Looking down into the pool of the 1-MW University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor. (Photo: University of Wisconsin)
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has announced more than $590,000 in funding awards to help three universities enhance their outreach in nuclear energy education. The awards, which are part of the DOE Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) University Reactor Sharing and Outreach Program, are primarily designed to provide students in K-12, vocational schools, and colleges with access to university research reactors in order to increase awareness of nuclear science, engineering, and technology and to foster early interest in nuclear energy-related careers.
Three awardees: The three awardees are the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Pennsylvania State University, and North Carolina State University, which are each receiving as much as $200,000 to help them share their research reactors and nuclear education resources with other schools.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Midwest Reactor Sharing Consortium are to use $199,957 in DOE funding to share the resources and capabilities of the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor with the local community and to carry out associated seminars, short courses, and workshops.
Pennsylvania State University and the Reactor Sharing Outreach Program at the Penn State Radiation Science and Engineering Center will use $197,255 in funding to expand their established nuclear education and outreach program by hiring a diverse team of student interns, offering educational and hands-on assistants to various community groups, and revamping and relaunching the PA STEM Teacher's Workshop Program.
North Carolina State University and the PULSTAR Reactor Outreach and Sharing for K-12 Organizations plan to use their $200,000 DOE award to cultivate workforce development through a short course for high school students that will focus on how nuclear reactors are operated, controlled, and used safely and productively.
On-ramp for students: Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said of the DOE awards that they “help create an on-ramp for students to discover nuclear science and engineering and get the training they need to one day pursue careers in the nuclear energy sector.” He continued, “This is one of the many ways the Department of Energy is helping to grow the nuclear energy workforce pipeline in support of President Trump’s bold and ambitious nuclear energy agenda.”
Applications for awards: The DOE University Reactor Sharing and Outreach Program offers a notice of funding opportunity for U.S. colleges and universities that have existing nuclear research reactors and are interested in sharing their resources and facilities with other U.S. colleges, tribal colleges, universities, technical and vocational institutions, and K-12 schools. Any college or university with a research reactor can apply for funding. Applications for the awards can be submitted online to the Office of Nuclear Energy Competitively Funded Projects.
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