Ashkan Salamat (Physics and Astronomy) was one of just 46 university professors nationwide – and the first from UNLV – to earn an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) office of science. Each year, the DOE selects rising researchers from the nation’s national labs and universities for the competitive award. The program, now in its 10th year, comes with significant funding to bolster financial support for exceptional talent during crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work.
Salamat’s research focuses on identifying the precise makeup of metal superhydrides – extremely hydrogen-rich materials – and techniques to readily synthesize them. The discovery of metal superhydrides may provide an efficient means of storing and recovering energy on demand, as well as a method for transferring energy over long distances.
As part of the Early Career Award program, Salamat will receive approximately $150,000 annually over the next five years to build his research program.
