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Nuclear research has been a cornerstone of NC State engineering since 1953, when the University began operating the nation's first public research nuclear reactor.
Researchers in the College of Engineering are receiving $5.9 million in new nuclear energy research funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the most awarded to any university for nuclear research during the round of funding announced this spring.
The seven awards to NC State were among 71 nuclear energy research awards announced in May by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The NC State projects accounted for 13.5 percent of the total announced funding and are part of federal initiatives to improve nuclear energy production and management.
Nuclear research has been a cornerstone of NC State engineering since 1953, when the University began operating the nation’s first public research nuclear reactor. The program is consistently listed among the top 10 in national rankings. The research awards include funding related to nuclear power plant design, thermal neutron scattering and developing new algorithms for reactor physics calculations.
Among the researchers receiving awards was Dr. Ayman Hawari, director of NC State’s Nuclear Reactor Program, who received three awards totaling more than $3.2 million. Other faculty from the Department of Nuclear Engineering and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering also received awards.
NC State will serve as the lead research institution on the seven projects,
while other universities and national laboratories will serve as collaborators
and research partners. 