Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP)

1. Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) Nuclear Education and Research in the USA Through the Department of Energy- NSUF Conference, June, 2011 Professor John Gilligan Director of the NEUP Integration Office Idaho National Laboratory www.neup.gov

3. The Nuclear Renaissance is Apparent to Students

4. NEUP Mission and Objectives Mission: Engage the U.S. university community to conduct program directed, program supporting, and mission supporting research and development, related infrastructure improvements, and student fellowship and scholarship support to build world class nuclear energy and workforce capability as an integral component of the Office of Nuclear Energy. Objectives: Support the NE R&D Roadmap objectives while bolstering university R&D infrastructure, especially research reactors.

5. How NEUP Worked in 2009, 2010 NEUP offered three funding opportunities All Peer Reviewed, Relevancy and Technical • Research & Development (R&D) • Competitive R&D subcontract solicitation through INL’s NEUP Integration Office • Capabilities, Infrastructure & Equipment • Competitive grants in conjunction with DOE-ID • Scholarships & Fellowships • Competitive grants in conjunction with DOE-ID • $150K for Grad Fellowships(3 years), $5K for Scholarships

6. R&D 2010 Program Overview • 609 pre-applications • 131 requested full proposals • 128 submitted proposals • 42 funded proposals

7. Funded R&D Proposals by State 2010

8. Examples of Interdisciplinary R&D Awards Modeling Solute Thermokinetics in LiCl-KCl Molten Salt for Nuclear Waste Separation – MSE, NE Monitoring Microstructural Evolution of Alloy 617 with Nonlinear Acoustics for Creep Fatigue – MSE, Civil E Development of Scanning Microscale Fast Neutron Irradiation Platform – Chem. Engr, EE, NE Heat Transfer Salts for Nuclear Reactor Systems – Civil E, NE Development of Thermal Transient Flow Rate Sensors for High T, Corrosive Environment – EE, ME Novel Methods of Tritium Sequestration – MSE, Chem. and Bio Engr. Precursor Derived NanostructuredSiC-X Materials – MSE, Aero. Engr. Understanding of Irradiation Behavior of Zirconium Carbide – NE, MSE Novel Engineered Refractory Materials – NE, MSE

9. 2010 R&D Award Stats • Overall – Awards/Full Submissions – 42/128 • Awards to PIs for first time– 29 • Awards to junior faculty – 20 • Awards to Nuclear Engineering Faculty – 18 • Awards in materials and waste – 30 • Awards that are experimental – 30 • Number of universities receiving awards – 26 • Number of awards with lab partners - 20 • Number of universities receiving awards for first time – 8 • Number of awards with partners/interdisciplinary – 35/17

10. Infrastructure Major Reactor Upgrade • 12 proposals (11 states) submitted for $15,078,389 • 4 proposals funded for $3,752,415 Minor Reactor Upgrade • 19 proposals (15 states) submitted for $2,994,970 • 12 proposals funded for $1,982,185 General Scientific Infrastructure Support • 51 proposals (31 states) submitted for $12,728,567 • 33 proposals funded for $7,452,904

11. Infrastructure Funded Proposals by State- Equipment and University Reactors

12. Scholarships & Fellowships Scholarships • 149 viable applications* • 85 recommended for award, representing 20 states • 3.8 average undergraduate GPA of recommended students • Fellowships • 132 viable applications • 32 Fellowships were funded, representing 18 states (with alternates: 37 recommended in states) *Of the 149 submitted viable applications, 33 were in majors not NE relevant.

13. FY 2010 Scholarship Recipients - $5K each

14. FY 2010 Fellowship Recipients

15. A Few Facts and Figures • 609 pre-applications were submitted to the R&D solicitation, up from 433 in 2009. 755 in 2011 • 82 proposals submitted to the infrastructure solicitation, 28 more than FY 2009. 97 in 2011 • 132 students applied for NEUP graduate fellowships, (115 in FY 2009). 152 in 2011 • 149 students applied for NEUP scholarships, (84 in FY 2009). • Average GPA for fellowship recipients for FY 2009 and 2010 was 3.8. • Average scholarship recipient GPA FY 2010 was 3.8. 3.7 In FY 2009.

16. Areas of Study

17. Nuclear Energy University Program Awards 2009, 2010 – Funding Increases

18. 18

19. Funding is Program Driven Natl. Labs Universities DOE-NE HQ DOE NE Program Drivers • Program Directed Funding Program Supported Funding Peer Review Mission Supported Funding

20. Summary of Improvements and New Programs 2011 Expansion of “Blue Sky” for R&D Integrated Research Projects, IRP Expansion and improvement of Peer Review data base Enhancements to Fellowship and Scholarship Criteria Adopt NRC and NNSA Metrics as Appropriate to NEUP Peer Review at Pre Application stage for R&D

21. Overall NEUP Program Three Program Areas For 2011 • Nuclear Energy Enabling Techologies • Crosscutting • Transformational • Reactor Concepts (RC) • Small Modular Reactors • Next Generation Nuclear Plant • Light Water Reactor Sustainability • Advanced Reactor Concepts • Fuel Cycle R&D (FCRD) • Separations and Waste Forms • Advanced Fuels • Systems Analysis and Integration • Materials Protection, Accountancy, and Controls (MPACT) • Used Fuel Disposition and Storage

22. NE Funding for Universities 2011 – Enhanced Blue Sky More than 20% of the NE R&D budget will be used to support university-based activities Up to 20% of the NE R&D budget is allocated to the peer-reviewed NEUP Support for infrastructure, students, and research and development are all components of the NEUP scope All on-going and new University–supported activities directly funded by DOE-NE will be included in NEUP (M and S Hub program is the one exception) Requirement for university cost share has been waived for NEUP Other NE University Investments Outside NEUP NE funds fuel management support for University-based Research Reactors National Laboratories use NE R&D funds to support specific R&D or support efforts at universities

23. Integrated Research Programs • NEUP anticipates accepting proposals for IRPs focused on development of advanced reactor technologies and supporting experimental testing capabilities and used nuclear fuel interim storage • Projects will be for 3 years • Proposing teams must include: • Designated lead university and at least one other university • Proposal teams are encouraged to include: • One or more industry partner (may receive funding) • One or more National Laboratory (may receive funding) See www.NEUP.gov

24. 2011 Proposed Schedule

25. Concluding Remarks • NEUP engages universities to conduct program directed, program supporting, and mission supporting R&D, infrastructure improvements, and S&F • Through NEUP, DOE-NE has competed $110 Million of funding in 32 states at 66 universities since 2009 • $82.44 Million in research projects • Several important changes for FY11 (review structure, reviewer database, IRP Solicitation) • Many opportunities for collaboration with all US universities including 2 year colleges and trade schools. • NEUP Workshop for 2012 is August 9-10, Chicago • Comprehensive Workforce Survey

26. 2011 Originally Proposed NEUP Budget(actual will be less based on CR budget) • Program Directed Integrated Research Projects (IRP) - $12.0M (NEW) • Program/Mission Supporting R&D - $44.0M • University Infrastructure: Reactor Upgrades and University Equipment - $13.0M • IUP Fellowships and Scholarships - $5.0M

27. SummaryofEducationalPartnership Programs 2010 • R&D Awards Derive from Interdisciplinary Problems of DOE Roadmap – More than Nuc. Engr. • R&D Projects are Larger in Size and Scope by Design • Larger Number of Partners per Project Required and Fundable • Many New Projects Have Interdisciplinary Partners • Many Projects Have Multi University and Multi Lab Partners • New IRPs Will Require Even Larger Project Teams

28. Materials Proposal Topics, Examples • Characterization and Modeling of Strain Localization and Creep Cavitation • High Fluence Low Flux Embrittlement Models of LWR Reactor Pressure Vessel • The Curing/Aging Behavior of Concrete: • Understanding the Fundamental Linkage Between Defect Production • Understanding Radiation Effects on Graphite at VHTR Relevant Conditions • Microstructural Modeling and Simulation to Predict Fission Gas • Ultrasonic Techniques for High Resolution-High Temperature Fuel • Nanoscaleintermetallic-dispersed steels • A Nuclear Qualified Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) • Physically-Based Thermo-mechanical Fatigue • Thermomechanical Processing and Alloying Effects on Microstructure Evolution • Multilayered Metal/Metal and Metal/Ceramic • Discovery of Grain Boundary Degradation Mechanisms • Mechanism-Based Modeling and Simulation of Creep-Fatigue • Combined multiscale modeling and experimental investigation of irradiation induced embrittlement • Development of Radiation Resistant Crystalline-Amorphous • Investigation of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Deformation • Pulsed electrodeposition of thick metallic nanolayers • Understanding Small Scale Test Data Related to Microstructural Features • Graphite Microstructural Characterization • Radiation Behavior of High-Entropy Alloys • Electric NDE of Thermo-Mechanical and Irradiation Damage • Thermodynamic and Defect Properties of Metal

29. Materials Proposal Topics, cont. • Dispersion and refinement of precipitates in HT-UPS alloys • Predictive Multiscale Modeling of Microstructural Evolution • Mechanisms of Oxidation of Complex Graphite • Resolving Critical Outstanding Irradiation Materials Science • Diffusion Coating of Vanadium on the F/M Cladding • SCC and Three-dimensional Grain Boundary Connectivity • Characterization and Modeling of Grain Boundary Chemistry • Innovative stress corrosion cracking • Synergistic Effects of Dynamic Strain Aging • Development of Multiscale Materials Modeling Techniques • Fatigue Analysis and Residual Stresses in Welds • Studies on microstructural evolution, • Fracture and Fatigue Behavior of Graphite • Structural Performance of Composite Steel Plate • Accelerated Irradiations for High Dose • Optimized Processing-Fabrication Paths • Dynamic strain aging in nickel-based alloys • High-performance concrete • High Temperature Deformation and Microstructural Characterization • Mechanistic Studies of Dynamic Strain Aging