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Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Sam Altman steps down as Oklo board chair
Advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc. has new leadership for its board of directors as billionaire Sam Altman is stepping down from the position he has held since 2015. The move is meant to open new partnership opportunities with OpenAI, where Altman is CEO, and other artificial intelligence companies.
ANS is developing a certification credential to help establish industry standards and bridge workforce gaps in the nuclear industry to address the growing demand for qualified professionals in the field.
The initiative was launched with the appointment of the ANS President's Special Committee on Certification in 2022. Following a six-month market analysis conducted in 2023, the committee recommended to the ANS Board of Directors that the Society should take a two-pronged approach to address the identified immediate workforce gaps, which includes the development of a Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) credential and the creation of a certificate course professional development program.
What are the objectives of developing a certification credential for the nuclear field?
The three primary objectives of the new credential are:
1.) To provide nuclear professionals a means for learning and/or demonstrating their knowledge of the fundamentals of nuclear science and technology to assist in their professional and career development.
2.) To offer employers in the nuclear industry a means for helping to qualify candidates by establishing a benchmark level of expertise and experience in the nuclear science and technology field.
3.) To enhance ANS’s stature within the nuclear science and technology field, especially among the commercial nuclear utility industry.
Who is the intended audience?
There are several target audiences for the CNP. First, working professionals lacking in-depth nuclear industry knowledge. Examples include professionals with a degree in something other than nuclear engineering; workers new to the nuclear industry; or executives that might not have a nuclear background, but want to become familiar with concepts and terminology. Second, professionals that have degrees in nuclear engineering. The certification may be viewed as an intermediate step between a four-year engineering degree and a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
How will the certification be earned?
Individuals seeking the CNP credential will need to meet a specific set of eligibility requirements and will then be required to pass a comprehensive exam. Upon achieving the credential, individuals will need to maintain the certification by obtaining the specified number of continuing education hours over a particular period of time.
What topics will the certification cover?
A job task analysis determined the following key knowledge areas that individuals must demonstrate competency (i.e., pass an exam) to obtain the credential:
When will individuals begin to sit for the exam?
Applications to sit for the CNP exam will be available in the summer of 2025.
What types of preparatory/study materials will be available?
Examinees will have access to the exam specification, which provides the content distribution of the exam. ANS also offers a Nuclear 101 Certificate Course that provides a condensed introduction/review of fundamental concepts for interested candidates that come from a non-nuclear engineering educational background.
