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, the NEUP has awarded approximately $290 million to 89 colleges and universities in 35 states and the District of Columbia to train the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists in the United States and continue American leadership in clean energy innovation.

RECENT AWARDS

FY 2013 IRP, R&D and Infrastructure Awards

DOE is awarding approximately $52 million for 61 university-led nuclear energy research and development projects, 16 infrastructure support awards and an Integrated Research Project.  A list of awards is available here.

FY 2013 Scholarship & Fellowship Recipients (Schools)

Through the Integrated University Program, DOE is awarding nearly $5 million to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing nuclear energy-related engineering and science degrees. The awards include 37 undergraduate scholarships and 31 graduate-level fellowships for students studying at U.S. colleges and universities. Through this program, undergraduates will receive a $5,000 scholarship, while graduate students will receive a three year fellowship in the amount of $155,000. As part of the fellowship, graduate students will participate in a summer internship at a DOE National Laboratory, or other approved facility, to enhance their involvement in the DOE’s nuclear energy research programs. The selected students will study a range of nuclear energy issues including fuel cycle and reactor related research. A list of schools with the number of scholarship and fellowship awards is available here.