ML20198K285
| ML20198K285 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/29/1997 |
| From: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| SECY-97-302, SECY-97-302-01, SECY-97-302-1, SECY-97-302-R, NUDOCS 9801140360 | |
| Download: ML20198K285 (6) | |
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1-000000000000000000000000 RELEASED TOTHE PDR I
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................fdals......I POLICY ISSUE (Information)
December 29, 1997 SECY-97-302 l
l EQB:
The Commissioners FdOM-L Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations SUBEGI:
IMPROVING ACCESS TO RESEARCH INFORMATION PURPOSE:
To inform the Commission of the plans for improving access to research information during the early phases of the work.
ISSUE
- In its Staff Requirements Memorandum, COMSECY-96-066 - RESEARCH (DSI-22)
(Attachment 1), the Commission directed the staff to " examine the feasibility of improving access to research information during the early phases of the work.'
BACKGROUND:
Comments from stakeholders during the Strategic Assessment and Rebaselining Initiative characterized the NRC research program as being a clostd process. Stakeholders further held that:
Documentation available to the public conceming NRC's research program, prior to publication of final reports, was *very limited *.
Contractors conducting research for the NRC did not interact with industry researchers studying the same issues.
This closed approach has, on occasion, led to inefficien:,les and delays in the regulatory process due to the need to reconcile conflicting results from industry and NRC research, p D
0 4 R -Il - l C.
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Contact:
To be made publicly available in (
O s n'- b A. J. Burda, RES working days from the date of chis paper. C C6Ib (301) 415-6662 En"n??
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$113lll1W11E H 97-302 R PDR u
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4 The Commissioners 2
There was a question of how much work being done by industry has to be duplicated by NRC in light of reduced resources on both sides. The implication here was that duplication could be minimized by making early information available and encouraging early interaction.
The NRC research program curn atly provides information on research plans and results to the public and industry in several ways. First, during the budget cycle, a description of the planned research to be conducted in the next fiscal year (s) is provided annually in the budget that is submitted to Congress by the President (NUREG-1100). After funds are appropriated, NRC announces contracting opportunities for its new commercial research projects through the Commerce Business Daily and through the NRC ' Forecast of Contract Opportunities
- located on the external Internet server, Later, in some cases, as research projects are underway, public workshops are held to collect and discuss input from attendees. Often progress on individual research projects is discussed in public forums such as Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards meetings or the Water Reactor Safety information Meeting.
Research is also discussed in meetings with the American Society cf Mechanical Engineers, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Department of Energy (DOE). Eventually all research results are made publicly available through such vehicles as NUREGs, NUREG-CRs, and peer-reviewed journals.
QlSCUSSION:
The NRC external server on the Internet currently has no direct identifiable link that could inform the public of NRC research being planned or accomplished. Given the cunent level of public access to the Internet, the NRC can use this vehicle to provide research information to the public earlier rund more easily than in the past. This appears to be a Government-wide trend since other Government agencies, such as DOE, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Transportation post research information on the Intemet. Although abstracts and full text versions of some NUREGs and NUREG-CRs are now provided in the 'NRC Reference Library' link on the NRC extemal server homepage, they are not identified uniquely as research projects.
To achieve the stated purpose of COMSECY 96-066, the staff plans to utilize existing Web technology to establish a link from the NRC extemal server homepage that would allow the public to have greater access to information about research plans and results. More specifically:
The RES portion of the budget (NUREG-1100) will be posted once it becomes public.
Synopses of all of the current fiscal year'c research projects will be posted annually.
These synopses would include each research project's objective, how the results will be used in the regulatory process and a brief scope of work. This information currently resides an a network file server in RES and can easily be made available to a Web link.
Points of contact, telephone numbers, and E-mail addresses will t e identified so that members of the public can easily contact the research staff.
___________.____._______________.___._.__________u
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The Commissioners 3
Abstracts of contractor research reports will be posted soon after the repotts are submitted to NRC (i.e., prior to NRC and peer review) with an appropriate disclaimer
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that states that the results are preliminary and have not been reviewed by the NRC staff._-
The number of research final NUREGs and NUREG CRs that are available at the NRC's Web Reference Library will be expanded and each one will be specifically identified as a research product.
As an aid to poter.tial offerors, a link will be established thetween the RES information and the Division of Contra :ts and Property Management's portion of the NRC external server which is called "Dolng Business,vith NRC".
When posting the above information, the staff will ensure that only such information that is authorized by law to be disclosed will be made available.
RESOURCES:
No additional resources are needed or requested to implement this initiative it is expected that the above will be phased in over the next six months.
COORDINATION:
This paper has been coordinated with the Office of the General Counsel which has no legal objection to its issuance. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this Commission Paper for resource implications and has no objections. The Office of the Chief Information Officer has rev;ewed this paper for information technology impacts and has na objection.
d }
oseph Calla vy::utive Direct r for Operations
Attachment:
As stated DISTRIBUTION:
Commissioners OGC
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UNITED STATES :
n1 NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION-g I
- waswmotow.o c. mwooor March 28, 1997 M ChnARY-MEMORANDUM TO:
!L. Joseph Cal 1an "xecutiva ~ Di ractor f or Opern i ns F;yle,Secretaryh dhW' FROM:
John C.
SUBJECT -
STAFF REQUIREMENTS - COMSECY-96-066--
RESEARCH (DSI-22)
The staff should continue wit'.1-the esearch program, which:should include elements-of both confirmatory and exploratory research
.(option _4),
balanced in such a way that both current as well as potentially emerging issues are being addressed.
The research program should focus on programs with the highest safety and regulatory significance, coupled with the maintenance of the necessary technical capability.
Thi.s option permits response to programmatic needs, as well as anticipation of future needs.
The term l' exploratory research" which is used to describe that part of'the research_ effort that addresses anticipated needs of the Program Offices should be changed to " anticipatory research."
In order to develop the scope of these technical capabilities the Office of Research.should develop criteria for determining core research capabilities for Commission approval prior to going forward.
Therefore, the Commission also approves option 5 in conjunction with option 4.
RES should develop a set of core esearch capabilities for the NRC in consultation with the other program offices.
4BDGF (RES)
(SECY Suspense:
6/1/97) 9600073
-In addition to the core research capabilities, it is essential that the NRC, as a knowledge-based organization, monitor the-overall technical capabilities of its staff to ensure hat-the necessary core capabilities are maintained.
The staff should recommend the appropriate. office within the agency and provide
-the-estimated resources'to perform this function.
To assist top
' agency _ management, the selected office should create and maintain an agency-wide database'that contains an inventory of the technical core capabilities of the NRC staff.
4EDGk (0P)
(SECY Suspense:
6/1/97) 9700076
'The' Commission supports increasing the percentage of the research
~ budget executed by universities, but wants to consider additional approaches to working with univera$ ties besides the current Educational Grant Program.
Such approaches might enhance L.-
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e 2-l achievement of the goals of the NRC research program and provide additional benefits useful to the NRC.
In keeping with the NRC designation as a Procurement Reinvention Laboratory, RES should coordinate with the Division of Contracts in exploring innovative ways tc engage universities in NRC's research program (e.g.,
through use of cooperative agreements, contracts and purchase orders, or through establishment of research consortia or institutes in areas such as FRA).
Grants would be utilized where they are the most appropriate mechanism for achieving a purpose of the research program.
The staff would have the flexibility to award grants of up to $100,000 per year.
The staff should develop this approach, including an appropriate higher goal-for the percentage of research carried out directly by universities, and submit it for Commi'ssion consideration.
@ 994 (RES,ADM)
'SECY Suspense 6/1/97) 9700077 The staff should continue to support active participation in International Safety Programs (option 7).
The staff should cnsure that these international activitics and the related programs are priorit led and appropriately integrated with other NRC research efforts (option 4?, and also are properly considered in the establishment and maintenance of e-.-
capabilities (option 5).
All research activities should be eval 'ted by the Office of Research for effectiveness, program of work, structure and budget, accomplishment of stated objectives and should include a sunset provision.
The programmatic review should be coordinated with the Research Effectiveness Review Board or Executive Council, as appropriate.
a The staff should explcre the option of performing cooperative research with_both industry, and the DOE, so as to minimize duplicative work - where appropriate.
Legal ramifications, independence, and public perception should be considered when explorina any cooperative research program.
The staff should also. examine the feasibility of improving access to research information during the early phases of the work.
(-Ese/OGC)
(SECY Suspense:
10/1/97) 9700078 (RES There are many key questions raised in the research DSI paper -
note in particular pages 13, 14 and 18 of the DSI datad September 16, 1996 (pages attached and marked) - that require much thought to resolve, but whose nnswers will have a streng bearing on how the agency will operate in...
2.
re.
Implementation of Option 4 should include development of an integrated set of recommendations to be provided for Commission consideration.
-(3D04 (RES/NRR/NMSS/AE0D)
(SECY Suspense:
8 /1/ 9'))
9700079 The commission has decided that the preparation and coordination of rulemaking should move from RES to the Program Offices, and that most confirmatory research activities now in the Program Offices should move to RES.
The staff should develop and submit
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3-to the' Commission an implementation plan, with possible_ options for carrying out this decision, including the necessary partnership activities-
-(&DN- (RES/NRR/NMS:,/AE00)
(SECY Suspense:
8/1/97) 9700080 In conjunction with its development of an implementation plan, the staff should consider the creation of a Research Effectiveness Review Board.
This board would be composed of representatives of the Program Offices and the Research Office.
Its purpose would be to advise the Director of Research and the
- Directors of the Program Offices on the effectiveness of the research programs-in meeting the needs of the users and on the effectiveness of the program offices in_ supporting and in articulating their needs and priorities to the research offices.
The Board would periodically review the bases for initiating, continuing, and terminating specific research programs giving particular attention to the effectiveness of broad based long range programs and the capabilities of the staff to addresa. core research needs.
The usefuln,ss and advisability of its cor.tinuation should be examined-by the Commission every three years.
-(6DW (RES/NRR/NMSS/AEOD)
(SECY Suspense:
8/1/97) 9700080 Finally, the high-level staff task force (set up Under DSI-2) should also identify the impact on research needs of NRC overcight of Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities, and advise the Commission on the resource implications of those impacts.
(NNSS/RES/NRR/AE00/0E) 9700081
Attachment:
As stated cc:
Chairman Jackson Commissioner Rogers Commissioner Dicus Commissioner Diaz Commissioner McGaffigan CIO CFO OCA OIG Office Directors, Regions, ACRS, ACNW, ASLBP E. Jordan (SARSC)
J. Silber (SARSC)