Investing in the next generation of nuclear energy leaders and advancing university-led nuclear innovation is vital to fulfilling the Office of Nuclear Energy’s (NE) mission. This is accomplished primarily through NE’s Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP), which was created in 2009 to consolidate university support under one initiative and better integrate university research within NE’ technical programs.
NEUP engages U.S. colleges and universities to conduct research and development (R&D), enhance infrastructure and support student education thereby helping to sustain a world class nuclear energy and workforce capability.
The program’s goal is to support outstanding, cutting-edge, and innovative research at U.S. universities through the following:
- Administering NEUP R&D awards to support NE’s goal of integrating R&D at universities, national laboratories, and industry to revitalize nuclear education and support NE’s R&D program objectives as defined in the NE R&D Roadmap;
- Attracting the brightest students to the nuclear professions and supporting the Nation’s intellectual capital in nuclear energy related engineering and relevant nuclear science, such as health physics, nuclear materials science, radiochemistry, and applied nuclear physics;
- Improving relevant university and college infrastructures for conducting nuclear energy related R&D and educating students, and;
- Supporting NE’s goal of facilitating the transfer of knowledge from an aging nuclear workforce to the next generation of workers.
Since 2009, NEUP has awarded $233M to 81 schools in 34 states and the District of Columbia.