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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
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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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
The George A. Ferguson K-12 Engagement Grants are awarded to expand STEM curriculum by introducing nuclear science and technology to Kindergarten through High School students. These grants are awarded to ANS members or Local/Student sections to provide new engagement opportunities to students from under resourced communities in the United States (and its territories). Priority will be given to applicants that incorporate the ANS Navigating Nuclear and other K-12 programs.
View Recipients
Dr. George Alonzo Ferguson, Jr.
Dr. George Alonzo Ferguson Jr. was a physicist and former director of Howard University's nuclear engineering program. Dr. Ferguson was born in Washington and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1941. He served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in Europe and the Philippines.
He received a bachelor's degree in 1947 and a master's degree the next year, both in physics from Howard. He received his doctorate in physics from Catholic University in 1965. His doctoral research involved the structure determination of hydrogen compounds using the technique of neutron diffraction.
He was chairman of the physics department at Clark College in Atlanta from 1950 to 1953 and a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania in 1953-54.
He conducted research for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory from 1954 to 1975 and served on the faculty of the Howard's School of Engineering from 1966 to 1986. He was responsible for founding Howard's program in nuclear engineering and served as its director from 1967 to 1986. While serving as a volunteer for the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Ferguson helped establish the NEED Committee in 1969 and embarked on a fundraising campaign to provide scholarships and motivational grants. These efforts have allowed ANS to support underrepresented or disadvantaged students since 1979.
After retiring, he served as an administrative judge with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Recipients must complete the project within 12 months after receiving the grant, and a grant report must be submitted to the ANS within two months after completion of the project.
Grants are limited to one per applicant, per year. The limit for a single grant is $5,000. An itemized budget must be included with the application.
Grant funds may not be awarded for the same program more than three (3) times.
The following provides guidance on general expectations, timeline, and restrictions on expenditures using ANS funds. The Reviewing Committee reserves the right to reduce the amount of a grant if the proposal contains activities that are not aligned with ANS’s mission and the intent of the grant.
2-5 grants awarded annually up to $5,000/each
Upon completion of the project, grant recipients are asked to provide a project report within 2 months of the final day of the project. Report should include the following:
Application Deadline
Review/Evaluation
Funding Awarded
May 1
ANS Annual Meeting (June)
July 1
October 1
ANS Winter Meeting (Oct/Nov)
December 1
Last modified February 21, 2025, 12:12pm CST