DOE announced awards to support nuclear research and education

The awards are being made through the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, which since 2009 has awarded almost $1 billion to advance nuclear energy research and support the education and training of future nuclear energy visionaries and leaders.

“U.S. universities and colleges are critical incubators of groundbreaking ideas that can move us toward a clean energy future,” said Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary for nuclear energy. “These awards invest in the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers who will continue to advance nuclear energy as a solution to tackling the climate crisis.”

The awards: The awards fall under five funding opportunities organized under three topics: (1) student support, (2) research and development, and (3) infrastructure. They include the following:

• Distinguished Early Career Program ($2.5 million)—Invests in the innovative research and education programs of four early-career university faculty investigating new lines of inquiry and advance research directions in nuclear energy.
• University Nuclear Leadership Program ($6.6 million)—Provides scholarships and graduate fellowships to students pursuing nuclear engineering and other degree programs relevant to nuclear energy. The awards include 93 scholarships and 34 fellowships for students at 42 U.S. trade schools, colleges, and universities.
• Innovations in Nuclear Energy Research Development Student Competition ($34,500)—Recognizes 11 graduate and undergraduate students for their innovative nuclear energy research publications.
• Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR) Phase II Research and Development ($4.7 million)—Six awards enable established teams to extend and build on previously funded nuclear energy research and development projects.
• Scientific Infrastructure Support for CINR ($5.2 million)—Eighteen awards will assist universities with acquiring the best resources and equipment available to educate the next generation of nuclear energy leaders.

More information on the awards is available from the DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program website.