Stony Brook Receives Department of Energy Award for University Nuclear Energy Infrastructure

The State University of New York at Stony Brook is one of 15 university-led infrastructure projects to share $5.3 million in funding from the U.S Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy aimed at strengthening America's nuclear energy workforce.

The projects will expand research capabilities and restore America's position as the world's leading energy producer. It supports President Donald Trump's Executive Order Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base and advances his agenda to usher in a nuclear renaissance and expand America's Energy Dominance.

"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. "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."

Stony Brook was awarded more than $337K for its project, "New Diffraction Contrast Tomography Capability For Application and Technique Development in Nuclear Fuels and Materials Research." The proposal requests instrumentation that will provide new diffraction-contrast x-ray tomography (DCT) equipment for the characterization of degradation pathways in metallic and ceramic fuels. The proposed DCT capability coupled with traditional absorption computed tomography on the same machine represents a unique capability that will address a key gap in access to advanced x-ray characterization techniques for researchers within the Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF).

The PI for the project is David Sprouster, assistant professor in Stony Brook's Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. Collaborators include Jason Trelewicz, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and joint faculty at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Lance Snead, research professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, as well as William Chuirazzi and Brian Newell at Idaho National Laboratory.

"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," said Kevin Gardner, vice president of research and innovation at Stony Brook University. "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."

"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," Sprouster said. "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."

Besides Stony Brook, universities that will receive 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 the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Since 2009, DOE has awarded more than $95 million for university nuclear energy infrastructure projects and upgrades. DOE's Infrastructure Program is managed by the Nuclear Energy University Program with support from the Nuclear Science User Facilities. The next round of funding is anticipated to open later this year.