Department of Energy University Nuclear Science and Engineering Act

Summary: Sets forth the duties of such Office in implementing the program. Targets university research and training reactors and associated infrastructure as recipients of authorized appropriations.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) promote interactions between university and Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories; and (2) provide student fellowships at DOE nuclear science laboratories.
Authorizes appropriations through FY2005 that target: (1) graduate and undergraduate fellowships; (2) junior faculty research initiation grant programs; (3) nuclear engineering and education research programs; (4) refueling research reactors and instrumentation upgrades; (5) re-licensing assistance; (6) reactor research and training award program; and (7) university-DOE laboratory interactions.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as ``Department of Energy University Nuclear 
Science and Engineering Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) U.S. university nuclear science and engineering 
        programs are in a state of serious decline. The supply of 
        bachelor degree nuclear science and engineering personnel in 
        the United States is at a 35-year low. The number of four year 
        degree nuclear engineering programs has declined 50 percent to 
        approximately 25 programs nationwide. Over two-thirds of the 
        faculty in these programs are 45 years or older.
            (2) Universities cannot afford to support their research 
        and training reactors. Since 1980, the number of small training 
        reactors in the United States have declined by over 50 percent 
        to 28 reactors. Most of these reactors were built in the late 
        1950s and 1960s with 30- to 40-year operating licenses, and 
        will require re-licensing in the next several years.
            (3) The neglect in human investment and training 
        infrastructure is affecting 50 years of national R&D 
        investment. The decline in a competent nuclear workforce, and 
        the lack of adequately trained nuclear scientists and 
        engineers, will affect the ability of the United States to 
        solve future waste storage issues, maintain basic nuclear 
        health physics programs, operate existing fission reactors in 
        the United States, respond to future nuclear events worldwide, 
        help stem the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and design and 
        operate naval nuclear reactors.
            (4) Further neglect in the nation's investment in human 
        resources for the nuclear sciences will lead to a downward 
        spiral. As the number of nuclear science departments shrink, 
        faculties age, and training reactors close, the appeal of 
        nuclear science will be lost to future generations of students.
          (5) The Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Science and 
        Technology is well suited to help maintain tomorrow's human 
        resource and training investment in the nuclear sciences. 
        Through its support of research and development pursuant to the 
        Department's statutory authorities, the Office of Nuclear 
        Science and Technology is the principal Federal agent for 
        civilian research in the nuclear sciences for the United 
        States. The Office maintains the Nuclear Engineering and 
        Education Research Program which funds basic nuclear science 
        and engineering. The Office funds the Nuclear Energy and 
        Research Initiative which funds applied collaborative research 
        among universities, industry and national laboratories in the 
        areas of proliferation resistant fuel cycles and future fission 
        power systems. The Office funds Universities to refuel training 
        reactors from highly enriched to low enriched proliferation 
        tolerant fuels, performs instrumentation upgrades and maintains 
        a program of student fellowships for nuclear science, 
        engineering and health physics.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy, through the Office of 
Nuclear Science and Technology, shall support a program to maintain the 
Nation's human resource investment and infrastructure in the nuclear 
sciences and engineering consistent with the Department's statutory 
authorities related to civilian nuclear research and development.
    (b) Duties of the Office of Nuclear Science and Technology.--In 
carrying out the program under this Act, the Director of the Office of 
Nuclear Science and Technology shall--
            (1) develop a robust graduate and undergraduate fellowship 
        program to attract new and talented students;
            (2) assist universities in recruiting and retaining new 
        faculty in the nuclear sciences and engineering through a 
        Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program;
            (3) maintain a robust investment in the fundamental nuclear 
        sciences and engineering through the Nuclear Engineering 
        Education Research Program;
            (4) encourage collaborative nuclear research between 
        industry, national laboratories and universities through the 
        Nuclear Energy Research Initiative; and
            (5) support communication and outreach related to nuclear 
        science and engineering.
    (c) Maintaining University Research and Training Reactors and 
Associated Infrastructure.--Within the funds authorized to be 
appropriated pursuant to this Act, the amounts specified under section 
4(b) shall, subject to appropriations, be available for the following 
research and training reactor infrastructure maintenance and research:
            (1) Refueling of research reactors with low enriched fuels, 
        upgrade of operational instrumentation, and sharing of reactors 
        among universities.
            (2) In collaboration with the U.S. nuclear industry, 
        assistance, where necessary, in re-licensing and upgrading 
        training reactors as part of a student training program.
            (3) A reactor research and training award program that 
        provides for reactor improvements as part of a focused effort 
        that emphasizes research, training, and education.
    (d) University-DOE Laboratory Interactions.--The Secretary of 
Energy, through the Office of Nuclear Science and Technology, shall 
develop--
            (1) a sabbatical fellowship program for university 
        professors to spend extended periods of time at Department of 
        Energy laboratories in the areas of nuclear science; and
            (2) a visiting scientist program in which laboratory staff 
        can spend time in academic nuclear science and engineering 
        departments.
The Secretary shall also provide for fellowships for students to spend 
time at Department of Energy laboratories in the area of nuclear 
science.
    (e) Merit Review Required.--All grants, contracts, cooperative 
agreements, or other financial assistance awards under this Act shall 
be made only after independent merit review.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Total Authorization.--The following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy, to remain available until 
expended, for the purposes of carrying out this Act:
            (1) $44,200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $56,450,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $63,100,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $61,100,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $71,700,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (b) Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowships.--Of the funds under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(b)(1):
            (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $5,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $5,200,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (c) Junior Faculty Research Initiation Grant Program.--Of the funds 
under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(2):
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $11,500,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $11,500,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $11,500,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (d) Nuclear Engineering and Education Research Program.--Of the 
funds under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(3):
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (e) Communication and Outreach Related to Nuclear Science and 
Engineering.--Of the funds under subsection (a), the following sums are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(5):
            (1) $200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $250,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $300,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $300,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $300,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (f) Refueling of Research Reactors and Instrumentation Upgrades.--
Of the funds under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(1):
            (1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $6,500,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (g) Re-Licensing Assistance.--Of the funds under subsection (a), 
the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
section 3(c)(2):
            (1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (h) Reactor Research and Training Award Program.--Of the funds 
under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 3(c)(3):
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    (i) University--DOE Laboratory Interactions.--Of the funds under 
subsection (a), the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out section 3(d):
            (1) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            (2) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
            (3) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2004.
            (4) $1,100,000 for fiscal year 2005.
            (5) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2006.