Budget and Project Period: This is a three (3)-year grant program. Research and
development funds may be requested up to $500,000.00 total costs (direct costs
and facilities and administrative costs) for the project period.
Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost-sharing or matching funds is not required.
Citizenship Requirement: For the duration of the grant period, all undergraduate
students, graduate students, faculty, PIs, Co-PIs, and other participants
supported under or participating in the grant must meet the following
citizenship requirements:
(1) Be a United States citizen, or
(2) Be a noncitizen national of the United States,* or
(3) Have been lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid permanent
residence Green Card). Individuals on temporary visas, as well as refugees and
asylees, are not eligible.
*Noncitizen nationals are persons born in outlying
possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).
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.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Application of wireless communications, drones,
robotics for the purpose of remote monitoring, and autonomous/remote control in
operations and maintenance activities;
Digital instrumentation/controls (I&C), data
analytics, and advanced sensors/instrumentation, at nuclear facilities;
Cybersecurity associated with digital instrumentation
and controls, remote monitoring/control, wireless communications at
high-consequence facilities;
Evaluation of methods, approaches and major
uncertainties in assessing risk for operating, new and advanced reactors and
other type of licensed nuclear facilities or medical applications (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,
human-system integration and risk analysis);
Characterization of fire hazards in new reactor designs
(e.g., sodium, molten salt reactors (MSRs), high-temperature gas-cooled
reactors (HTGRs), lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR)) 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
space nuclear launches;
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;
Comparative analysis, consistencies, and harmonization
in application of dosimetry and dose coefficients by the NRC and national and
international regulatory agencies;
Activities in the areas of neutronics, thermal
hydraulics, and severe accident analysis that will help validate the NRC’s
scientific computer codes;
Additive (advanced) manufacturing for nuclear
technologies;
Evaluation of environmental justice in context of
nuclear facilities;
Analytical approaches to determine a rational risk
premium for high-consequence, low-probability events for use in cost-benefit
analyses;
Performance-based regulatory review: developing
technical criteria for consistent evaluation.
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