Nuclear Safety Training and Workforce Development Funded Projects

FY 25 Nuclear Safety Training and Workforce Development

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded more than $49.7 million in competitive awards to support nuclear safety curriculum development and training implementation through university-led partnerships with industry, national laboratories, and/or technical colleges, community colleges, or universities near nuclear power plants.

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Tracking IDTitleProject DescriptionTopic AreaUniversityAbstractEstimated Funding
NRST-25-36662Great Lakes Partnership to Enhance the Nuclear WorkforceThe GLP engages nuclear energy leaders to develop nationally recognized safety credentials. Companies representing 31.8% of the nation’s nuclear generating capacity will develop workforce training/outreach programs. The GLP will enhance safety training pipelines for the light water reactor workforce, attract qualified entrants to the workforce, modernize training curricula and address emerging advanced reactor concepts, and establish industry recognized nuclear reactor safety certifications.Training and Workforce Program Demonstration and ImplementationUniversity of ToledoAbstract$39,177,281
NRST-25-36837The Consortium for Reactor Safety Training (CReST)The Consortium for Reactor Safety Training (CR?ST) brings together a transformational team from the Southeast and Texas comprising educational institutions, training centers, reactor vendors, power utilities, national laboratories, research and non-profit organizations, labor organizations, and community representatives for developing a highly qualified and committed workforce to support the current and next-generation nuclear reactors.Training and Workforce Program Demonstration and ImplementationNorth Carolina State UniversityAbstract$36,670,717
NRST-25-36575Reactor Safety Curriculum Center of ExcellenceThe objective of this Topic Area 2 proposal is to meet nuclear reactor safety educational and workforce development goals through establishing curriculum that directly leads to industry recognized credentials in nuclear reactor safety. This proposal focuses on fostering opportunities to design and implement training pathways, curricula, and faculty development programs at universities and community colleges to support nuclear reactor safety training.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentUniversity of Tennessee at KnoxvilleAbstract$4,000,000
NRST-25-36716Curriculum Development on Nuclear Quality Assurance, System Integrity Management, and Reactor Safety AnalysisThis proposal focuses on developing a novel academic curriculum on Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA), system integrity management (SIM), and reactor safety analysis (RSA) for students and professionals. This proposed curriculum will be able to offer students or professionals three certificate programs in NQA, Data science for SIM, or RSA, each comprising 10 credit hour modules.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentPurdue UniversityAbstract$3,296,842
NRST-25-36832The Nuclear Industry Readiness Certification program: Safety Excellence for the Next-Generation Nuclear WorkforceThe Nuclear Industry Readiness Certification Program, led by Penn State, aims to address workforce gaps by establishing an educational certificate and independent certification focusing on safety culture and nuclear professionalism. Collaborating with ASME, Constellation, and York County School of Technology, the program will develop educational components, design certification processes, and implement outreach efforts, including augmented reality experiences.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentPennsylvania State UniversityAbstract$4,000,034
NRST-25-36928Rensselaer-Excelsior Partnership for Nuclear Sustainability: Advancing Preparedness through Education, Workforce Development, and Technology Innovation (RENEW)The RENEW partnership program aims to enhance workplace training and safety, develop and deliver innovative educational programs, and promote public awareness of the nuclear industry, all aimed at advancing sustainable energy solutions that support U.S. energy independence, environmental considerations, and economic growth.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteAbstract$2,380,474
NRST-25-36979Nuclear Safety Curriculum, Credentialling, and Training in Operations and Cybersecurity to Support a Digitalizing FleetThe integration of more complex technologies into the nuclear space, dramatically raises the importance of cybersecurity, a topic that is currently absent from most nuclear training and education. We propose to design, develop, implement, and assess a targeted curriculum for high impact nuclear safety topics. The approach includes development of formal credentials, classroom topics, hands-on-learning, and accessible virtual laboratories to maximize the reach of the educational product.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAbstract$3,032,560
NRST-25-37026Center for Education and Training of the Nuclear Merchant MarinerMaine Maritime Academy proposes to establish a Center for Education and Training of the Nuclear Merchant Mariner.  The project deliverables include developing a Nuclear Engineering Technology (NET) program, designing a reactor operator course approved by the International Maritime Organization, and demonstrating the feasibility of a floating nuclear power plant.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentMaine Maritime AcademyAbstract$2,000,000
NRST-25-37073Reactor Ready Training Program in Support of Industry Recognized Reactor Safety Nuclear PipelinesWith proximity to the Pacific Northwest’s only nuclear power plant, the Columbia Generation Station, the USTUR, and other nuclear industries, WSU Tri-Cities in conjunction with WSU Pullman and Spokane are optimally positioned to lead the development and implementation of a nuclear safety training and workforce development program, entitled the Reactor Ready Training Program.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentWashington State UniversityAbstract$2,857,350
NRST-25-37077Nebraska Nuclear Reactor Safety Training and Workforce Development ProgramThe goal is to establish a consortium of nuclear reactor safety training and workforce development in Nebraska through University of Nebraska-Lincoln in collaboration with Nebraska Public Power District, Idaho National Laboratory, Southeast Community College, Asian Community & Cultural Center, and industry partners. It will create sustainable long-term partnerships with utilities, nuclear power stations, private industries, and state government to train nuclear engineering professionals.Curriculum Focused Training Program DevelopmentUniversity of Nebraska, LincolnAbstract$2,859,642
NEUP – Nuclear Energy University Program