rapidly driving research to demonstrably accelerate fusion energy. DIII-D is perfectly primed for this mission, with recent advances in heating, shaping and power handling adding more flexibility and relevance than ever, while various fusion technologies and associated public and private sector teams have been engaged to test new concepts. This has seen a dramatic expansion of private sector users, with multiple fusion industry partners engaged on AI, materials and other fields. In this work, a strong focus is placed on developing a validated physics understanding of the foundational processes and quantitative predictive simulation capability.

Research in FY2026 will feature a “Shape and Volume Rise” divertor that allows advanced scenario demonstration at higher triangularity and elongation, high-field-launch Lower Hybrid Current Drive, co- and counter-injection neutral beams, and 3 MW of Electron Cyclotron Heating. New systems have been or will be commissioned including a retarding field analyzer, pebble rod, diagnostic Helium beam, and a Thomson scattering laser upgrade.

An 8-week Spring campaign in 2026 provides a vehicle for new recipients of DOE funding awards under FES’s Tokamak Research (‘TR’) structure, as well fusion industry users, theory and international partners to advance the fusion commercialization agenda and address the DOE Fusion Roadmap.

Submission of New DIII-D Experimental Proposals

Existing DIII-D users can learn more about the FY2026 ROF process and experimental proposal submission here and should submit new proposals for runtime on DIII-D directly via the Proposal Engine.

Otherwise, researchers who are not current DIII-D users with an idea for an experiment on DIII-D should complete the below steps to propose to receive runtime on DIII-D:
1. Download the proposal template.
2. Complete the proposal.
3. Fill out this form indicating the machine setup.
4. Email sharepoint@fusion.gat.com your completed proposal, with the title of the proposal listed in step 3 as the subject of the email. This will allow the proposal to be put into the DIII-D Proposal Engine.

If you have questions about the process, please contact contact@d3dfusion.org. If you experience technical difficulties, please contact Fusion User Support at fus@fusion.gat.com.

Broad Overview of the Planning Process and Timeline – *Updated 10/28/2025*

Sept. 3, 2025 – 2026 DIII-D Strategic Planning Workshop
Sept. 16 & 23, 2025 – Research Council meeting on high-priority proposals
Oct. 29, 2025 – Run Time Guidance issued for Spring campaign
Oct. 29, 2025 – Proposal Engine opens with updated ROF categories
Nov. 30, 2025 – Submission deadline for new ROF proposals
Early Dec. 2025 – Education Committee makes PhD student recommendations
Dec. 5, 2025 – Finish anonymized reviews of new ROF proposals
Dec. 8-Jan. 9, 2026 – ROF breakout sessions to prioritize proposals
Jan. 16, 2025 – Run Time Allocation announced
Jan. 26, 2026 – All Fenstermacher Questions must have finalized answers to the MP team
Feb. 9, 2026 – Run Coordinator Team issues experimental schedule
Feb. 10, 2026 – Shot plan reviews completed, MPs submitted for final review
Feb. 24-May 6, 2026 – Spring experimental campaign

Proposals are currently being invited for Frontiers Science projects to be run in this campaign. The DIII-D tokamak, which is both highly flexible and extensively diagnosed, offers researchers a chance to investigate questions that advance scientific understanding and engineering for Frontiers Science. 

Detailed information for the Call for Proposals for Frontiers Science can be found here.