U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have secured $4 million in federal funding for energy security research at Stony Brook University. The funding, allocated through Fiscal Year 2026 congressional directed spending, will support the development of high-performance materials crucial for the future of nuclear energy.
The investment will be used at Stony Brook’s Engineered Materials and Radiation Effects Laboratory, part of the Advanced Energy Research Technology Center. Researchers there are focused on creating and testing ultra-high-temperature materials for next-generation nuclear power systems, including small modular reactors, fusion reactors, and NASA thermal nuclear propulsion systems.
With this funding, Stony Brook plans to establish a university-based facility dedicated to radiological and mechanical properties testing for advanced materials. This facility will combine the development of ultra-high-temperature materials with capabilities to characterize activated materials—a resource that is currently scarce nationwide. The infrastructure aims to provide critical data needed by the expanding nuclear energy sector while anchoring this work in New York State.
The new facility is expected to benefit Long Island and New York economically by attracting federal research partnerships, industry collaborators, and scientific talent. It will support high-skilled jobs and help position Long Island as a center for nuclear materials research within the region’s clean energy and technology ecosystem.
Additionally, the facility will serve as an experiential learning resource for students and early-career researchers at Stony Brook University. Through hands-on training in advanced nuclear materials research, students will gain skills relevant to New York’s workforce needs in STEM fields.
Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith commented on the impact of this investment: “We are profoundly grateful to Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their steadfast leadership and for recognizing the importance of this work to our great state as well as the country,” said President Goldsmith. “This investment will create state-of-the-art research infrastructure at Stony Brook that will advance nuclear energy technologies, strengthen our nation’s energy security, and create extraordinary opportunities for students and researchers here on Long Island. This visionary support helps fuel New York’s innovation economy while training the next generation of scientists and engineers who will drive American leadership in clean energy.”
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand have been consistent supporters of Stony Brook University’s mission to address national priorities through impactful local research efforts. Their advocacy has played a role in maintaining New York’s position in scientific discovery, workforce development, and economic competitiveness.
University officials also noted that securing these funds was made possible by collaboration between Stony Brook’s Office for Research and Innovation and its Office of Federal Relations.
