Call for Nominations: Associate Director of the Fusion Energy Sciences Program
Dear colleagues,
As you may know, Dr. Jean Paul (JP) Allain has recently been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion (OF). This appointment builds on his service as the Associate Director (AD) for Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) in the Office of Science (SC). The Office of Science has tremendous gratitude for JP’s service to the SC and FES communities. Under JP’s short tenure as AD, FES has seen tremendous growth. It has ushered in new pathways for industry and other partners, demonstrated world leadership in high performance computing and computation science, and supported groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
As we move forward with our effort to recruit a successor, I am writing to request your help in identifying candidates for the position of Associate Director of the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. The FES program's mission is to establish the scientific and technological foundation for fusion energy and foster a competitive U.S. fusion industry. Its strategy describes how it will advance basic research to fill foundational science and technology (S&T) gaps, as it aims to develop fusion power as an affordable and reliable energy source.
I am seeking suggestions for candidates for the Associate Director position, including self-nominations. Each nominated individual will be sent a letter with information on the position, including how to apply, and will be encouraged to submit an application. Please email your suggestions to Harriet.Kung@science.doe.gov or Mariam.Elsayed@science.doe.gov with the name, position, organization, and e-mail address for each candidate by close of business April 24, 2026.
The AD of FES is responsible for the overall management of this program, including:
- Strategic program planning
- Budget formulation and execution
- Project management
- Program integration with other Office of Science activities and other DOE offices
- Interagency and international liaison and
- Management of the federal and rotating technical and administrative staff in the FES program office.
The AD of FES partners with the Office of Fusion to closely coordinate between the Offices and seamlessly execute the Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap. For more information on the program, please go to: https://www.energy.gov/fusion-energy.
The AD position is within the ranks of the U.S. government’s Senior Executive Service (SES). Members of the SES serve in key positions just below Presidential appointees.
Please feel free to share this letter with your colleagues. Thank you for your help and I look forward to receiving your suggestions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Harriet Kung
Deputy Director for Science Programs
DOE Office of Science
Harriet.Kung@science.doe.gov
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