ML22346A049

News Release-22-049: NRC Awards Research and Development Grants

ML22346A049
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Issue date:	11/30/2022
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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News Release-22-049
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No: 22-049 November 30, 2022 CONTACT: Ivonne Couret, 301-415-8200 NRC Awards Research and Development Grants The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today it is awarding 20 research and development grants totaling nearly $10 million. These grants are part of the $16 million appropriated by Congress in fiscal year 2022 under the University Nuclear Leadership Program authorization. NRC peer-reviewed a total of 89 research and development grant proposals.

This is the third year the NRC has offered a research component under the University Nuclear Leadership Program, which provides funding to support research and development for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines. The grants help the NRC assess the future nuclear energy landscape and prepare for upcoming technical challenges. The intent of the grants is to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities, and the safe handling of nuclear materials. Based on the peer-review evaluations, the NRCs Office of Regulatory Research recommended the following awards:

Recommended Amount of Institution Name City/State Proposal Technical Area NRC funds University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN Characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for $ 500,000 nuclear power plants Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors and $ 499,865 LA controls for nuclear applications University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA Advanced materials and manufacturing for nuclear $ 500,000 applications University of Illinois at Urbana- Urbana, IL Human and organizational factors and human $ 499,879 Champaign reliability analysis for nuclear applications Rensselaer Polytechnic Troy, NY Characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for $ 500,000 Institute nuclear power plants University of New Mexico Albuquerque, Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 500,000 NM technologies.

University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 500,000 technologies.

University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Advanced construction techniques for nuclear builds $ 499,942 Ohio State University Columbus, OH Advanced materials and manufacturing for nuclear $ 499,908 applications Pennsylvania State University State College, Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 500,000 PA technologies.

Purdue University West Lafayette, Characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for $ 500,000 IN nuclear power plants University of Maine Orono, ME Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors and $ 500,000 controls for nuclear applications Virginia Polytechnic Institute Blacksburg, VA Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 499,996 and State University technologies.

Pennsylvania State University State College, Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 500,000 PA technologies.

University of Illinois at Urbana- Urbana, IL Safety analyses for reactor designs and fuel cycle $ 500,000 Champaign technologies.

Washington State University Pullman, WA Characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for $ 500,000 nuclear power plants North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors and $ 500,000 controls for nuclear applications University of California Los Los Angeles, Human and organizational factors and human $ 500,000 Angeles CA reliability analysis for nuclear applications Rochester Institute of Rochester, NY Characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for $ 498,770 Technology nuclear power plants University of Florida Gainesville, FL Advanced materials and manufacturing for nuclear $ 499,828 applications Total $ 9,998,188 The NRC announces grant opportunities on www.grants.gov, which enables the public to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. Panels of reviewers, from academia and the NRC, evaluate the grant proposals. The composition of the panels is diverse, with most panelists having experience reviewing proposals for government agencies and advanced credentials in nuclear engineering, health physics, radiochemistry or related disciplines. All panelists must certify no conflict of interest for the proposals they evaluate.

The remainder of the FY2022 UNLP funds will be allotted for scholarships, fellowships, trade schools/community colleges and faculty development and awarded by the end of April 2023. The final research and development grant awards will be posted later this year on the NRC website.

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