(CLOSED) University Nuclear Leadership Program, Research and Development Grant, Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (31310022K0001)

Sponsor Name: 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Description of the Award: 

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 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 activities relevant to civilian advanced nuclear reactors, including but not limited to, relevant fuel cycle technologies, advanced construction, manufacturing, and fabrication methods.

The NRC invites R&D projects that complement its current research portfolio and that help the NRC prepare for upcoming challenges. The NRC seeks projects that provide a variety of direct and indirect, near- and longer-term benefits. These benefits 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 particular interest include:

  • Aging/degradation of nuclear plant systems, structures, and components;
  • Cyber security impacts of new/advanced technologies at nuclear facilities;
  • Application of wireless communications, drones, robotics, and autonomous control in operations and maintenance activities;
  • Digital engineering/analytics, advanced sensors and digital instrumentation/controls for nuclear applications;
  • Advanced materials and manufacturing for nuclear applications;
  • Advanced construction techniques for nuclear builds;
  • Evaluation of technical gaps and major uncertainties in assessing risk for advanced reactors;
  • Human and organizational factors and human reliability analysis for advanced nuclear applications, including improved models for dependency, consideration of organizational factors, and dynamic methods;
  • Characterization of low frequency, high consequence natural or industrial hazards for advanced nuclear applications;
  • Characterization, handling, fabrication, transportation, storage, or disposal of fresh and spent nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants (including the various advanced reactor designs that are currently under development);
  • Analyses, data, and evaluations that will support an understanding of the safety, technical gaps and major uncertainties for (1) small modular and advanced reactor designs with emphasis in the areas, natural circulation, heat transfer, boron dilution, neutronics, source term analysis, severe accident analysis and (2) fuel cycle technologies, with emphasis on experimental test and analytical model data to help validate the NRC’s scientific computer codes and ability to assess application of these technologies;
  • Advanced technology approaches (e.g., data and text analytics and artificial intelligence) and applications (e.g., data mining, risk communication) that enhance regulatory decision making. Some specific areas of focus could be incorporating equipment failure trends, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed decision-making in licensing, inspection, and other regulatory activities.
  • Analysis models and methods for fuel and cladding performance under steady state, transient, and accident conditions including fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal;
  • Advanced technology approaches (e.g., data and text analytics and artificial intelligence) and applications (e.g., data mining, risk communication, autonomous control) in nuclear power-related applications. Some specific areas of focus could be (1) assessing or developing methods for explainable artificial intelligence, (2) gaining new insights from existing publicly available agency datasets (e.g., ADAMS, Licensee Event Reports), (3) incorporating equipment failure trends, (4) using AI for autonomous control in complex systems, (5) optimizing maintenance activities, (6) using machine learning to study physical processes in materials and fluid mechanics, including advanced non-destructive examination techniques, and (7) probabilistic risk assessment, and (8) risk-informed decision- making in licensing, inspection, and other regulatory activities;
  • Evaluation of the radiological releases and offsite consequences for fusion reactor accidents; and
  • 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. An example application might be to quantify the risk significance of a given error in the safety analysis critical heat flux correlation in terms of the likelihood and extend of fuel rod failures per year.

Although the FOA identifies many of the NRCs R&D priorities, the NRC will strive to award projects that cover multiple project areas specified above. Your application should emphasize the technical area(s) proposed under this project.

Limit (Number of applicants permitted per institution): 
2
Sponsor Final Deadline: 
Apr 05, 2022
OSVPR Application or NOI Instructions: 

Interested applicants should upload the following documents in sequence in one PDF file (File name: Last name_NRC-31310022K0001_2022.pdf) no later than 4:00 p.m. on the internal submission deadline:

1. Cover Letter (1 page, pdf):

  • Descriptive title of proposed activity
  • PI name, departmental affiliations(s) and contact information
  • Co-PI's names and departmental affiliation(s)
  • Names of other key personnel
  • Participating institution(s)
  • Number and title of this funding opportunity

2. Project Description (no more than two pages, pdf) identifying the project scope that addresses the key aspects and elements of the sponsor's solicitation, principal investigators, collaborators, and partner organizations. (references may be included on additional page(s))

3. 2-page CV's of Investigators

Formatting Guidelines:

Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)

To be considered as a Penn State institutional nominee, please submit a notice of intent by the date provided directly below.
This limited submission is in downselect: 
Penn State may only submit a specific number of proposals to this funding opportunity. The number of NOIs received require that an internal competition take place, thus, a downselect process has commenced. No Penn State researchers may apply to this opportunity outside of this downselect process. To apply for this limited submission, please use this link:
OSVPR Downselect Deadline: 
Thursday, March 3, 2022 - 4:00pm
For help or questions: 

Questions concerning the limited submissions process may be submitted to limitedsubs@psu.edu.

Notes: 
William Walters (CoE); Elia Merzari (CoE)