Call for Papers

Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)

February 3–6, 2025 | Amelia Island, FL | Omni Amelia Island Resort

EXECUTIVE CHAIRS

Program Cochair

Lori Brady (NEI)

Technical Program Chair

Drew Thomas (INL)

ABSTRACTS AND PAPERS DEADLINE

SUBMISSION OF SUMMARIES: SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

AUTHOR NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: OCTOBER 21, 2024

REVISED SUMMARIES DUE: NOVEMBER 2, 2024

GUIDELINES FOR SUMMARIES

Authors are required to use the provided CONTE 2025 template. Summaries must be submitted electronically using Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents and the ANS Electronic Paper Submission and Review system (EPSR) linked below. Summaries not based on the CONTE template will be rejected. Panel proposals are also welcome. Submit a description and proposed panelists.

NEW THIS YEAR! CONTE is offering multiple awards -- see the CONTE web page for more information.

Please submit summaries describing work that is new, significant and relevant to the conference themes. ANS will publish all accepted and presented summaries in the conference’s proceedings. Summaries are presented orally at the meeting, and presenters are expected to register for the meeting. Full papers based on summaries may be published elsewhere, but the summaries become the property of ANS, and copyright assignment is required. Under no circumstances should a summary or full paper be published in any other publication before presentation at CONTE 2025. It is the author’s responsibility to protect classified, export-controlled, or proprietary information

CONTENT

Introduction: State the purpose of the work.
Description of the actual work: Must be new, significant and/or relevant to conference themes.
Results: Discuss their significance.
Conclusion
References: If any, must be closely related published works. Minimize the number of references.
Do not present a bibliographical listing

LENGTH AND FORMAT

Minimum of one (1) page
Maximum of four (4) pages, including references and acknowledgements
Limit title to ten (10) words
Limit listing authors to three (3) or fewer, if possible.
Your summary should be submitted in PDF format.
Do not include headers, footers, page numbers, bookmarks, text highlighting, or hyperlinks to references, figures, and tables in the text of your summary in your final PDF document. Do not save your document as “read only.”
For the title of the summary, Capitalize the First Letter of Major Words; do not use all capital letters.
Do not use all capital letters for any part of any author’s name.
Enter the names of all authors into the Authors page in the EPSR. List the authors in the same order in which their names appear on the summary. Authors’ affiliations should match the affiliation provided on the summary itself. If an author has multiple affiliations, enter the one that should be included in the program and in the meeting proceedings.

PAGE CHARGES

Any accepted summary exceeding the four-page limit will be subject to page charges of $100 per page.

TRACK THEMES AND DESCRIPTIONS

1. EDUCATION/ACADEMIA/GOVERNMENT - Summaries in this track focus on the collaboration between nuclear industry organizations, nuclear trades, educational institutions, academia, and the government. Topics can include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP), trade apprenticeships in qualification of personnel, use of industry staff in teaching courses at local colleges, access to facilities, mentoring, and other related topics.
Activities associated with college and university engineering programs related to nuclear power. Topics include student engagement, course design, senior projects, graduate success, distance learning, staff training, pre-college outreach or similar topics.
Activities associated with accreditation of colleges and universities by ABET (previously known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) or other accrediting bodies. Topics include post-secondary accreditation preparation, review results, changes to post-secondary program outcomes, or other similar topics.
Development and implementation of training programs to prepare and maintain a workforce, including work force transition from fossil power plants, for advanced reactors including uses of technology in training and approaches to determining competency.

2. INDUSTRY TRAINING - Summaries in this track may focus on the following, or similar topics:

Training activities (classroom, OJT, laboratory, simulators, and mentoring) to ensure that personnel are trained and qualified, and proficient to perform their jobs.
Changes to licensed operator regulations, training activities, operator training techniques, requalification training, virtual license examination, and similar topics.
Innovative or expanded uses of technology in nuclear training such as expanded simulator capabilities; use of simulators in groups other than Operations; use of 3-D printers, the responsible/ethical use of artificial intelligence in nuclear training and education, augmented reality, virtual reality, and changes to laboratories or classroom environments.
Updated learning theories, and new research that addresses issues in workforce training and improves learning outcomes.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT/EFFECTIVENESS - Summaries in this track may focus on the following, or similar topics:

Training related activities on improving organizational efficiency such as outage improvements, cross-training of craft personnel, knowledge transfer and retention, succession planning, workforce development initiatives (new build and extended operating licenses), and activities associated with implementing organizational changes.
Activities associated with developing instructors with expert skills such as the role of instructional technologists, material development, multiple media in material development, instructional skill techniques in the virtual world and distance learning, platform skills, and coaching skills.
Accreditation activities including changes to INPO accreditation activities, trends identified, and improvements implemented because of accreditation activities.

4. INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATION - Summaries in this track focus on the following, or similar topics:

Development of training leadership in industry, government, or higher education including educational activities, mentoring, or other associated areas.
The leaders’ role in developing a teaching and learning culture. Summaries can cover training leadership seminars, developmental activities, mentoring, or other associated activities.