An FRIB graduate student working on the FRIB Decay Station Initiator. Find out more

The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU) is a world-class research and training center, hosting the most powerful rare isotope accelerator. MSU operates FRIB as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), with financial support from and furthering the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. FRIB is where researchers come together to make discoveries that change the world. They study the properties and fundamental interactions of rare isotopes and nuclear astrophysics and their impact on medicine, homeland security, and industry.

FRIB advances nuclear science by improving our understanding of nuclei and their role in the universe, while also advancing accelerator systems.

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In establishing and operating FRIB, capabilities were developed that transfer to other industries and applications.

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Nuclide chart with HRS
decorative image Atom illustration

FRIB hosts the world’s most powerful heavy-ion accelerator and enables discoveries in rare isotopes, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and societal applications like medicine, security, and industry.

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Learn more about upcoming events taking place at FRIB. 

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  • 22 June 2025 – 27 June 2025

HIAT2025 - the 16th International Conference on Heavy Ion Accelerator Technology

HIAT is an international conference dedicated to the design, construction, development and operation of stable and radioactive heavy-ion accelerators and their components. It focuses on the operational experience of existing facilities, achievements in heavy-ion accelerator physics and technology, progress on the implementation of new projects and infrastructure upgrades, and trends in the proposal, design and application of heavy ion accelerators as well as their main systems and components. View event
  • 20 July 2025 – 26 July 2025

Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN)

PAN introduces participants to the fundamentals of the extremely small domain of atomic nuclei and its connection to the extremely large domain of astrophysics and cosmology.

The PAN @ Michigan State Experience

  • Learn about research in one of the top rare-isotope laboratories in the world.
  • Get introduced to the fascinating fields of astrophysics, precision measurement, and nuclear science.
  • Perform your own nuclear physics experiments.
  • Meet researchers who are exploring a wide array of questions.
  • Discover the surprising array of career opportunities in science.
  • Experience the atmosphere of college life.
  • Participants in the 2024 program get free room and board on campus (if required).
Training the next generation

FRIB at MSU is a world-class research and training center where students and researchers from all career stages and backgrounds come together to make discoveries that change the world.

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External news and journal publications discussing FRIB.

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  • 26 March 2025
  • Lansing State Journal

One of the nation's premier research facilities located at Michigan State University is getting a multi-million dollar upgrade. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science approved $49.7 million for MSU's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

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  • 18 October 2024
  • Nature Physics

A team of scientists, including researchers from FRIB, published an article in Nature Physics on how research on neutron-rich nuclei shows that in the so-called islands of inversion, they are deformed rather than spherical in their ground states.

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  • 10 October 2024
  • Phys.org

Scientists and engineers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) have reached a new milestone in isotope studies. They accelerated a high-power beam of uranium ions and delivered a record 10.4 kilowatts of continuous beam power to a target. The work is published in the journal Physical Review Accelerators and Beams.

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