The State University of New York at Stony Brook has been selected as one of 15 universities to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. The $5.3 million in total awards is intended to strengthen the nuclear energy workforce and expand research capabilities across the United States.
Stony Brook will receive over $337,000 for a project titled “New Diffraction Contrast Tomography Capability For Application and Technique Development in Nuclear Fuels and Materials Research.” The grant will support the purchase of new diffraction-contrast X-ray tomography equipment, which will be used to study degradation pathways in metallic and ceramic fuels. This technology, combined with traditional absorption computed tomography on the same machine, will provide researchers with advanced tools for characterizing nuclear materials—a capability that addresses a gap within the Nuclear Science User Facilities network.
David Sprouster, assistant professor in Stony Brook’s Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, is leading the project. Collaborators include Jason Trelewicz from Stony Brook and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lance Snead from Stony Brook, and William Chuirazzi and Brian Newell from Idaho National Laboratory.
“The nation’s ability to grow nuclear energy production relies on the successful recruitment and training of the next generation of nuclear energy workers,” said Michelle Scott, acting deputy assistant secretary for strategic crosscuts at DOE. “Today’s awards ensure that universities are able to provide nuclear engineering students with hands-on experience through access to university reactors and other state-of-the-art technologies.”
Kevin Gardner, vice president of research and innovation at Stony Brook University, commented on the significance of this award: “Stony Brook is committed to advancing the research capabilities that underpin the nation’s nuclear energy future, and this award represents a meaningful step forward. By adding this capability to our core research infrastructure, we are enabling new discovery pathways for our faculty and collaborators while supporting a stronger national ecosystem for nuclear materials science. Just as importantly, this investment expands hands-on training opportunities for our students, preparing a new generation of scientists and engineers who will contribute to America’s long-term leadership in nuclear energy.”
Sprouster added: “This award enables an expansion of our campus nuclear materials research capabilities by bringing online a state-of-the-art diffraction contrast tomography capability — a capability that builds on and amplifies the advanced tools we already maintain. This equipment will not only strengthen our local characterization suite but also open new avenues of discovery for the U.S. nuclear materials community. Just as importantly, it will create exceptional educational opportunities: students will gain direct experience with cutting-edge characterization methods through research activities, helping train the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers.”
Other universities receiving infrastructure awards include Kansas State University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Oregon State University; Pennsylvania State University; Purdue University; Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center; The Ohio State University; University of Florida; University of Michigan; University of New Mexico; University of Notre Dame; University of Tennessee at Knoxville; and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Since 2009, more than $95 million has been awarded by DOE for university-based infrastructure projects related to nuclear energy upgrades nationwide. The program is managed by DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program with support from Nuclear Science User Facilities. Another round of funding is expected later this year.