Insight Web Extra
September 2009–In an unmistakable sign that the nuclear renaissance is being taken seriously by a new generation of college and university students, the field of nuclear engineering and science is seeing rapid increases in student enrollments, graduations and scholarship money to help pay for it all.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, undergraduate nuclear engineering enrollments in 2008 tripled since 2000, and graduate enrollments have increased each year since 2001. The latest Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Engineering survey shows that more than 450 bachelor’s degrees in nuclear engineering were awarded in 2008, the highest in 20 years. Master’s and doctorate degrees in the field also showed increases, with Ph.D. degrees awarded in 2008 showing an increase of 43 percent from the year before and 70 percent from 2000.
In addition to these new graduates from four-year colleges and universities, there is a demand in the nuclear renaissance for skilled workers that can and will be filled by graduates of apprenticeship programs, community college and trade schools. According to Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, NEI’s manager for industry infrastructure, the industry has been advocating for federal support in this area of development of the future nuclear work force.
In fiscal 2009, Congress authorized grant programs totaling $45 million for nuclear education and work force development, to be administered by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration for various programs, including for faculty and curriculum development and for 2-year colleges and trade schools.
The NRC last month awarded nearly $20 million in more than 100 congressionally funded grants to 70 educational institutions to boost nuclear education and expand the work force in nuclear and nuclear-related disciplines.
The funds include $15 million to supplement the NRC’s grant program for scholarships and fellowships, faculty development, trade schools and community colleges, and $5 million for nuclear education and curriculum development. Almost $2 million of the $15 million went to trade schools and community colleges.
Recipients are located in 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko said this year the agency was able to expand the number of institutions receiving grants from 60 to 70 and to increase the number of grants to minority serving institutions by 67 percent.
Jaczko said the funds provide broad benefits to the nuclear sector—not just to the agency. “These grants help develop a work force capable of the design, construction, operation and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials,” he said.
Of the $15 million grant program, $5 million is designated for an Integrated University Program coordinated through the NRC, DOE and the National Nuclear Security Administration for multi-year research projects critical to maintaining nuclear engineering and science.
Earlier this summer, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced nearly $9 million in awards to support the next generation of American nuclear energy development. Under its new Nuclear Energy Universities Program, DOE will provide $2.9 million in scholarships and fellowships to 86 U.S. nuclear science and engineering students and will offer more than $6 million in grants to 29 U.S. universities and colleges in 23 states.
The program will support the efforts of universities and colleges to build or expand their basic research or education capabilities and enhance their capacities to perform energy-related R&D. It includes grants for new equipment and instrumentation for research reactors, specialized nuclear energy facilities, and classrooms and laboratories.
“America’s leadership in nuclear energy research will be critical in addressing the country’s long-term energy independence and climate change goals. We need to ensure that the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers have the training they need to research, design, build, operate, and maintain U.S. nuclear power plants,” said Chu. “Investing in these students’ educations and the necessary infrastructure and equipment at their universities will help keep the United States at the research forefront for this important zero-carbon energy source.”
The program also is awarding 70 direct scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students and 16 fellowships to U.S. graduate students. Each scholarship student will receive $5,000 toward the costs of his or her education for the next year. Fellowship recipients will receive $50,000 a year over three years to help pay for their graduate studies and research. Students are expected to receive their award funds by the end of September.
Community and junior colleges have also been benefactors of federal grants from the Department of Labor. In 2009, three partnered community colleges received community-based job training grants in an amount totaling $5.5 million. The colleges plan to utilize these funds to implement the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program and support faculty needs.
More information about these and other education grant programs is available at
www.nuclear.energy.gov,
www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants.html or
www.grants.gov.
Find additional articles on nuclear education and work force development in the September edition of
Insight.
[Image credit: World Nuclear Association, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Engineering] —Read more articles in Nuclear Energy Insight and Insight Web Extra.