No: 24-011 February 5, 2024 

CONTACT: Ivonne Couret, 301-415-8200 

NRC Anticipates Awarding $8.2 Million in Education Grants 

Supporting Nuclear Science and Engineering Fields

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission anticipates awarding 22 education grants to 

16 academic institutions, including two minority-serving institutions, totaling $8.2 million. The 

University Nuclear Leadership Program provides federal funding opportunities to qualified 

academic institutions to bolster nuclear engineering and related programs. 

“A competent and well-educated workforce is a necessary prerequisite for nuclear safety 

and continued U.S. leadership,” said John Tappert, acting director of the NRC’s Office of 

Nuclear Regulatory Research. “We are very excited to sponsor these grants to support the 

education and development of tomorrow’s nuclear leaders.” 

The selected grants include eight undergraduate scholarships, six graduate fellowships, 

one trade school and community college scholarship and seven distinguished faculty 

advancement awards. Each undergraduate scholarship provides up to $20,000 in financial 

support to students over the course of the three-year program; each trade school scholarship 

provides up to $5,000 to students over the course of the two-year period; and each graduate 

fellowship provides up to $50,000 per year to students over the course of the four-year program. 

The NRC’s distinguished faculty advancement awards provide up to $600,000 over a four-year 

period. 

The following institutions in 15 states have been recommended for awards:

Institution State Fellowship Scholarship

Trade 

School 

Scholarship

Distinguished 

Faculty 

Advancement Total

Florence Darlington 

Technical College SC $149,200.00 $149,200.00

University of Michigan MI $400,000.00 $200,000.00 $600,000.00

University of Illinois at 

Urbana Champaign IL $200,000.00 $600,000.00 $800,000.00

Purdue University IN $200,000.00 $500,000.00 $700,000.00

University of Missouri 

(Rolla) MO $199,070.00 $199,070.00

University of Florida FL $200,000.00 $200,000.00

Idaho State University ID $196,987.00 $196,987.00
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Virginia 

Commonwealth 

University VA $400,000.00 $199,743.00 $599,743.00

Rensselaer 

Polytechnic Institute NY $400,000.00 $200,000.00 $600,000.00

North Carolina State 

University NC $400,000.00 $600,000.00 $1,000,000.00

Colorado School of 

Mines CO $400,000.00 $400,000.00

Florida International 

University FL $400,000.00 $400,000.00

Clemson University SC $600,000.00 $600,000.00

Utah State University UT $600,000.00 $600,000.00

University of 

Cincinnati OH $600,000.00 $600,000.00

University of 

Massachusetts-Lowell MA $600,000.00 $600,000.00

Total $2,400,000.00 $1,595,800.00 $149,200.00 $4,100,000.00 $8,245,000.00

Since the program’s inception in 2009, the NRC has awarded more than 600 educational 

grants totaling more than $186 million, of which 110 were awarded to minority-serving 

institutions. This funding has benefited more than 176 individual faculty members and 4,200 

students located in 39 states and Puerto Rico.

The public can find and apply for NRC educational grant opportunities on the NRC’s website

and grants.gov and view the list of final awards.