RAPID CITY, S.D. — The National Science Foundation has awarded a $7 million EPSCoR RII E-RISE grant to launch Ge-STAR — Germanium-based Science and Technology Advancement Research — a statewide project that will involve research at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead.
Led by the University of South Dakota, Ge-STAR aims to position South Dakota as a leader in germanium science and technology by integrating advanced artificial intelligence into crystal growth, detector development and applications in physics and medicine.
Germanium-based detectors are critical for dark matter searches, neutrino physics and medical imaging. Ge-STAR will focus on producing high-purity germanium crystals and developing ultra-sensitive detectors. By replacing traditional trial-and-error methods with AI-driven optimization, researchers expect to improve material quality, speed up data analysis and enhance detector design for rare-event physics experiments.
The initiative will expand SURF’s capabilities, supporting technologies such as internal charge amplification and machine learning-based background suppression to detect extremely low-energy events, including interactions from low-mass dark matter particles and solar neutrinos.
“Germanium technologies have seen several applications at SURF, from sensors used to explore properties of subatomic neutrinos to detectors that characterize tiny amounts of impurities,” said Jaret Heise, SURF’s director of science. “The potential for germanium to be used in searches for low-mass dark matter is very exciting and well-aligned with U.S. high-energy physics priorities.”
Beyond fundamental research, Ge-STAR is expected to advance medical imaging, improve early disease detection and aid in precision oncology and radiation therapy. AI-assisted imaging tools developed through the project aim to deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses while lowering radiation exposure, benefiting patient care in rural communities.
The four-year effort will bring together USD, South Dakota Mines, South Dakota State University, Black Hills State University, Dakota State University and Mount Marty University, along with Sanford Health and Avera Health. More than 20 researchers will collaborate across physics, engineering, computer science and materials science.
Ge-STAR will also emphasize education and workforce development, training 100 graduate and undergraduate students, engaging 28 K-12 teachers and 350 students, and launching a new ABET-accreditable Computational Medical Physics specialization at USD.
“This project is a major step forward for South Dakota’s research ecosystem,” said Dongming Mei, Ph.D., principal investigator at USD. “By integrating AI into germanium technology, we will accelerate innovation, advance fundamental science and deliver practical applications in health care.”
Officials say the project will create high-paying jobs, foster industry partnerships and bring global recognition to South Dakota as a hub for AI-driven materials science.
