Morgan State Secures First DARPA Grant, Becoming First HBCU to Lead ‘Rads to Watts’ Energy Research Project

Under $2-Million DARPA Initiative University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Researchers to Convert Nuclear Radiation Into Kilowatt-Scale Power

BALTIMORE — The Morgan State University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has received its first award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a $2.4-million grant to lead a research project focused on converting nuclear radiation into electrical energy. The project, known as Rads to Watts, will explore radiovoltaics: technology that generates electricity directly from radioactive emissions.

Morgan State is also the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to lead a DARPA project of this kind. ECE researchers will develop and demonstrate a device concept called Symphonee, building on more than 20 years of prior research by Morgan scientists.

The project is initially funded at $2.4 million over 15 months, with two optional extensions: $937,489 for a nine-month option period and $28,237 for a six-month option period. If all options are exercised, the funding could total more than $3.3 million over 30 months.

“This award reflects the strength of our research and our ability to lead high-impact federally funded projects that address complex national challenges,” said Oscar Barton Jr., Ph.D., dean of the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering (SOE). “It also highlights Morgan’s continued growth as a leader in advanced engineering research and innovation.”

The Rads to Watts initiative seeks to develop radiovoltaic systems capable of converting high-power nuclear radiation into kilowatts of electrical energy. Operating at higher radiation energy and radiation fluence — meaning more high-energy particles passing through a given area — the new systems will enable long-lived, unattended power sources in environments where traditional energy supply chains are limited or unavailable.

Symphonee, the concept developed by Morgan scientists, is a multi-junction silicon carbide (SIC) PIN structure designed to operate with strontium-90 and yttrium-90 radioisotopes. If successfully developed and commercialized, the technology could generate kilowatts of power for remote locations such as the Arctic or space, with additional potential applications in implantable medical devices. Students will have opportunities to participate in the project through device testing and modeling.

Under the direction of Michael Spencer, Ph.D., Morgan researchers will lead a team that includes major partners such as Northrop Grumman, Widetronix, Omega Project, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Applied Research Associates (ARA).

“We are excited to participate in DARPA’s project Rads to Watts.  This award builds on more than 20 years of research by our scientists and provides an opportunity to further advance and demonstrate a high-power, radioisotope-based cell prototype,” said Dr. Spencer, a Morgan professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Our goal is to show that. Scaled system can meet demanding performance, safety, and durability requirements, while laying the groundwork or future, even higher-power implementations.”

Housed in the SOE, Morgan’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is Maryland’s largest producer of civil and electrical engineers.  A 2022 Stanford University-led study recognized Morgan faculty, including Dr. Spencer, among the world’s most cited scientists.

DARPA, a research and development agency within the U.S. Department of War (DoW), collaborates with leading researchers across disciplines to advance breakthrough technologies that support national security and technological innovation.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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Media Contacts:

Cheryl Stewart or Larry Jones,  for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022