Access to the DIII-D research program is open, but controlled. As allowed by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science and other relevant federal policies, all interested organizations can join the DIII-D program and gain access to unpublished data and upcoming research projects for their teams.  

The process for becoming a user is outlined here according to how you would enter into the program. 

Note that individuals may only become users through the sponsorship of a participating organization. An organization may sponsor users by joining the program through an Institutional User Agreement.  

Individuals who are awarded research funds by the U.S. government are able to become users as they are automatically sponsored by the funding agency.   

• Obtaining Cyber Access and Establishing Projects (required for all users) 
  • Joining Through a New Research Project (for researchers with no prior DIII-D engagement)
  • Joining Through an Established Research Project (new or existing user) 
  • Adding a new Research Project (Statement of Work) 
• Physical Site Access for Users 
• Records of Discussion process when applying for grants to Perform Research at DIII-D 

All users join the program with intent to engage in collaborative research projects. 

1. Assess the Ability of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility to Support Your Proposed Research 

The initial step involves assessing whether the DIII-D facility’s capabilities and goals align with the proposed research.  

1. Researchers should review the Capabilities and Tools for Plasma Science Research page to understand how DIII-D’s flexible capabilities can support your work. 
2. Review DIII-D Research page to learn about DIII-D’s research division organization and goals. 

2. Develop a Research Project through Consultation with the Research Area Leaders 

1. Contact the relevant Research Division leader through our Contact Us form to discuss the proposed work and determine how it fits within DIII-D’s research structure. Our current topical groups are: 
   • Plasma-Interacting Technology 
   • Fusion Pilot Plant Research 
   • ITER Research 
2. Establish your research project by submitting the Project Information form.

3. Establish a Qualified Funding Source via an Institutional User Agreement 

If research at DIII-D is supported through awards made by the Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), the FES program establishes the institutional user agreement through the process of accepting the award. An interested researcher funded by FES looking to gain access to unpublished DIII-D research data must join DIII-D through a participating organization that is already bound by the FES institutional user agreement and agree to uphold that agreement.  

For research that is not funded through an FES award, an institutional user agreement with the leading organization is required. DIII-D offers templates for these agreements, ensuring the protection of both the user and the facility. These agreements cover aspects such as liability, indemnification, intellectual property, data rights, and financial matters, aligning with statutory and administrative requirements. Learn more. 

4. Becoming a DIII-D user 

1. The Research Division Directorate will assign a General Atomics (GA) host for you. 
2. The GA host will discuss the scope of work and determine the applicable systems and safety training required for your participation. 
3. The Project Lead will automatically receive an email with the application form and a request to review the information of the new Research Project (also known as Statement of Work) and create their DIII-D access accounts (if they are not a user). 
4. Once the Project Lead is established, they can add additional personnel to the project. Each added member will receive an email invitation with instructions to create their DIII-D access accounts. 
5. After your access has been initiated, visit the Onboarding page and follow the steps to begin activities at DIII-D. 
6. If you are planning to visit or be stationed at DIII-D, please see the Physical Site Access for users’ section below. 

This is the primary path for new users to join the program. In this process you are joining a Statement of Work that already exists at DIII-D. For example, you might be a student or new staff researcher joining a research team’s project. Each DIII-D Statement of Work has a Project Lead who is able to add personnel to their project. 

A project (Statement of Work) is distinguished by the funding source that supports researchers who contribute to the project. The same research activities must exist as a unique project under each applicable funding source. If a Project Lead is adding you to a SoW, that means your contributions to that SoW are supported by the same funding source as the Project Lead. See additional guidance here. 

The Project Lead represents the leader for that activity as performed at DIII-D. The Project Lead is not necessarily a Principal Investigator (PI) or-co-PI on a particular funding award.  

1. To become a user, the Project Lead must add you to the Statement of Work. Once this is done you will automatically receive an invitation to confirm your information and join the program.  

The Project Lead will need the following information from you:  

• • • First Name 
    • Last Name 
    • Institutional Email Address 
    • Institution Name 
    • ORCID ID (If you do not have an ORCID ID, you will need to obtain one at https://orcid.org/register)

2. After your access has been initiated, visit the Onboarding page and follow the steps to begin activities at DIII-D. 

3. If you are planning to visit or be stationed at DIII-D, please see the Physical Site Access for users’ section below.

Existing users can establish new projects (under approved funding sources) using the Project Information form. Please note that the Project Information form is also used by prospective users and you will have to provide your information directly in the form (i.e., it does not lookup your account information automatically). 

Any user planning to visit or to be stationed on site permanently must contact Fran Castilleja at least two weeks prior to your arrival. The administrative assistant will guide you thru the visiting process and required documentation. Visit the Badge page 🔒 for more information. 

People who are interested in a tour of DIII-D, but are not research users, may find appropriate information here: Touring the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. 

Researchers are welcome and encouraged to apply for grants to support their participation in DIII-D projects. Some Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) specifically target fusion energy science and technology development and/or efforts within the DIII-D program. FOAs from the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science are posted on the Office of Science website here. 

Applicants submitting proposals that involve research activities at DIII-D need to complete a Record of Discussion (ROD). Not all proposals require that the ROD be submitted with the application, but the DIII-D program must have its ROD for coordination with the FES program within US DOE Office of Science. 

The purpose of the ROD is to help applicants prepare a proposal that is consistent with the capabilities and plans of the DIII-D Program and to provide advance notice to FES concerning the potential resources required to support this proposed research. The ROD is not a merit review. 

Applicants are encouraged to reach out as soon as they have a summary proposal. For proposals that have a pre-application, the formal DIII-D response will be prepared after the applicant receives encouragement to submit a full proposal.  

It is important to engage as early as possible in order to ensure that a completed ROD is ready in time for submission (for those opportunities that require it be submitted).  

The steps in the ROD process are:  

1. As soon as possible, get in touch with us thru the Contact form (select Record of Discussion) to be matched with a DIII-D Program research contact. 
2. Applicants can submit their request for a ROD or any questions through the Contact form.
   • The appropriate form can be downloaded here. 
3. After your research contact discussions, the ROD will be reviewed and signed by the individuals listed on the form and a final version will be delivered to you. Applicants are encouraged to ensure their part of the ROD progresses rapidly so that the entire form may be completed in time for submission.