News & Updates
May 2025
INSPIRING FUTURE STEM LEADERS
Former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director John S. Foster Jr., a pioneering physicist and nuclear weapon designer who shaped U.S. national security for seven decades, died on April 25 at the age of 102. We’re proud to honor his leadership and legacy through our John S. Foster, Jr. Undergraduate Fellowship, which enables rising undergraduate seniors to pursue research critical to the security and prosperity of the nation.
A special thank you to the generous donors who have supported LLF’s Foster Fellows since 2023. The Foundation is actively seeking philanthropic donations toward a goal of $350,000 to endow this fellowship in perpetuity. Pledges and legacy gifts are welcome.
LLF Welcomes 2025 Fellowship Cohort
After a record-setting application season, the Foundation recently welcomed our 2025 LLF Fellowship cohort. This year’s group includes 18 full-time LLF Fellows from across the U.S., including 15 summer interns and three full-year interns. LLF will also provide summer research stipends to another 21 students working with LLNL’s High Energy Density Science Center.
All 39 students will be featured at LLF’s August 7 Summer Student Showcase – an informal poster session and celebration for Fellows to present their research and share their experience with Lab mentors and senior leaders, Foundation donors, community leaders, friends and family.
Since 2016, we have supported more than 100 students in paid research fellowships, all thanks to our generous community of donors.
Our next application cycle will open in early November –
check our STEM page for details!
ADVANCING NEURO DISEASE RESEARCH
Partners in Innovative Research
LLF is pleased to be partnering with ALS Network and ALS CURE Project on collaborative research to identify associations between medications and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Parkinson’s diseases. Together with collaborators from Stanford University and UCLA, LLNL Principal Investigator Priyadip Ray is building on previous work funded by LLF that focused on electronic health record data, using the Lab’s unique supercomputing and biosciences capabilities to accelerate progress in this critical area of brain research.
Recently members of the team gathered at the UC Livermore Collaboration Center to attend the 2nd annual Reinvigorating Innovation in ALS workshop organized by UCSF Innovation Ventures (photo at left).
ACCELERATING ENERGY SOLUTIONS
Highlighting LLNL Climate Technologies for
Industry Applications
With $1-million in grant support from the University of California, LLF continues to partner with regional industry, government and community leaders to jumpstart energy technology and innovation investments in the Tri-Valley.
After a successful November 2024 Decarbonizing Our Economy symposium with Innovation Tri Valley, Startup Tri-Valley, the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and LLNL, LLF held a one-day workshop of ‘lightning talks’ with Lab scientists – highlighting emerging and promising research and technologies that could benefit from real-time field application and prototype partners. More than 30 potential partners participated, including representatives from Contra Costa County, local cities and trade unions. Participants also toured LLNL’s Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory and Carbon Garden.
The UC Climate Action Innovation & Entrepreneurship grant concludes in May 2025. The two-year effort also supported research teams at LLNL’s Prototyping Enclave, who mentored four LLF Climate Entrepreneurs Fellows.
