ORNL Secures Five DOE Transportation Tech Awards

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers earned five of nine awards presented by DOE's Transportation Technologies Office during its 2026 Annual Merit Review, held in Arlington, Virginia.

The honors included two Distinguished Achievement Awards and three Team Awards recognizing advances in transportation efficiency, vehicle technologies and advanced manufacturing. These awards reflect the growing importance of ORNL's research in reducing reliance on critical minerals and materials.

Distinguished Achievement Awards

Vivek Sujan

Vivek Sujan, distinguished R&D staff in the Applied Research for Mobility Systems Group, received a Distinguished Achievement Award for research excellence in developing systematic modeling and optimization capabilities that support innovations in commercial vehicle and freight applications. Sujan developed OR-AGENT - Optimal Regional Architecture Generation for Electrified National Transport - an advanced modeling framework for commercial vehicle operations, freight corridors and integrated energy systems. OR-AGENT synthesizes seasonal data on freight movement, traffic patterns, weather conditions and energy pathways to generate region-specific, techno-economically optimized strategies for infrastructure deployment.

Stacy Davis

Stacy Davis, group leader for the Transportation Analytics and Decision Sciences Group, received a Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of technical leadership in producing the Fuel Economy Guide and website to inform consumer choices.

Davis has played a leading role in developing transportation energy information resources used by consumers, researchers and policymakers, helping drivers make informed decisions about vehicle efficiency and operating costs.

Team Awards

Close-up of a circular green circuit board with a metallic brushless motor component, featuring Oak Ridge National Laboratory branding.

ORNL's rotary transformer-based wireless excitation system eliminates rare earth permanent magnets, along with brush and slipring assemblies, enabling a compact, efficient, and durable design for next-generation electric motors. Credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

ORNL and BorgWarner

ORNL and BorgWarner received a Team Award for developing a unique wireless excitation system that provides a reliable option for high-performance electric motors that don't require rare-earth elements.

The technology offers an alternative approach to achieving high motor performance without relying on rare-earth permanent magnets. It also supports efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains and expand consumer options.

ORNL team members included Omer Onar, Mostak Mohammad, Shajjad Chowdhury, Jonathan Wilkins, Emrullah Aydin, Himel Barua, Cliff White, Larry Seiber and Burak Ozpineci.

Close-up of a silver engine piston with piston rings against a blurred background.

An additively manufactured piston was printed using ORNL-developed DuAlumin-3D-a printable aluminum-based alloy containing cerium and nickel-for application at high temperatures. Credit: Amy Smotherman Burgess/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

ORNL and Cummins

ORNL and Cummins received a Team Award for leadership in developing high-performance steel alloys for medium- and heavy-duty truck powertrains as well as high-pressure die casting and metalworking.

The work advances materials solutions that improve durability, manufacturability and performance in commercial transportation applications.

ORNL team members included Dean Pierce, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Rishi Pillai, Nana Adomako, Hsin Wang, Jon Poplawsky and J. Allen Haynes.

ORNL, General Motors, Ingalls Shipbuilding and EPRI

Collage of finite element analysis simulations showing weld defects in industrial components, automotive parts, and naval structures.

DR-Weld enables industry-scale modeling of welding and metal additive manufacturing with unprecedented speed. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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