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# Nuclear Reactor Regulation

On this Page:
            - Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
            - Division of Engineering and External Hazards (DEX)
            - Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU)
            - Division of Risk Assessment (DRA)
            - Division of Safety Systems (DSS)
            - Division of New and Renewed Licenses (DNRL)
            - Division of Reactor Oversight (DRO)
            - Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)
            - Vogtle Project Office (VPO)
            - Embark Venture Studio
            - Division of Resource Management and Administration (DRMA)

### Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

**Director:** Andrea Veil**Deputy Director for Engineering:** Andrea L. Kock**Deputy Director for New Reactors:** Robert Taylor**Deputy Director for Reactor Safety Programs and Mission Support:** Mike King 

The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) is responsible for accomplishing key components of the NRC's nuclear reactor safety mission.  NRR conducts a broad range of regulatory activities in support of the Commission's safety and security strategic goals.  These activities encompass licensing, oversight, siting, rulemaking, and incident response for operating commercial nuclear power reactors, new commercial nuclear power reactors, advanced reactor technologies, and non-power production and utilization facilities.  NRR collaborates with other headquarters and regional offices to accomplish the NRC mission.

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### Division of Engineering and External Hazards (DEX)

**Director:** Eric J. Benner**Deputy Director:** Tania Martinez Navedo

Provides technical expertise to support the licensing, oversight, and rulemaking goals of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.  The division has responsibility for the following technical subject areas:  electrical engineering and electrical power systems, instrumentation and controls (both analog and digital), structural engineering, civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, mechanical engineering, external hazards (hydrology, meteorology, and seismology), in-service testing, and equipment qualification.  Additional functions include:  leadership of the digital instrumentation and controls steering committee, ownership of the dam safety program, and technical liaison with standards committees and international counterparts. 

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### Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities (DANU)

**Director:** Mo Shams**Deputy Director:** Jeremy Bowen**Deputy Director:** Jonathan Greives

Develops and implements risk-informed and performance-based approaches to licensing and oversight of advanced reactors and non-power production and utilization facilities (NPUF), including research reactors, testing facilities, and medical radioisotope facilities.  Conducts the design reviews and initial licensing reviews for advanced reactors and NPUFs submitted under 10 CFR Parts 50 and 52.  Applies insights from engineering, systems analysis, and consequence analysis to the reviews of licensing actions, preparation of regulatory guidance documents, resolution of policy issues, development of operator licensing examinations, and conduct of safety and security inspections.  Supports international coordination programs for the oversight of advanced reactors and NPUFs and consults on the export and import of nuclear technology and material.

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### Division of Risk Assessment (DRA)

**Director:** Mike Franovich**Deputy Director:** Meena Khanna

Develops and implements policies and guidance for the use of probabilistic risk assessments and other risk-informed approaches in regulatory decision-making for light-water reactors. Performs and evaluates probabilistic risk assessments and review of risk-informed licensee programs and approaches to support licensing and oversight activities, evaluates fire protection programs and systems performance, and evaluates severe accident issues as they relate to current generation plants and licensing of new light water reactor designs.  Develops and implements rules, standards, plans, and policy for accident radiological consequence analysis and health physics and provides oversight support of radiation protection programs.  Provides domestic and international expertise for other risk significant activities such as specific safety issue resolution, special inspections, and event and incident response.

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### Division of Safety Systems (DSS)

**Director:** Joseph Donoghue**Deputy Director:** Mary Jane (MJ) Ross-Lee

Provides nuclear plant systems-related analysis to assess changes to operating reactor licenses, new reactor applications for design certifications and combined licenses, and generic nuclear plant system methodologies.  This analysis focuses on plant safety-related and non-safety-related systems, core physics, and core thermal hydraulics performance.  Provides technical expertise for other related purposes such as licensing, oversight, event response, rulemaking, and international programs.  Develops programs and guidelines to improve generic technical specifications and provides interpretations of technical specification requirements.

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### Division of New and Renewed Licenses (DNRL)

**Director:** Brian Smith**Deputy Director:** Bernie Thomson

Responsible for program management and technical review activities associated with license renewal, new light-water and small modular reactor licensing, and reactor materials engineering issues.  Conducts safety evaluations focused on vessels and internals, piping and head penetrations, and corrosion and steam generators.  Provides technical expertise to support regional activities, special projects, international programs, rulemaking, standards committees, and regulatory and policy activities.  Leads, manages, and facilitates design certification, early site permit, combined license, and license renewal applications review for light-water power reactors. Develops and maintains the necessary programmatic and technical support for new light-water power reactor licensing, license renewal, and reactor materials engineering activities. 

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### Division of Reactor Oversight (DRO)

**Director:** Russell Felts**Deputy Director:** Phillip McKenna**Deputy Director (A):**Antonios Zoulis

Responsible for leading activities associated with inspecting and assessing licensee performance at light-water power reactors and vendors.  Reviews quality assurance programs for operating power reactor licensees, vendors, applicants, and construction licensees.  Verifies effective implementation of commercial-grade dedication programs, systems for reporting defects under 10 CFR Part 21, and processes to prevent use of counterfeit and fraudulent items.  Leads and audits the implementation of the operator licensing program for light-water power reactors and provides oversight of industry training accreditation and establishes policy for design and testing of control room simulators. Evaluates human factors safety and security issues.  Evaluates plant events, communicates lessons learned to cognizant domestic and international groups, and maintains operating experience data collection and coordination. Develops and issues generic communications. 

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### Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL)

**Director:** Bo Pham**Deputy Director:** Jamie Heisserer**Deputy Director:** Aida Rivera-Varona

Implements the policy, programs, and activities, including coordinating licensing and technical reviews, associated with the overall project management for operating light-water power reactors.  Manages the areas of workload planning for the office's operating and new reactor workload, the beyond-design-basis event assessments, and the operating and new reactor licensing processes, such as topical reports and other special support services.  Serves as point-of-contact and provides an overall liaison with vendors, owner's groups, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Electric Power Research Institute.  Develops processes for, and provides the interoffice interface function with RES, NSIR, and NMSS, for NRR Continuity of Operations activities, and other special projects of critical importance to the NRC.

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### Vogtle Project Office (VPO)

**Director (A):** Lauren Nist

Responsible for the licensing, project management, and inspection, test, analysis, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) resources to support activities related to construction and startup of Vogtle Units 3 and 4.  Supports the Vogtle Readiness Group (VRG) which is chartered with the responsibility for the integrated project plan implementation; NRC inter-office coordination and communications during construction; preoperational, hot functional and startup testing; and transition to the Reactor Oversight process after fuel load.  Serves as a liaison with internal and external stakeholders to support the ITAAC hearing and the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 52.103(f) petition process and the agency efforts to make the 10 CFR 52.103(g) findings.

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### Embark Venture Studio

**Director:** Melissa Walker

Responsible for the leadership and resource management of core teams dedicated to implementing innovation projects and serving as a focal point for other NRC offices (program and corporate) regarding innovation initiatives that will benefit the nuclear reactor safety program, as well as other NRC business lines.

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### Division of Resource Management and Administration (DRMA)

**Director (A):** Evan Davidson

Provides mission and program support to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and the Operating Reactor and New Reactor Business Lines. Enables NRR to operate efficiently and effectively by overseeing administrative services, human capital management, information management, financial management, performance management, internal controls, and coordinates the annual Regulatory Information Conference. 

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 14, 2024

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 14, 2024