University Nuclear
Leadership Program(UNLP)May 31, 2023
Jenna Payne

Julie Jacobson

Andrew Ford

Office of Nuclear Energy

Innovative Nuclear Research

DOE Idaho Operations OfficeIntegration OfficeHow to Ask Questions During the Webinar• Raise your hand and your microphone will
be unmuted during the Q&A phase of thepresentation.
• Questions that do not get answered during
the allotted time will be answered andposted on www.NEUP.gov.

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Overview • Established in 2009 through the Omnibus Appropriations Act• Joint effort with the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), theNuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the National
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to provide support
for university research and development, faculty, andstudents in areas critical to maintaining the discipline ofnuclear science and engineering• Each agency independently manages its own portion of theprogram– NE: Scholarships and fellowships– NRC: Faculty development, scholarships and fellowships– NNSA: Multi-university consortia focused on the student
pipeline and R&D relevant to strong nuclear
nonproliferation leadership

NE UNLP Objectives• Attract the brightest students to the nuclear
professions by providing undergraduate level
scholarships and graduate level fellowships tostudents pursuing a nuclear energy-related degree– Enhance the research and development
capabilities of U.S. universities– Build the next generation NE workforce,
fulfilling the national demand for highly trained
scientists and engineers to work in NS&E
areas

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Relevant Disciplines
Relevant disciplines include the following(but are not limited to):
••
••••
•
•
•

nuclear engineering•
mechanical engineering •electrical engineering•chemistry•health physics•
nuclear materials science •radiochemistry•
applied nuclear physics
nuclear energy policy

radiation protection technology
nuclear power technology
nuclear maintenance technology
nuclear engineering technology
nuclear operations
computer sciencecybersecurity

Disciplines that are nota priority for DOE-NE:••••

medical physics
nuclear fusion
nuclear forensics
environmental management

5NE UNLP Funding Opportunities
Scholarship and Fellowship Requests for Applications (RFAs)• Undergraduate and graduate students from two and four-year Institutions of Higher Education(IHEs) pursuing a discipline related to nuclear energy• Opportunities are promoted through a mailing list and website posting, as well as at various
conferences and university visits• Approximately 75 scholarships and 30 fellowships depending on funding level (~$6M) and qualityof applications• Next round of RFAs anticipated for August 2023 release

University Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)• For universities and colleges to establish their ability to accept student scholarship and fellowshipfunds through UNLP and manage the award on behalf of NE

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Four-year College/University ProgramAward Amounts:• Scholarship – $10,000 one-year award• Fellowship – $169,000 over three years

RFA General Requirements:• U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident• Beyond first year in college (scholarships only)• Enrolled in a UNLP-approved college or university determined by the FOA application• Field of study of interest to NE• Minimum 3.25 undergraduate GPA; 3.5 GPA at graduate level (fellowships)• Minimum 3.0 GPA (scholarships)
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Trade School and Community
College Scholarship ProgramAward Description• Training nuclear energy-related technicians• One-year, $5,000 award

General Requirements• U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident• Minimum 3.0 GPA• Enrolled in a UNLP-approved institution• Field of study of interest to NE

Scholarships:RequiredDocuments• Personal Career Goals Essay• Three Letters of Reference (Four-yearSchools)• Two Letters of Reference (TradeSchools/Community Colleges• Unofficial Academic Transcripts

Fellowships:• Personal Career Goals Essay• Proposed Graduate Research Essay• Three Letters of Reference• Unofficial Academic Transcripts• Leadership Summary9Fellowships: Internships and Required ReportingInternship• Fellows are required to participate in a 10-week minimum internship at DOE, a DOE national
laboratory, or a facility designated and approved by NE.
• An additional $7,000 allowance is provided to offset the costs of travel and housing.
• Students work with their advisors to identify an appropriate internship.
• Fellows submit a report at the end of their internship.
Reporting• Fellows submit an annual report at the end of each academic year, as well as a final report at theconclusion of their award.
‒ Reports include accomplishments for the year, plans for the following year, and a list ofpresentations/papers/patents.
‒ Concluding fellows also provide annual updates on career progress for up to 5 years after theiraward ends.
10Fellowships: New United Kingdom (UK) Exchange

Starting with FY 2023, UNLP Fellows will have the opportunity
to participate in a new United Kingdom (UK) exchange
opportunity• Up to 10 UNLP Fellows will be competitively selected• Approximately a week-long visit to nuclear-related facilities inthe United Kingdom• Additional funding will be provided for this opportunity

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UNLP Resources

www.neup.gov

12University Funding Opportunity Announcement• Serves as a support mechanism for annual UNLP RFAs to student applicants.
• Establishes cooperative agreements between Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) andDOE as an instrument to receive UNLP funds to be administered to students.
• Under the new FOA, released October 14, 2020, NE has issued 64 cooperativeagreements to IHEs.
• Provides an opportunity for U.S. IHEs to submit a new application to remain, or become,an approved UNLP institution and to administer award funds.

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University FOA Details (DE-FOA-0002265)• DOE-NE anticipates awarding cooperativeagreements under this FOA• Only one cooperative agreement award per U.S. IHE
is necessary• U.S. IHEs awarded under this FOA will be recognized
for up to 13 years; however, in no event will new
scholarships/fellowships be awarded after year 10 ofthis FOA

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University FOA Details (Continued)• Funding will not be provided to IHEs when they are selected as an approved
institution.
• Funding will be incrementally added to IHE accounts via an amendment to theestablished agreement in the amount necessary to fund annual scholarship andfellowship awards for selected students that will attend the IHE.
• The number of awards to U.S. IHEs in any given fiscal year will depend on the actual
number of eligible applicants.
• No funding will be provided to any U.S. IHE unless a student has received a DOE-NE
scholarship or fellowship award and is accepted or currently enrolled at that U.S. IHE.
• The selection of students to receive scholarships and fellowships through theprogram will occur annually via a separate DOE-NE process.

15• Eligibility for award is restricted to U.S. IHEs withtwo-, four-year, and graduate programs ofstudents in science and engineering disciplines
related to nuclear energy.

Eligibility• Students attending minority-serving institutions(MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges andUniversities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges andUniversities (TCUs), or institutions located in a
disadvantaged community are highly encouraged
to apply to the RFA.
• US. IHEs with cooperative programs which sharecoursework between two or more U.S. IHEs tomeet the above requirements are also encouraged
to apply.

16IHE Responsibilities• Comply with terms and conditions of the awarded cooperative agreement.
• Promote the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy University Nuclear
Leadership Program Scholarship and Fellowship Support opportunities at your school.
• Distribute scholarship/fellowship funds to enrolled students selected/identified by NE toreceive scholarships/fellowships in accordance with program guidelines.
• Collect and timely submit information required for interim, annual, and final reports.
• Return any unused funds provided for each participating student(s) at completion of
the school year for scholarships, or at completion of the period covered by fellowships,
or as directed by DOE.
• Agree not to charge any indirect costs or charge a fee to administer the funds
received. All funding is provided for the benefit of the student.

17• Applicants apply at neup.gov• SF 424 – Application for Federal
Assistance

RequiredDocuments• Program Narrative File
‒ Program Description‒ Faculty Description• Certifications and Assurances• Principal Investigator Curriculum Vitae• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying
Activities

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University FOA:
Andrew Fordfordaj@id.doe.gov
208-526-3059
For general information on UNLP
Scholarships/Fellowships:
Julie Jacobson
Julie.Jacobson@inl.gov
208-526-6760

Contacts

Jenna Payne
Jenna.Payne@nuclear.energy.gov
240-925-1651

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Questions?

Back-Up Slides

Approved Universities/Colleges
UNLP-Approved Institutions

1

Abilene Christian University

15

Idaho State University

2

Alfred University

16

Illinois Institute of Technology

3

Arizona State University

17

Kansas State University

4

Auburn University

18

Kennesaw State University

5

Boise State University

19

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

6

Brigham Young University

20

Mississippi State University

7

Case Western Reserve University

21

Missouri University of Science & Technology

8

Chattanooga State Community College22

Montana State University

9

Clemson University

23

North Carolina State University

10

Colorado School of Mines

24

Northern New Mexico College11

Colorado State University

25

Oregon State University

12

Florida International University

26

Pennsylvania State University

13

Francis Marion University

27

Purdue University

14

Georgia Institute of Technology

28

Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteApproved Universities/Colleges
UNLP-Approved Institutions

29

Southeast Community College

42

University of Florida

30

State Technical College of Missouri

43

University of Idaho

31

Stillman College

44

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

32

Texas A&M University

45

University of Maryland, College Park

33

Texas A&M University, Kingsville46

University of Massachusetts, Lowell34

The Ohio State University

47

University of Michigan

35

Thomas Edison State University

48

University of Missouri, Columbia

36

University of Alabama

49

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

37

University of California, Berkeley

50

University of Nevada, Reno

38

University of California, Irvine

51

University of New Mexico

39

University of California, San Diego

52

University of Notre Dame

40

University of Chicago

53

University of Pittsburgh

41

University of Connecticut

54

University of South Carolina

Approved Universities/Colleges
UNLP-Approved Institutions

55

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

56

University of Texas at Arlington

57

University of Texas at Austin

58

University of Utah

59

University of Wisconsin, Madison60

Utah State University

61

Vanderbilt University

62

Virginia Commonwealth University

63

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

64

Washington State University