US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Request Ticket // Tickets: 3 // Tickets Available: 2

T. Bheemasetti (Civil Arch Engr and Mechanics) 

Executive Summary
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency, established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, tasked with licensing, and regulating the Nation’s civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear material to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

The program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research. More specifically, the program shall be used to provide financial assistance for R&D projects relevant to the programmatic mission of the NRC referenced above, with an emphasis on providing federal financial assistance with respect to research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of new and advanced nuclear technologies. Social science research will be considered under this announcement (for example, projects that would foster the development of innovative community engagement strategies, including incorporation of principles of equity and environmental justice).

The NRC invites R&D projects that complement its current research portfolio and that help the NRC prepare for upcoming challenges. A summary of NRC research activities can be found at NRC Research Activities in the FY22-24 Research Prospectus. The NRC seeks projects that provide a variety of direct and indirect, near- and long-term outcomes. These outcomes include:
 

• Identification and closure of potentially important technical gaps ahead of
  regulatory needs,
• Heightened awareness and knowledge of key advanced technology
  developments being pursued outside of NRC, and
• Improved foundational knowledge on key topics of future regulatory interest.
   

Number of Applications

An institution may submit no more than three (3) applications in response to this
announcement.
 

Although the Primary Investigator (PI)s prepare the grant application and are responsible for conducting and supervising the research, the actual applicant is the educational institution. The same PIs may not be on more than one application. A PI may not be a Co-PI on another application in response to this announcement.
 

An application in response to this announcement may include more than one Co-PI. However, an individual can only be proposed as a Co-PI within one (1) application in response to this announcement.

No applicants // Limit: 2 // Tickets Available: 2 


UArizona may submit no more than two (2) applications in response to this announcement.

The program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research.

More specifically, the program shall be used to provide financial assistance for R&D projects relevant to the programmatic mission of the NRC referenced above, with an emphasis on providing financial assistance with respect to research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of new and advanced nuclear technologies. New this year, non-technical research will be considered under this announcement (for example, projects that would foster the development of innovative community engagement strategies, including incorporation of principles of equity and environmental justice).

The estimated budget for this program is $6,000,000.00 for a project period of three years. 

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Application of wireless communications, drones, robotics, and autonomous control in operations and maintenance activities;

• Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors, and digital instrumentation/controls at nuclear facilities;

• Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for operating, new and advanced reactors (e.g., modeling of complex dependencies, advanced calculation techniques, multi-unit and multi-moule risk, application of risk techniques to radiological consequence analysis, development of improved risk metrics);

• Human and organizational factors and human reliability analysis for advanced nuclear applications, (e.g., improved models for dependency, consideration of organizational factors, dynamic methods, and risk analysis).

• Characterization of fire hazards in new reactor designs (e.g., sodium) and post-fire safe shutdown capability;

• Characterization of natural hazards including but not limited to flooding, high winds, hurricanes, wildfires, climate change;

• Analysis models and methods for fuel and cladding performance;

• Advanced technology approaches (e.g., data and text analytics, data visualization techniques, and artificial intelligence) and applications (e.g., data mining, autonomous control) in nuclear power-related applications; Evaluation of the radiological releases and offsite consequences for fusion reactor accidents;

• Application of innovative and advanced technologies for decommissioning and remediation of radiologically contaminated sites;

• Evaluation of the technical gaps and uncertainties in licensing new veterinary and medical uses of byproduct materials;

• Analytical approaches that combine probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) risk quantification methods with reactor systems sensitivity or uncertainty analysis methods to quantify the risk significance of safety analysis errors or uncertainties; Performance-based technology-neutral safety assurance;

• Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for decommissioning and waste management; and

• Comparative analysis, consistencies, and harmonization in application of dosimetry and dose coefficients

No applicants // Limit: 1 // Tickets Available: 1 


UArizona may submit only one application for each of the Scholarship, Fellowship, Faculty Development, and Trade School and Community College Scholarship grant programs.

The program provides funding to support research and development for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials.

The NRC is interested in technologies relevant to the programmatic mission of the objectives referenced above, with an emphasis on providing financial assistance for research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities relevant to civilian advanced nuclear reactors, including, but not limited to, relevant fuel cycle technologies, advanced construction, manufacturing, and fabrication methods.

No applicants.

None.