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Office of Nuclear Regulatory ResearchOn this Page:
Office of Nuclear Regulatory ResearchDirector: Brian SheronDeputy Director: James Lyons Provides leadership and plans, recommends, manages and implements programs of nuclear regulatory research, and interfaces with all NRC Offices and the Commission on research issues. Independently proposes improvements to the agency's regulatory research programs and processes to achieve enhanced safety, efficiency and/or effectiveness based on the results of this research. Coordinates research activities with the Program Offices, as appropriate. Coordinates the development of consensus and voluntary standards for agency use, including appointment of RES staff to committees. Based on research results and experience gained, recommends regulatory actions to resolve ongoing and potential safety issues for nuclear power plants and other facilities regulated by the NRC, including those issues designated as Generic Safety Issues (GSIs). Conducts research to reduce uncertainties in areas of potentially high safety or security risk or significance. Develops the technical basis for riskinformed, performance-based regulations in all areas regulated by the NRC. Leads the agency's initiative for cooperative research with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other Federal agencies, the domestic nuclear industry, U.S. universities, and international partners. Coordinates research activities outside the agency, including appointment of RES staff to domestic and international committees and conferences. Maintains technical capability to develop information for resolution of nuclear safety and security issues and provides technical support and consultation to the Program Offices in the specialized disciplines involved in these issues. Provides independent analysis of operational data and assessment of operational experience through the review, analysis, and evaluation of the safety performance of facilities licensed by the NRC. Collects and analyzes operational data; assesses trends in performance from this data; evaluates operating experience to provide insights into and improve the understanding of the risk significance of events, precursors and trends; and, produces and disseminates periodic performance indicator and Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) Reports. Provides program direction, coordination, and implementation for homeland security research. Provides administrative and technical support for the Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR). Program Management, Policy Development and Analysis StaffDirector:
Mary Muessle, (Acting) Provides leadership and manages strategic and programmatic planning, short-range and longterm program planning, resource forecasting and allocation, and budgeting. Manages and coordinates the execution of RES's financial resources. Provides overall administrative and financial management and planning for RES technical assistance projects with private contractors, Federal agencies, and DOE National Laboratories. Provides overall program planning, management and guidance in the development of objectives and requirements for contracted technical assistance programs. Provides independent review of non-technical Office policy papers and issues to ensure completeness, promptness, accuracy, and adherence to agency and Office policy. Provides coordination of domestic and international cooperative nuclear safety research activities (e.g., DOE, EPRI, CAMP, CSARP). Manages, coordinates, and supports acquisition of appropriate information management and technology infrastructure. Provides administrative and management support in areas including human resource management, EEO, facilities management, training, FOIA coordination, and management of principal correspondence for RES. Provides direction and coordination of Office communication plans and strategies. Provides leadership and coordination of Special Projects (e.g., knowledge management). Provides Office support in technical editing and issuance of regulatory guides. Manages and coordinates responses to the Commission, Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Congressional inquiries. Responds to enquiries related to the RES budget and the technical applicability of the resulting research program, including resource trade-offs within the technical and programmatic context. Assists in Office coordination of the operating plans with major NRC Offices. Provides support to and coordinates with other NRC Offices and DOE laboratories. Provides support and coordination for the annual Regulatory Information Conference. Assists in the Office coordination of intra and inter-agency special projects, and international agreements. Division of EngineeringDirector: Jennifer
Uhle Plans, develops, and directs comprehensive safety research programs and standards development to support the NRC strategic goals in the design, construction, and operation of current and advanced nuclear power plants and other facilities regulated by the NRC. Coordinates research activities with the program offices, as appropriate, on areas that include material characteristics, aging, natural hazards, homeland security, and engineering aspects of these facilities. Resolves technical, security, and safety issues, including those designated as generic issues (GIs), related to engineering and material issues. Within scope of responsibility, assesses the NRC's regulations and regulatory guidance with regard to risk significance, burden reduction potential, and the engineering design margins associated with facility systems, structures and components. Manages the prioritization of technical activities and through contract or agreement arranges for necessary technical support or collaboration with DOE, other Federal agencies, commercial sources, international parties, and universities consistent with the Division's budget. Consistent with NRC policy, and to the extent overall Agency need exists, maintains liaison and provides technical input in assigned areas to other Federal agencies, American National Standards Institute, other professional societies, international agencies, and other organizations. Independently recommends improvements in NRC programs/processes to achieve outcomes of enhanced safety, efficiency or effectiveness. Has lead agency responsibility for coordinating NRC codes and standards activities as these relate to federal law and interaction writing organizations, including activities relating to the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Public Law [PL] 104-113) and OMB circular A119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.” Supports the priority scheduling and revision or development of Regulatory Guides (RGs) and draft RGs (DGs) during review of agency infrastructure to support new reactor licensing activities. Maintains broad technical expertise in the relevant engineering technology areas and provides appropriate technical support to the program offices. Component Integrity BranchChief: Robert Hardies Develops methods, data, standards, and metallurgical modeling tools for identifying and evaluating degradation mechanisms that arise from irradiation on reactor pressure vessel steels; Investigates the capabilities of fracture mechanics measurement and analysis technologies; coordinates agency involvement in consensus codes and standards; represents NRC on OMB-119A requirements, and develops the technical basis for revisions to ASME Section XI; provides and applies tools to quantitatively assess changes in structural reliability of nuclear plant systems, structures and components as a result of operating environment effects or aging of materials; evaluates the reliability of non-destructive examination methods for operating and new reactors; maintains the agency’s Best Practices ISI Web site; maintains expertise in Materials Engineering, Non-destructive Examination Methods and Metallurgy to support NRC’s assessments of component integrity. Corrosion and Metallurgy BranchChief: Timothy Lupold Develops the data to characterize the causes and effects of corrosion and environmentally-assisted cracking on the structures and components of nuclear plant systems; conducts materials degradation studies of irradiated-assisted stress corrosion cracking, stress-corrosion cracking, materials fatigue, and general corrosion; assesses in-service inspection techniques to ensure steam generator tubes integrity; Maintains expertise in Metallurgy, Physical Chemistry, and Materials Science to support NRC needs for methods, data, standards, and tools associated with corrosion and cracking of nuclear power plant structures and components. Regulatory Guide Development BranchChief: Andrea Valentin Coordinates the revision and development of over 400 NRC Regulatory Guides (RGs) to incorporate new staff technical positions, revised industry standards, and lessons learned from practical experience; manages the agency's RG Program through coordination with offices across the agency; provides technical expertise and oversight in preparation of revisions and withdrawals of certain RGs; ensures consistency in RG form and content; coordinates with the Advisory Committees on review of proposed RGs; publishes draft RGs for public comment; and issues final RGs for use. Digital Instrumentation and Control BranchChief: Russell Sydnor Develops and applies methods, data, tools, standards, and guidance to assess the adequacy of digital I&C; develops and implements a broad research program in the area of digital instrumentation and control addressing digital system contributions to risk, software attributes that can affect safety or security, new reactor designs, and development of consensus standards; maintains expertise in Instrumentation and Control Engineering to support the identification and resolution of I&C issues important to nuclear power plant safety. Mechanical and Electrical Engineering BranchChief: Thomas Koshy Develops and applies methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess the mechanical performance of SSCs; develops and applies methods, data, tools, standards, and guidance to assess the adequacy of electrical equipment; develops the technical bases to resolve electrical engineering issues such as equipment qualification, associated circuits, grid reliability; develops monitoring technique for cable degradation; monitors operating experience; maintains expertise in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Structural, Geotechnical and Seismic Engineering BranchChief: Rosemary Hogan Develops and applies methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess the structural performance of SSCs; develops the technical bases and computational methods to resolve structural engineering issues associated with security assessments; collects and analyzes data related to seismic hazard and seismic performance of structures; develops and applies seismic design analysis methods and guidance for geotechnical and structural design elements; maintains expertise in Structural, Geotechnical, and Seismic Engineering, including Seismology and Geophysics. Division of Systems AnalysisDirector:
Farouk Eltawila Plans, develops and manages research programs to develop and maintain broad technical expertise, experimental data, numerical simulation analyses tools, and the knowledge bases needed to provide the NRC with the ability to make reliable and technically sound regulatory decisions. Coordinates research activities with the program offices, as appropriate. Works in partnership with universities, laboratories, and other national and international research centers involved in complementary areas. Maintains an infra-structure of criticality safety, thermal-hydraulic and severe accident phenomenology, accident source terms, accident sequence analysis and develops analytical capabilities for realistic analyses to be used in support of risk-informed regulatory decisions for a wide spectrum of conditions, including normal operation, accident, and severe accident conditions for current, new and advanced reactor designs. The developed computer codes and data are used to provide the technical infrastructure for reviewing and performing confirmatory analysis to support licensing decisions. Conducts research to quantify margins, reduce unnecessary burden, and reduce uncertainties for areas of potentially high risk or safety significance. Develops the methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess dose and health effects. Develops the methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess the magnitude and effect of released radioactive material to the environment outside nuclear facilities. Maintains broad technical expertise and provides consultation to NRC organizations in these specialized areas. Code Development BranchChief: Chris Hoxie Plans, develops and manages research programs to develop and maintain computer codes, models and experimental data bases for evaluating nuclear reactor and plant systems thermal-hydraulic transient behavior under normal, abnormal and accident conditions for current and advanced reactors. Plans, develops and manages research programs to develop and maintain computer codes, experimental data bases and analytical capabilities for evaluating fuel behavior under normal, abnormal and severe accident conditions for current and future reactor designs. Works in partnership with universities, laboratories, and other national and international research centers involved in complementary areas. Maintains experimental data, fuel and thermal-hydraulic analytical tools and knowledge bases, and provides consultation to NRC organizations in these specialized areas to make reliable and technically sound regulatory decisions. Reactor Systems Analysis BranchChief: Mirela Gavrilas Plans, develops and manages analytical and experimental research programs on the performance of the primary coolant systems of nuclear plants, including thermal-hydraulic transient behavior and interaction with the balance of plants under normal, abnormal, and accident conditions. Supports assessment of continued safety of operating reactors. Conducts research to quantify margins, reduce unnecessary burden, and reduce uncertainties for areas of potentially high risk or safety significance. Works in partnership with universities, laboratories, and other national and international research centers involved in complementary areas. Maintains thermal-hydraulic analytical capabilities and CFD and knowledge bases, and provides consultation to NRC organizations in these specialized area to make reliable and technically sound regulatory decisions. New and Advanced Reactor BranchChief: John Jolicoeur Plans, develops and manages research programs to develop and maintain analytical and experimental research programs on the performance of the primary coolant systems of nuclear plants, including thermal-hydraulic transient behavior and interaction with the balance of plant under normal, abnormal, and accident conditions for new and advanced reactors. Supports identification of accident phenomena and assessment of anticipated safety issues in new and advanced reactors. Develops, coordinates and implements plans to provide the technical infrastructure for reviewing and certifying advanced reactor designs. Works in partnership with USDOE, universities, laboratories, and other national and international research centers involved in complementary areas. Maintains broad technical expertise and knowledge bases in new and advanced reactors, and provides consultation to NRC organizations in these specialized areas to make reliable and technically sound regulatory decisions. Health Effects BranchChief: Stephanie Bush-Goddard Develops the methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess dose and health effects; Serves as the Agency’s clearinghouse for exposure data, including REIRS and the Abnormal Occurrences; assesses trends in exposures and dose data; develops and applies health effects modeling codes such as VARSKIN and RESRAD; develops and maintains tools and databases to verify licensee compliance with regulations; develops technical bases for dose limits in regulations; Maintains expertise in Health Physics to support NRC needs associated with radiation protection and the health effects of radiation exposure. Fuel and Source Term BranchChief: Richard Lee Plans, develops and manages research programs to develop and maintain neutronics, severe accident phenomenology and analytical capabilities for realistic analyses to be used in support of risk-informed regulatory decisions. Develops computer codes and data bases for predicting nuclear reactor and plant systems behavior under severe accident conditions and evaluating challenges to containment for current and advanced reactors. Develop and maintain computer codes to perform consequence analyses of postulated accidents at commercial power reactors and fuel cycle facilities. Develops and maintains analytical capabilities, computer codes and data bases for neutronics analysis and assessing criticality safety for current and advanced reactors, and spent fuel transportation casks. Works in partnership with universities, laboratories, and other national and international research centers involved in complementary areas. Maintains severe accident experimental data, analytical tools, capabilities and knowledge bases, and provides consultation to NRC organizations in these specialized areas to make reliable and technically sound regulatory decisions. Special Projects BranchChief: Jimi Yerokun Plans, develops, and manages special projects extending across organizational boundaries and requiring a matrix-like organizational structure. Coordinates and manages office efforts on special security and safety analyses. Uses state-of-the-art analytical techniques to develop more realistic best estimates of the potential effects (consequences) on the public of a nuclear power plant accident where low-likelihood scenarios could release radioactive material into the environment. Develops the consequence analysis based on the latest site-specific designs and operations, using the MELCOR code for modeling accident progression to estimate the magnitude and timing of radioactive release into the environment; and the MACCS code to generate site-specific consequence estimates that account for weather, population distribution and emergency planning assumptions. Division of Risk AnalysisDirector:
Christiana Lui Develops, recommends, plans, and manages research programs relating to probabilistic risk assessments (PRA), human factors, and human reliability analysis. Assesses U.S. operational safety data and reliability information to determine risk-significant insights and trends. Coordinates research activities with the program offices, as appropriate. Develops and uses PRA-based methodologies, models, and analysis techniques, as well as other risk assessment techniques, to determine overall risk. Responsible for development of guidance and regulatory tools for implementation of the Safety Goal Policy and PRA Policy Statements. Performs risk and reliability analyses and evaluations based on operating experience to assess industry and plant performance and identify plant outliers. Develops and manages data systems for the storage and retrieval of safety experience. Remains cognizant of operational and reliability data systems in the industry and the NRC, and serves as focal point for coordination of the NRC safety data collection programs with external stakeholders. Provides an NRC focal point for the Equipment Performance and Information Exchange (EPIX) system and oversees the use of EPIX data by NRC users. Develops risk-informed performance indicators and thresholds to provide support to the agency’s Reactor Oversight Program (ROP) and Industry Trends Program. Implements the Accident Sequence Precursor Program for operating nuclear power plants, including the production of periodic performance indicator and accident sequence precursor reports. Performs reliability studies for risk significant systems and equipment on operating nuclear power plants. Maintains staff capability by developing standardized plant risk models (SPAR) and a PRA Code to perform state-of-the-art operating experience risk analyses for both independent assessments and to assist other agency organizations in the assessment of licensee risk-related performance and safety issue risk implications. Performs a comprehensive review of operating experience and conducts in-depth analyses and evaluations of significant operating events and safety issues to determine root causes of these events. Manages GIs related to systems performance. Manages and coordinates fire safety research, including testing and developing risk analysis models. Maintains broad technical expertise and provides consultation to NRC organizations in PRA-related areas. Probabilistic Risk Assessment BranchChief: (Vacant) Plans, develops, integrates and manages research and development programs relating to probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) models and methods. Supports agency efforts to use risk information in all aspects of regulatory decision making, and undertakes specific initiatives as the lead organization. Coordinates research and development activities and PRA Standards with the other agency program offices and external partners (e.g., Universities, international organizations). Develops and uses PRA-based methodologies, models, and analysis techniques, such as the standardized plant risk models (SPAR), the SAPHIRE code and other PRA codes. Develops guidance and other regulatory tools for implementation of the Safety Goal and PRA Policy Statements. Provides safety perspectives on plant design and operation using probabilistic techniques to identify dominant risk contributors and potential risk management strategies. Maintains broad technical expertise and provides consultation to NRC organizations in PRA-related areas. Participates in international activities aimed at sharing PRA-related information. Recommends improvements in NRC programs/processes to achieve outcomes of enhanced safety, efficiency, and effectiveness. Fire Research BranchChief: Mark Salley Plans, develops, and manages the agency’s fire safety research programs, including fire modeling, fire PRA risk analysis methods and fire testing programs. Supports other NRC offices such as NRR and NMSS by developing and validating fire analysis methodologies and supporting data. Provides workshops and seminars on using these state-of-the-art methods and tools. Using results of associated fire safety research, recommends improvements in NRC programs and/or processes to achieve outcomes of enhanced safety, efficiency or effectiveness, and risk informed regulations. Represents the agency in fire safety research initiatives with outside organizations (e.g. EPRI), on standards development committees, and international fire research risk/safety forums. Operating Experience and Generic Issues BranchChief: Jack Foster Plans, develops and manages research programs to systematically assess U.S. operational safety data and reliability information for use in probabilistic risk assessments and to determine risk-significant trends. Performs risk and reliability analyses and evaluations based on operating experience to assess industry and plant performance and identify plant outliers. Develops and maintains operating experience data base systems for the storage and retrieval of safety experience. Provides the focal point and coordination for the NRC safety data collection programs with the industry, international organizations and other Federal agencies involved with data collection systems. Supports the agency’s Operating Experience Program and Clearinghouse. Supports the use of Equipment Performance and Information Exchange (EPIX) data by NRC users in the assessment of the safety significance of licensee performance and safety issue risk implications. Implements the agency’s Generic Issues Program (GIP). Ensures that the GIP is coordinated with other offices and programs to achieve consistent, agency-wide program implementation. Provides oversight, tracking, and reporting of Generic Issue status to effectively manage the program, achieve timeliness, and effectively communicate to stakeholders. Performance and Reliability BranchChief: Gary Demoss Plans, develops and manages research programs to systematically assess reliability information to determine risk-informed insights for nuclear power reactors and other regulatory applications. Assists other agency program offices in the safety assessment of licensee performance and safety issue risk implications. Develops risk-informed performance indicators and thresholds to support the agency’s Reactor Oversight Program (ROP). Implements the Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) Program for operating nuclear power plants, including the production of ASP reports and input to the NRC Performance and Accountability Report. Conducts in-depth analyses and evaluations of significant operating events and safety issues to determine root causes of these events, risk insights and lessons-learned. Coordinates related research activities with the program offices, such as the Risk Assessment Standardization Project (RASP), as appropriate. Recommends improvements in NRC programs and/or processes to achieve outcomes of enhanced safety, efficiency or effectiveness. Coordinates Office efforts to apply risk information in revising and updating NRC regulations, regulatory guides, and the technical bases for NRC regulatory decisions (e.g., licensing reviews, inspection findings and enforcement). Human Factors and Reliability BranchChief: Sean Peters Plans, develops, and manages research programs relating to human factors, human reliability analysis, and human performance. Coordinates research and development activities with the Program Offices and external partners (e.g., Universities, international organizations). Develops and uses human factors and human reliability analysis methodologies, models, and techniques to evaluate human performance. Provides safety perspectives on the impact of human performance on nuclear power plant operations and other NRC-licensed facilities and activities. Identifies potential human performance safety issues and assesses their significance. Maintains broad technical expertise and provides consultation to NRC organizations in human performance related areas. Identifies the need for and supports the development of human performance related training for NRC staff. Collects, reviews, and evaluates data and information relating to human performance, and develops and validates regulatory tools and guidance for use in evaluating human factors, performing human reliability analyses, and assessing human performance. Participates in international activities aimed at sharing human factors and human reliability-related information. Recommends improvements in NRC programs/processes to achieve outcomes of enhanced safety, efficiency, and effectiveness. Environmental Transport BranchChief: William Ott Develops the methods, data, standards, and modeling tools to assess the magnitude and effect of released radioactive material to the environment outside nuclear facilities. Develops and evaluates pathway models to assess contamination. Provides an assessment of source terms from releases. Develops and applies surface and subsurface process models for assessing transport of released radioactive material. Develops and applies integrated systems models for evaluating complex sites, including computational techniques and systems and probabilistic analyses. Evaluates the degradation and long-term performance of engineered barriers to radionuclide migration. Maintains expertise in Hydrology (both ground water and surface water), Geochemistry, Radiochemistry, Geotechnical Engineering, Materials Science, and Radiobiology to support NRC assessments of environmental effects of released radioactive materials. |
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