i

Recruiter Handbook 

And Information 

Guide

Office of Human Resources
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Recruitment Program............ 1-2

Information and Checklist for Technical Recruiters .......................... 3-4

Information and Checklist for Human Resources Representatives..... 4

Recruiting the Best of the Best......................................................... 5-6

The NRC Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program ........ 6-8

The NRC Student Education Employment Program ...................... 8-10

The NRC Student Career Experience Program ........................... 10-12

NRC Undergraduate Scholarship Program Information .................... 13

The NRC Student Temporary Employment Program ................... 14-17

Retention – Keeping the Right People in the Right Places .......... 17-19

Employee Benefits........................................................................ 20-28

The NRC Grants Program............................................................ 28-32

University Faculty Development Grants ....................................... 33-42

Trade School Scholarships........................................................... 42-43

Recruitment Team Contact Information............................................. 43

Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 45

Table of Contents
1

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

Recruitment Program

Thank you for your commitment to the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) Recruitment Program. Your participation 

and support will ensure the NRC remains the best place to work 

in the Federal Government, as indicated in the 2007 rankings by 

the Partnership for Public Service. Our ability to attract highly 

skilled, culturally diverse candidates is largely attributable to our 

recruiters’ active participation in the process. 

The NRC’s most significant organizational asset is its 

employees. Therefore, it is paramount that the NRC recruit, 

hire, and retain talented and gifted professionals. Recruiters 

identify students and experienced professionals who possess 

unique skills, talents, and knowledge critical to the NRC’s 

continued success. Recruiters explain the Agency’s mission, 

challenges, and expectations to potential employees and direct 

the best of the best to the NRC. 

The information in this booklet will inform recruiters about the 

NRC Recruitment Program, our retention incentives, and other 
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factors key to identifying, cultivating, and retaining a superior 

workforce. This booklet also defines best practices in recruiting 

and retaining a high quality and diverse staff. 

Winning the race for talent in today’s job market demands 

forecasting future skill-set needs and developing a proactive, 

targeted recruitment strategy to fill them. It is important to 

understand that attracting new generations of workers calls for 

new recruiting strategies. 

NRC Best Practices Highlighted 

• Use ALL OFFICE Agency-wide vacancy announcements 

for mid-level general engineers/scientists and for entry-level 

candidates.

• Build coalitions among Professional Associations (e.g., 

Society for Women Engineers, National Society of Black 

Engineers, Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, 

Asian Pacific American Conference, Service Academy 

Career Conference, etc.), and among colleges and 

universities with diverse populations including veteran 

groups and groups representing individuals with disabilities.

• Maximize the use of paid ads and/or free job listings in 

appropriate professional journals, particularly those with 

both engineering/physical science and minority population 

focuses.

• Advertise in newspapers in key labor market areas (near 

nuclear facilities or shipyards). 

• Post vacancies on online job bulletin boards, particularly 

those offered by appropriate professional societies. 

• Actively participate in and support the agency’s recruitment 

efforts to achieve a high quality, diverse workforce.

• Support “University Champions” — managers who work with 

selected universities to strengthen and develop relationships 

with university faculty, deans, placement officers, and 

diverse student populations. 
3

Information and Checklist for Technical Recruiters

• Human Resources (HR) will reserve exhibit booth space with 

universities, job fairs, and professional organizations for the 

NRC’s participation. The recruitment display, materials, and 

promotional items will be shipped in advance to the career 

fair/conference. 

• Coordinate travel arrangements and time with the 

recruitment event HR representative.

• Accept résumés at the booth for the Summer Hire Program, 

Student Career Experience Program (Co-ops),Disabilities 

Employment Program, from veterans, and for jobs that 

are on the vacancy listing. Earmark highly recommended 

résumés on back.

• Explain to all interested individuals that in order to be 

considered for an NRC position, he or she must apply online 

at: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment/nrcareers.html 

or at http://www.usajobs.gov.

• Brief managers on the recruitment event upon your return, 

and provide top resumes to the managers for review. 

• Complete the Recruiting Trip Assessment and provide the 

results to the HR representative. 

• Contact the HR Recruitment Team if you have questions.

Checklist 

• Attend a pre-event meeting with HR representative 

designated for the event.

• Make travel arrangements.

• Review recruitment materials.

• View NRC vacancy listings to get familiar with the 

current vacancies.
4

• Be prepared to make a recruitment presentation at an NRC 

Information Session. 

• In conjunction with the HR Representative, meet with the 

Career Services Office and with the Health Physics and 

Engineering departments to discuss the NRC’s mission and 

employment opportunities. 

• Discuss exceptional candidates with managers and HR.

Information and Checklist for Human 

Resources Representatives

• Schedule a pre-event meeting with technical recruiters 2 

weeks prior to the trip.

• Exchange cell phone numbers with technical recruiters.

• Discuss all logistics for the event at the pre-event meeting.

• Check with Branch Chiefs or Regional HR Offices to 

determine future vacancies (see vacancy listing for current 

job openings).

• Make travel arrangements.

• Work with Recruitment Team to schedule meetings with 

the Career Services Office, the Cooperative Education 

Coordinator, and the Health Physics and Engineering 

departments to discuss NRC career opportunities, including 

student employment opportunities.

• Work with the Recruitment Team to schedule an NRC Career 

Information Session. 

• The Recruitment Team will assist with advertising the 

NRC Career Information Session prior to the visit. 

Student organizations will be invited to attend. Send 

invitations from the Recruitment Team to student 

organizations such as the National Society of Black 

Engineers (NSBE) campus chapter, the American Nuclear 

Society (ANS) campus chapter, and the Students with 

Disabilities campus organizations.
5

Returning Recruitment Display and Materials

The day before the event ends schedule UPS pickup by calling 

(800) 727-5877. The return UPS label with the account number 

will be in the display. You will need to have at least one of the 

tracking numbers from the return label handy when you call. If 

you have any questions or concerns, call ProjectWorks at 

(301) 682-4800, ext. 206 (David), ext. 203 (Alex) or a 

Recruitment Team member.

Each recruiter will be asked to submit a completed Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission Recruiting Activity Assessment to the 

HR representative at the end of the recruitment event. 

Recruiting the Best of the Best

NRC employees should take an active role in recruiting for the 

Agency. Even informal recruiting is important to spread the 

word about NRC opportunities. If employees band together 

and market the Agency to the best of the best, that will ensure 

continued success. 

Support university champions, managers who work with 

selected universities to strengthen and develop relationships 

with university faculty, deans, placement officers, and diverse 

student populations. 

• Effectively market the NRC’s status as one of the “Best 

Places to Work” as listed at http://www.bestplacestowork.org.

• Learn about referral awards, which encourage NRC staff to 

locate and shepherd successful candidate placements. 

NRC referral rewards are described at 

http://www.internal.nrc.gov/announcements/yellow/2006/

attachments/att1-2006-006.pdf.

• Ensure diverse organizations know about NRC vacancies via 

the NRC vacancy listing at 

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment/nrcareers.html.

• Volunteer to participate in outreach via presentations at 

professional conferences. Also, participate in meet and 

greet sessions conducted to support recruitment efforts. 
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• Use the agency Strategic Workforce Planning tools to 

identify current, emerging, and future skill gaps at 

http://papaya.nrc.gov/swp/home/home_frame800.cfm. 

To learn about the various recruitment tools available, contact 

the Office of Human Resources for additional information on the 

following incentives: 

• Approval of credit for annual leave for directly-related private 

sector and/or military work experience for 

external applicants; 

• Salary exception process for recruitment of highly 

qualified candidates; 

• Flexiplace opportunities and hours of work (for full-time 

employees only; relocation incentives; and

• Housing allowance, payment for travel and transportation 

expenses for Student Programs.

The NRC Nuclear Safety Professional 

Development Program

Program Goals

The NRC Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program 

(NSPDP) provides college graduates who have superior 

academic standing and a high potential for achievement with 

challenging professional assignments that offer both a broad 

and a specialized perspective of our operations.

For the Agency, the Professional Development Program is 

designed to:

• Recruit college graduates with bachelor’s, master’s, or 

doctoral degrees with strong academic records in health 

physics, earth sciences, or engineering for 

entry-level positions.
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• Hire, develop, deploy, and retain a high quality, diverse 

workforce with the skills necessary to carry out the 

NRC mission by providing training and developmental 

assignments so that these trainees become productive, fullperformance-level NRC employees.

Overview

The NSPDP is a 2-year program for a select few outstanding 

individuals from across the nation with bachelor’s, master’s, 

or doctoral degrees in fields such as engineering, nuclear 

physics, materials science, Earth science (geology, hydrology, 

seismology), health physics, or other academic disciplines which 

directly support the NRC’s mission needs and requirements. 

Participants work in one of five major training and development 

tracks: inspector certification, management and support, 

materials, reactors, or research. During the 2-year training 

program, participants obtain on-the-job training, formal 

classroom training, and complete at least two rotational work 

assignments of at least 90 days each. A participant who 

successfully pursues the program will be promoted each year.
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The NRC generally assesses applicants for the program on 

the following factors: grade point average (GPA) based on 

a 4.0 scale, honors and awards received, extracurricular or 

work-related activities, interpersonal skills (written/verbal 

communication, listening, presentation, etc.), and candidate 

interviews. Other than academic qualifications, an intern must 

be a U.S. citizen, undergo a background investigation (as do all 

NRC employees), and know that the NRC is a zero-tolerance 

agency with regard to illegal drug usage.

Participants are hired at one of three pay levels. Although 

education and experience may be combined for each grade 

level, the usual qualifications for each grade are as follows: 

GG- 7 Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate engineering, 

scientific, or technical field, plus at least a 2.95 GPA 

overall on a 4.0 scale or a 3.5 GPA in the major.

GG-9 Master’s or equivalent degree.

GG-11 Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

The NRC Student Education 

Employment Program

There are two components of the Student Education 

Employment Program: the Student Career Experience Program 

and the Student Temporary Employment Program. 

Benefits of the SEEP include:

• Providing students with exposure to public service and 

enhancing their educational experience.

• Providing financial assistance to students to encourage and 

support their educational goals.

• Encouraging partnerships between the NRC and educational 

institutions in developing effective school-to-work programs.

• Assisting in the recruitment of highly qualified graduates into 

the NRC workforce.
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NRC Student Transportation and Housing Subsidies 

Students who reside at least 35 miles away from the NRC 

workplace may receive reimbursement of their transportation 

expenses if they work full-time for at least 30 days. 

Reimbursement covers the cost of traveling from the student’s 

place of residence or study to the area in which he/she will work; 

and back to the student’s place of residence or study at the end 

of the full-time employment period. 

Students may also receive up to $750.00 per month for actual 

lodging expenses during temporary periods of at least 30 days 

of full-time employment with the NRC. To be eligible, students 

must perform scientific, professional, administrative, or technical 

work related to the student’s field of study. 

SEEP Pay Levels 

(See annual salary table for annual pay rates)

Students are paid according to the number of earned college 

credit hours. 

Undergraduate Programs (engineering and 

scientific disciplines):

GG-4 step 5: sophomore (30 through 59) 

GG-5 step 6: junior (60 through 89)

Graduate Programs (engineering and 

scientific disciplines):

GG-5 step 10:under graduate GPA 2.95 and below 

GG-7 step 10:under graduate GPA 2.95 and above

Undergraduate students (administrative, 

management, and IT disciplines):

GG-4 step 1: sophomore or junior (30 through 89) 

GG-5 step 1: senior (90 or more semester credit hours)
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Graduate students:

GG-5 step 1: under graduate GPA 2.95 and below 

GG-7 step 1: under graduate GPA 2.95 and above

High School students pay range:

GG-01 - High school student 

GG-02 - High school graduate 

GG-03 - High school graduate with 6 months of 

work experience 

Or 1 year of college credits (1-29)

GG-04 - High school graduate with 1 year of work experience 

Or 2 years of college credits (30-60)

Schedules

Students may work full-time or part-time schedules. There 

are no limitations on the number of hours a student can work 

per week, but the work schedule should not interfere with the 

student’s academic schedule. 

The NRC Student Career Experience Program

The NRC Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) is 

designed to recruit and train degree-seeking students for 

permanent placement in professional and technical positions 

throughout the NRC. Students have the opportunity to 

combine their studies with practical work experience. The work 

experience must be related to the student’s educational program 

and career goals. Because the student gains a year or more 

of professional career-related on-the-job experience during this 

cooperative education curriculum, the program assumes the 

student will require more time to attain a degree.

Students may be appointed to the program if they are pursuing 

the following:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Graduate degree

• Professional degree
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Students must be accepted in a qualifying educational 

institution’s cooperative education (co-op) program. The student 

must enter into an agreement between the educational institution 

and the NRC. The SCEP is a formally structured program with 

class attendance combined with periods of career-related work. 

The student must provide official transcripts at the beginning of 

each work period. Students may be noncompetitively converted 

to a full-time permanent appointment when they have:

• Completed, within the preceding 120 days, the requirements 

conferring a degree. 

• Completed at least 640 hours of career-related work and met 

the qualification standards for the targeted position to which 

the student is to be appointed.

Work experience is supervised and evaluated under the 

NRC’s performance appraisal system. Students may 

alternate periods of work experience with periods of full-time 

classroom study, or they may participate in a parallel work/

study by attending school part-time and working part-time. 

The supervisor and student can agree on the work schedule; 

however, the work schedule cannot interfere with the student’s 

academic studies.

Students are expected at all times either to be working at the 

agency (as scheduled), enrolled in classes, or both. However, 

the agency can approve or deny a break in the program (a 

break is defined as a period of time when the student is neither 

attending classes nor working at the agency).

The NRC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified 

candidates will be considered without regard to race, 

color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or 

sexual orientation.

To qualify for the SCEP, students must be attending a 4-year 

college or university. The NRC has agreements with 4-year 

colleges and universities and with graduate schools across the 

country. The agreement is a formal written document between 

the NRC, the school and the student.
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Graduate degree students must have a bachelor’s degree or 

master’s degree and are hired at the GG-5, GG-7, or GG-9 level. 

A student must have a college major related to the position for 

which the student is applying and must have at least a 2.85 GPA 

overall on a 4.0 scale, or 3.5 GPA in the major, to be considered 

for this program. 

The NRC SCEP Coordinator is available to provide assistance 

throughout the duration of the program. SCEP students are 

eligible for benefits such as health and life insurance, annual 

and sick leave, and retirement coverage. Students who perform 

well while participating in the SCEP may be non-competitively 

converted to an NRC permanent position after completion of 

their academic study. 

To be considered, e-mail a resume and a current transcript 

to co-ops@nrc.gov.
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NRC Undergraduate Scholarship 

Program Information

Eligibility Requirements

• Participation in the NRC SCEP.

• Completion of 2 work periods or 640 work hours in order to 

fulfill the pre-scholarship work period requirements.

• Completion of 90 credit hours (all or part of the senior 

year remaining).

• Enrollment in an engineering, scientific, or technical field 

related to the mission of the NRC. 

• 2.95 GPA or better.

• High probability that participant will be hired by the NRC.

Application Procedure

Each year the SCEP coordinator will inform Program Offices 

and Regions about the Undergraduate Scholarship Program. 

SCEP participants may request the Undergraduate Scholarship 

Program by submitting a training request with a service 

agreement, the latest performance appraisal, a request for 

payment for college credit hours, the number of work hours 

completed, and the most recent transcript. Applicants must also 

submit a written statement of interest in employment at the NRC 

(limited to one page). 

Employment Obligation

The scholarship recipient must sign an agreement stipulating 

that for every college credit hour subsidized, the scholar is 

expected to work for the NRC for one month. The typical 30 

credit-hour scholarship program requires a 30 month (2 1⁄2 

years) period of service. Failure to fulfill this obligation will 

require the individual to pay back all tuition and fees paid by the 

government, prorated according to the amount of time actually 

served with the NRC after completion of the scholarship.
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Selection

Program offices approve selections for the Undergraduate 

Scholarship Program.

Placement

• Scholars will be assigned to an NRC position to be 

determined by the sponsoring Office Director/ 

Regional Administrator. 

• Upon successful completion of the Undergraduate 

Scholarship Program, the NRC scholar will be converted to a 

career-conditional position and will receive a starting salary 

of GG-7, in accordance with the Special Salary Schedule for 

NRC Entry-Level Engineering and Scientific positions (per 

Exhibit 8, Management Directive 10.41). This position will 

have a full performance level of GG-13.

• The Undergraduate Scholarship Program will help feed 

the NSPDP, but an employee’s conversion to full-time 

employment will not be strictly limited to entry into 

the NSPDP.

What the NRC Pays

• The NRC will pay tuition and books. These costs are 

considered directly-related training expenses, allowable in 

Management Directive 10.13.

• The recipient must submit a transcript as proof that he or she 

completed the courses with a passing grade. 

• Recipients of the Undergraduate Scholarship will not receive 

a recruitment bonus.

The NRC Student Temporary 

Employment Program

The NRC Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) 

offers temporary employment to students as well as experience 

and information about career opportunities. STEP participants 

must be enrolled in a high school, vocational, technical school, 
15

or university and must be taking at least a half-time academic 

course load. 

The STEP offers temporary employment to students while 

enabling them to continue their studies. The length of the 

program varies from 89 days in the summer to as long as the 

participant is a student. STEP duties do not have to be related 

to the student’s academic major or career goals.

STEP participants are appointed to a position not to exceed 

1 year. Appointments may be extended in 1-year increments 

as long as the appointee meets the definition of a student. (A 

student is an individual enrolled or accepted for enrollment 

as a degree-seeking student and is taking at least a half-time 

academic course load in an accredited school.)

STEP participants may be non-competitively converted to 

the SCEP. Work experience hours related to the student’s 

academic program and career goals gained while under the 

STEP may be credited towards the 640-hour work experience 

necessary for the noncompetitive conversion to an NRC Regular 

(Excepted) appointment.

The Summer Employment Program is administered under STEP.

Frequently Asked Questions about the 

Summer Employment Program

What is the Summer Employment Program? 

The Summer Employment Program provides exposure to career 

opportunities, people, places, and situations at the NRC. The 

jobs in this program offer temporary employment for up to 89 

days between May and September. The jobs may or may not be 

directly related to your academic field.

Where is the duty location? 

Most of the job opportunities are at the NRC Headquarters 

in Rockville, MD. Limited opportunities exist in NRC regional 

offices in King of Prussia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Lisle, IL; and 

Arlington, TX.
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What are the duties of the position? 

The incumbent will be assigned to a supervisor and will serve as 

a Student Trainee with the NRC. The supervisor will assign a 

journey-level employee to provide technical direction 

and mentoring.

 ADMINISTRATIVE - accounting, auditing, business 

administration, communications, criminal justice, 

technical writing, finance, human resources management, 

international relations, law enforcement, and security.

 ENGINEERING - chemical, civil, electrical, electronics, 

environmental, fire protection, geotechnical, industrial 

(human factors), materials, mechanical, metallurgical, 

nuclear, and structural.

 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - information technology, 

information management, computer engineer, and 

computer science. 

 PHYSICAL SCIENCE - chemistry, environmental, fire safety 

technology, geology, geophysics, health physics, hydrology, 

materials, metallurgy, nuclear chemistry, nuclear physics, 

physics, radiochemistry, and radiological science.
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Is this a permanent position? 

No.

How do I qualify for this position? 

Minimum requirements for this position include:

• Attend an accredited high school technical or vocational 

school, a two year of four year college or university.

• Meet the definition of a student (student is an individual 

enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking 

student and is taking at least a half-time academic course 

load in an accredited school).

• Personal computer skills.

• Typing skills (minimum 40 words per minute).

• Be a U.S. citizen.

• Submit a letter of recommendation from their school.

What is the basis for the evaluation of my application?

Evaluation criteria include the GPA, academic honors (e.g., 

Dean’s List), awards (e.g., scholarships), and/or extracurricular 

activities (e.g., student associations).

To be considered, e-mail a resume and current transcript 

to summer-emp@nrc.gov.

Retention – Keeping the Right People 

in the Right Places

Human capital is the most valuable resource of any organization. 

As a result, the departure of an experienced employee is 

expensive in terms of recruiting, screening, hiring, and training a 

replacement. Loss of an employee is even more costly in terms 

of the loss of experience, stability, and continuity. These losses 

are less tangible, but they deplete critical resources. Knowing 

why employees leave is critical to reducing turnover, but just as 

important is finding out why others stay, which not only provides 
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valuable information but also alerts employees that the NRC is 

concerned about their well-being as well as with their 

career development. 

Succession planning is critical and is a comprehensive process 

that involves marketing promotional opportunities, coaching, and 

other career-development techniques designed to produce a 

qualified pool of candidates who are well-prepared to compete 

for upcoming supervisory, managerial, or leadership vacancies. 

Based on the concept that job satisfaction (and therefore, 

employee retention) goes hand-in-hand with career development 

(and therefore, succession), emphasis is placed on assuring 

that employees are continually growing, stretching, learning, and 

being challenged. 

Also, workplace diversity (including multigenerational diversity) 

promotes job satisfaction because the contributions of all 

employees are recognized and valued. 

Supervisors should:

• Ensure new employees are given meaningful work. They 

must consider assigning new employees into a work group 

and monitor the progress of new employees towards 

meeting inspector qualifications. Supervisors must ensure 

the group meets regularly with the new employees to discuss 

their progress through the qualifications program, and 

identify any issues, problems, or concerns of the employees. 

• Ensure new employees are cared for and encouraged, 

not abandoned. New employees should be assigned 

a peer sponsor by their supervisor. The peer sponsor 

assists the new employee in making the transition into the 

NRC; connecting with the correct contacts; and enrolling 

in training. In addition, supervisors must ensure that 

new engineers complete the requirements of inspector 

qualification and appropriate administrative programs. 

• Encourage employees to seek out rotational assignments 

and details internal or external to the region and at 

headquarters to enhance their knowledge and skills. 
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• Seek out training and assistance to enhance their 

supervisory skills and build a teaming environment. It is 

well noted from many studies and books that a key reason 

people leave organizations is because of their relationship 

with their supervisor. 

• Hold regular meetings with new staff to get to know them, 

provide for open discussion, learn about the staff, encourage 

them to share their perspectives, and solicit feedback on 

their experiences as a new NRC employee.

• Encourage employee details. Technical and administrative 

staff both gain a better appreciation of the way they can 

work together when they are detailed to another part of 

the organization and serve on a variety of task groups and 

teams addressing the many issues currently facing 

the NRC. 

• Promote and support continuing education for employees in 

both technical and administrative positions at various grade 

levels from associate degrees to masters’ degrees. 
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Employee Benefits

Competitive Compensation 

The NRC offers pay rates that are competitive with the private 

sector and include annual pay increases, longevity raises, and 

the possibility of cash awards and incentives. Salary for new 

employees depends on the grade and geographic area of the 

position as well as any prior Federal or private 

sector experience. 

Annual Leave 

All full-time employees earn from 2.5 to 5 weeks of paid 

vacation per year depending upon years of Federal service. 

Part-time employees accrue leave hours depending on their 

work schedule.

Sick Leave 

All full-time employees earn 13 paid sick days per year, which 

can be used for personal illness, care of sick family members, 

adoption, and medical appointments.

Family and Medical Leave Act

The NRC has implemented requirements contained in the 

Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 whereby eligible 

employees may use up to 12 weeks of leave for certain family 

and medical reasons. Under this Family Friendly Leave Act, 

employees may use sick leave to care for sick family members 

or to arrange for or attend funerals for family members. Other 

paid and non-paid leave opportunities may be offered for 

various reasons.

Holidays 

All full-time employees enjoy 10 paid holidays per year.
21

Retirement Plans 

The NRC has two retirement plans. The first is for NRC 

employees who were Federal employees before December 31, 

1983 and is called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). 

The CSRS is a defined benefit system with no portability outside 

the Federal sector and with no benefits for employees who do 

not stay until retirement.

The second retirement plan and the only system available to 

new employees is the Federal Employees Retirement System 

(FERS). FERS recognizes that not all Federal employees stay 

long enough to qualify for retirement, so it is a three-tiered 

design with portable benefits. The basic components of FERS 

are (1) a defined benefit (Basic Annuity) element based on years 

of service, pay level, and age at retirement; (2) Social Security; 

and (3) automatic enrollment in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Thrift Savings Plan 

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) a retirement savings and 

investment plan for Federal employees. The purpose of the 

TSP is to provide retirement income. It offers Federal civilian 

employees the same type of savings and tax benefits that many 

private corporations offer their employees under 401(k) plans. 

The TSP is a defined contribution plan. The retirement income 

that you receive from your TSP account will depend on how 

much you (and your agency, if you are a FERS employee) have 

contributed to your account during your working years 

and the earnings on these contributions. The contributions that 

you make to your TSP account are voluntary and are separate 

from your contributions to your FERS Basic Annuity or 

CSRS annuity. 

Insurance Benefits 

As a new/newly eligible Federal employee, you may be able to 

enroll in health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 

flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and/or apply for long 
22

term care insurance. OPM provides a snapshot of insurance 

benefits with basic information about each program. You can find 

more comprehensive information at OPM’s Insurance Programs 

page (http://www.opm.gov/insure/) or at the Guide to Federal 

Benefits page (http://www.opm.gov/insure/08/guides/).

Employee Assistance Program 

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides professional 

counseling services for NRC employees who are experiencing 

personal problems that may be affecting their ability to perform 

on the job. The program offers assessment, referral, short-term 

counseling, and follow-up for employees dealing with family and 

marital problems, substance abuse, stress, depression, and 

many other personal challenges.

All employees of the NRC may use the program at any time. 

Employees are encouraged to contact an EAP professional 

whenever they are experiencing personal problems. In many 

situations, family members of NRC employees are also eligible 

for the services of the program. Supervisors and managers 

may also seek the guidance of the EAP to help determine 

the appropriateness of referring employees who may be 

experiencing work performance and conduct changes due to 

personal problems.

Recruitment Bonus 

The NRC may provide a one-time recruitment incentive for 

entry level engineers and scientists and certain other hard-to-fill 

positions. Employees receiving a recruitment incentive incur a 

service obligation.

Relocation Expenses for New Employees 

Some relocation expenses may be authorized for certain hardto-fill positions. Such determinations are made on a case-bycase basis. Employees receiving relocation expenses incur a 

service obligation.
23

Union Representation 

The National Treasury Employees Union is the exclusive 

representative for many employees at the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. Those employees may contact NTEU 

(http://www.nteu208.org/) for further information on 

their services. 

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) 

The FSA is a program that helps Federal employees save on the 

cost of health and dependent care. An FSA allows you to set 

money aside before taxes to pay for a wide range of common 

expenses. You save by reducing your taxes while still paying for 

the care you need. The FSA Program offers two types of flexible 

spending accounts: The Health Care Flexible Spending Account 

(HCFSA) is used to pay for health care expenses not covered 

by FEHB or any other insurance. The Dependent Care Flexible 

Spending Account (DCFSA) is used to pay for dependent care 

expenses that allow you, and your spouse if you are married, to 

work, look for work, or attend school full-time. 

Long-Term Care Insurance Program 

This insurance helps you pay for long-term care services such 

as home care or care in a nursing home or assisted living 

facility. Long-term care is the kind of care that you would need 

to help you perform daily activities if you had an ongoing illness 

or disability. 

Long-term care also includes the kind of care you would 

need if you had a severe cognitive problem like Alzheimer’s 

disease. Long-term care provides help with eating, bathing, 

dressing, transferring from a bed to a chair, toileting, continence, 

etc. This type of care is not received in a hospital and is not 

intended to cure you. It is not acute care. It is chronic care that 

you might need for the rest of your life. You can receive it in your 

own home, at a nursing home, or at another long-term 

care facility. 
24

Group Life Insurance 

You may purchase group life insurance to provide life and 

accidental death and dismemberment coverage. There 

are two kinds of insurance available, basic coverage and 

optional coverage.

Basic Coverage 

The amount of basic insurance available is directly related to 

your basic salary. Coverage for the basic is automatic unless 

you sign a waiver of coverage. The Government contributes 

approximately 20 percent of the cost for basic coverage.

Optional Coverage 

If you are covered by basic insurance, you may elect one or 

more optional insurance plans depending upon your personal 

and family needs. Two options provide additional coverage on 

your life while another offers coverage for your spouse and/

or eligible children. You are responsible for the full cost of any 

optional insurance elected.

Work Schedule 

Generally, employees work a full-time schedule of 5 days a 

week, 8 hours a day. However, some employees work a parttime schedule from 16 to 32 hours a week.

Alternative Work Schedule 

The NRC has alternatives to a fixed work schedule. These 

alternatives take two forms, with some variations: flextime with 

credit hours and compressed work schedules. Flextime refers 

to a variety of arrangements in which fixed times of arrival and 

departure are replaced by a working day composed of two 

different types of time: core time and flexible time. Core time 

is the designated period during which all employees must be 

present. Flexible time is designated as part of the schedule of 

working hours within which employees may choose their time of 

arrival and departure from the work site.
25

Flextime with Credit Hours allows employees to work additional 

time after completing their normal workday provided they 

have advance approval from their supervisor. The additional 

time will be accrued for employees to use sometime in the 

future. Compressed Work Schedule allows employees to work 

eight 9-hour days, one 8-hour day, and then take one day off 

each biweekly pay period. Check with the Office of Human 

Resources to determine the alternatives available.

Injury Compensation Plan 

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act provides pay, 

medical care and assistance, vocational rehabilitation, and 

re-employment rights if you sustain a disabling injury while 

performing your official duties.

Training 

On-the-job training is provided NRC-wide. It covers needed 

clerical, technical, professional, supervisory, and managerial 

knowledge and skills in accordance with established 

management priorities and availability of funds.

Awards 

You are eligible for honorary, monetary, and time-off awards 

that are granted to recognize superior accomplishments and 

beneficial suggestions.

Counseling Services/Employee Assistance Program 

Depending on where you work, counseling services are 

provided to assist employees with their career-related concerns 

and personal situations. The Employee Assistance Program 

also provides direct counseling and referral, management 

consultation, supervisory training, employee education, 

and outreach.
26

Adult Dependent Care Resource and Referral Program 

The NRC offers an Adult Dependent Care Resource and 

Referral Program that provides advice and support to 

assist employees in obtaining community services for an 

older person or family member who is incapacitated. This 

program is offered in conjunction with the NRC Employee 

Assistance Program.

Child Care Services 

Depending on your work location, child care services may be 

available to meet the needs of working parents. Child Care 

Centers are designed with the children in mind and equipped 

with child-size furniture and facilities along with carefully 

selected playthings.

Georgetown Hill Early Childhood Center at Headquarters 

The NRC Child Development Center provides full and parttime care for 100 children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. The 

program, which incorporates play, learning, the arts, mentoring, 

and a traditional early childhood component, includes all-day 

Kindergarten. 

Fitness/Wellness Centers 

Depending on your work location, a fitness/wellness center 

may be available to assist employees in maintaining and 

improving their overall health. It emphasizes health education 

and encourages employees to develop positive health attitudes 

and personal lifestyle changes that can prevent future health 

problems. The NRC Fitness Center offers a comprehensive 

wellness/fitness program to assist employees in achieving and 

maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The NRC’s Health Center offers 

screenings, immunizations, and health education programs to 

NRC employees.
27

Credit Union 

As an NRC employee, you and your family may enjoy the 

financial benefits of banking at our Credit Union. You may 

secure comparatively low-rate loans and conduct other banking 

transactions at conveniently located offices.

Employee Welfare and Recreation Association (EWRA) 

The EWRA plays an important part in the everyday life of 

NRC employees. This includes operating a small store at 

Headquarters where employees may purchase such items as 

coffee mugs, t-shirts, and baseball caps with the NRC logo. 

Employees may also rent videos, have film developed, have dry 

cleaning done, and obtain a variety of entertainment discounts 

through the store. In addition, EWRA sponsors an annual 

free picnic for all Headquarters employees, noontime outdoor 

concerts, sports teams, golf outings, and holiday socials.

Leave Transfer Program 

The Leave Transfer Program provides income protection to 

employees who are affected by a medical emergency. This is 

accomplished through the voluntary donation of annual leave by 

other employees. An employee becomes eligible for the Leave 

Transfer Program when he or she is absent for a prolonged 

period because of sickness or to care for a family member and 

would otherwise experience substantial loss of income because 

of the unavailability of paid leave.

Part-time Career Employment Program

The NRC Part-Time Career Employment Program was designed 

to provide part-time career opportunities for employees who 

choose to work a regularly scheduled tour of duty from 16 to 32 

hours per week. Currently, approximately 120 employees work 

part-time. NRC includes a job sharing component in its PartTime Career Employment Program. This flexible aspect of the 

part-time program allows two (or more) employees to arrange 

their tours of duty to cover a single full-time position.
28

Flexiplace Program

The NRC’s work-at-home policy permits an employee to work at 

home during a period of personal incapacitation such as during 

recovery from medical treatment or the birth of a child, 

or during periods of personal hardships such as caring for a 

family member who is ill. Furthermore, the NRC has a pilot 

program to allow other employees to work at home on a case 

by case basis.

The NRC Grants Program

Questions and Answers about Grant Opportunities, 

Undergraduate Scholarships, and 

Graduate Fellowships

The solicitation states that the scholarship program is 

for students enrolled in nuclear science and engineering. 

Would students enrolled in radiochemistry courses or 

with a minor in nuclear engineering but enrolled in other 

engineering or science disciplines qualify for a 

scholarship award?

The intent of the solicitation was to focus on nuclear science 

and engineering. Radiochemistry certainly fits that definition 

and students with a nuclear minor but majoring in another 

engineering or science discipline would also be eligible.

How is the $400,000 per institution for fellowships 

distributed? Is it for 1 year or does it cover multiple years? 

For fiscal year 2008, up to $400,000 will be awarded per 

institution. This level was arrived at by calculating the cost of two 

fellows at up to $50,000 per fellow times a maximum of 4 years. 

Therefore, two fellows times $50,000 times 4 years equals 

$400,000. All awards for fellows in fiscal year 2008 will be fully 

funded in the first year for up to 4 years. A maximum of $50,000 

per fellow per year will be awarded as long as the $50,000 

represents the cost of attendance as outlined in the Funding 

Opportunity Announcement.
29

If the cost of the fellows is below the threshold of $50,000 

each, can an institution submit more than two as long as 

the total of $400,000 per institution is not exceeded? 

Yes, the determining factor is the $400,000 per institution 

per year and not the number of fellowship applicants within 

that amount.

Can the scholarships be requested by an institution 

pursuing nuclear engineering and science education 

and used to sponsor a student from a minority or other 

educational institution not engaged in the disciplines 

enabling those students to take courses in nuclear 

engineering and science from the proposing institution? 

This would be permitted as long as the sponsored students not 

enrolled at the proposing institution pursued coursework of 15 

credits or more in nuclear science and engineering.

What happens if a scholarship student goes on to graduate 

school? Is this a violation of the conditions of the grant, 

or is the service requirement postponed to the end of his/

her graduate degree or is “employment” as a graduate 

research or teaching assistant recognized as placement 

in industry?

If a scholarship student goes on to graduate school, the service 

requirement is postponed until after graduate studies cease. 

The “employment” requirement is not satisfied by serving as a 

graduate research or teaching assistant even if in a nuclear field 

of study. Six months of service for every year or partial year of 

support from the NRC will still be required once undergraduate 

and/or graduate studies end.

Does this funding opportunity (scholarships and 

fellowships) include consideration of a proposal that 

includes a nuclear energy policy component as part of the 

support of education in nuclear science and engineering?

This question is difficult to answer given the limited information 

provided but eligibility is restricted to students pursuing 
30

an education in nuclear science and engineering. A policy 

component can be part of that process but a nuclear course of 

study must be pursued.

Please confirm that we are to request in this proposal the 

full amount for all 4 years of a fellowship. That means that 

if we are going to give $50,000 per year for 4 years, we 

request $200,000 in this proposal.

NRC will support up to $400,000 per institution per year for 

fellowships. No single fellowship can exceed $50,000 per year 

and all years of the fellowship, up to four, should be requested in 

the proposal. 

Can we request funds for fellowships for both MS and 

Ph.D students?

Yes, funds can be requested for candidates seeking 

either degree.

In the proposal, are we required to name the students who 

will receive the fellowships or simply give the criteria we 

will use to select the fellows?

It is not necessary to identify the recipients of the fellowships. 

However, institutions who receive an award must agree to 

provide the NRC with a list of recipients that meet the criteria 

outlined in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Must the recipients of the fellowships be enrolled in our 

graduate program at the time the fellowship is offered? If 

that is the case, we will not be able to use the fellowships to 

recruit students for our program.

While the Funding Opportunity Announcement states that 

applicants for fellowships must “be matriculated in a graduate 

degree program in a nuclear-related area, preferably, 

in the fields of nuclear engineering, health physics, and 

radiochemistry,” NRC realizes that for students applying to 
31

graduate programs while completing their undergraduate 

education, they will not have matriculated in a graduate program. 

These undergraduate applicants (rising graduate students) are 

eligible as long as they meet the other criteria, including course 

of study. 

If we are allowed to offer fellowships to students who are 

planning to enter our graduate program in the fall but are 

currently undergraduates (at our school or elsewhere), do 

we use their undergraduate GPA to determine whether they 

meet the 3.6 criterion?

The 3.6 GPA applies when the fellowship recipient is a graduate 

student. Undergraduates applying for the program should 

be evaluated on the criteria established by the university for 

graduate school applicants with the knowledge that these 

students, if awarded a fellowship, must be capable of achieving 

at least a 3.6 GPA during their graduate program. 

If a student who is on a fellowship fails to maintain a 3.6 

GPA, is his or her fellowship taken away immediately or 

does the student have one semester to bring the cumulative 

GPA back to 3.6?

The fellowship recipient must have achieved at least a 3.6 

GPA at the conclusion of each academic year. If the GPA falls 

below a 3.6 during the academic year, the recipient has until 

the conclusion of the academic year to achieve the required 

minimum GPA. 

May co-principal investigators be listed on the proposal?

Yes, two principal investigators or co-PI’s may be listed.

May a fellowship be award to a Ph.D student in public policy 

emphasizing nuclear energy policy?

No, the intent is to develop a nuclear science and engineering 

trained workforce.
32

What are the “NRC-developed guidelines” for the student 

selection process?

The guidelines immediately follow the phrase “NRC-developed 

guidelines” in Section III.A.2.b. 

For the scholarships and fellowships programs can staff be 

charged for their participation in recruiting new students?

No. The funding is to be used for “...tuition, books, fees, and 

lab expenses.” 

How do we ensure that the student’s employer will be 

accepted by the NRC? Do they need to request NRC 

approval before accepting employment? 

The employment obligation can be achieved through service 

with many entities including academia, NRC, other Federal 

agencies, state agencies, or nuclear-related industry in 

the recipient’s field of study and can be waived under the 

appropriate circumstances. There is no need to request NRC 

approval before accepting employment.
33

University Faculty Development Grants

Can there be more than two (2) funded principal 

investigators for the one proposal from each institution?

There can be up to two principal investigator recipients funded 

from each institution. The base amount funded by the NRC will 

be $100,000 per year with up to an additional $50,000 per year 

of NRC funding if matched by university funding. It will be at 

the discretion of the individual institutions whether they have 

additional junior faculty participate but funding from this grant is 

intended to adequately support two junior faculty PI’s.

Is the solicitation intended for only new hires or existing 

faculty members?

The solicitation is intended to support new faculty in nuclear 

engineering, health physics, and radiochemistry. These grants 

target probationary tenure-track faculty in these academic areas 

during the first 6 years of their careers. Therefore, both new and 

existing faculty members in the first 6 years of their careers 

are eligible. 

The maximum per institution per year is listed as $900,000. 

How is this calculated with regard to the number of junior 

faculty that can be supported? 

The $900,000 is the maximum amount NRC will contribute to 

support up to two junior faculty over a 3-year period. Each of up 

to two faculty will be supported at a maximum NRC contribution 

of up to $150,000 per year times 3 years – all awarded in the 

first year (in this case fiscal year 2008). Therefore, $150,000 

times 3 years equals $450,000 and if a second faculty member 

is also supported, this would equal $900,000 per institution in 

the first year covering 3 years for two faculty members. The 

$150,000 would only become available if the university matched 

the NRC amount with $50,000 per year per faculty member. 

Otherwise, the NRC base amount is $100,000 per year per 

applicant with additional matches up to the $50,000 on a dollar 

for dollar match with the contribution of the university.
34

The solicitation states that the faculty development grants 

are for the fields of nuclear engineering, health physics, 

and radiochemistry. If faculty in these subject areas were 

to develop curriculum for students not enrolled in these 

subject fields, would that be permissible?

Since the grant is directed at faculty in the three subject fields 

and not the students being instructed at any particular point, 

and the solicitation specifically addresses and allows course 

(curriculum) development, this would be permissible.

Can I as principal investigator apply for the grant?

No, your institution must apply and designate the individual 

faculty members who they are supporting for this award.

Can more than two (2) principal investigators be listed on 

the proposal?

Up to two principal investigators can be listed on the proposal. 

This number was arrived at to ensure that adequate funds were 

available to properly support the individual PI’s. 

If an individual at a qualified institution has an existing 

faculty development grant from another source, is this 

individual eligible for this solicitation?

There is no provision in the solicitation that would prevent that 

individual from being included in the faculty development grant.

Am I as a tenured-track assistant professor in nuclear 

physics, not nuclear engineering, health physics, nor 

radiochemistry, eligible for a faculty development grant? 

No. The faculty development grant is specifically intended to 

support nuclear engineering, health physics and radiochemistry.
35

In the Faculty Development Funding Opportunity 

Announcement, is it expected or required that the proposal 

contain the actual names of the junior faculty member(s) 

that are proposed for support?

It is not required that the proposal contain the names of the 

junior faculty member(s) to be supported but that level of detail 

would be welcomed by the NRC.

The announcement states: Grants could include support for 

developing proposals for research and small amounts for 

initiating or continuing research projects in their areas of 

expertise. Other areas might include course development 

equipment stipends, participation in professional society 

meetings, preparation of papers, travel, and associated 

expenses.” Specifically not mentioned is course delivery 

(i.e. classroom instruction), and university service. Is it 

intended that these latter two classes of activity are not to 

be included in the proposal?

The “other areas” listed were meant to be illustrative, not 

exhaustive. Those activities that add to the attraction and 

retention of junior faculty, which may include classroom 

instruction (what is meant by university service would have to be 

further defined), could be included in the proposal.

The announcement states that “awards are for $100,000 

per year plus up to an additional $50,000 per year that is 

awarded to the extent matched by the institution...” Are 

there restrictions on the source of the institution’s matching 

funds? Specifically, is it permissible to use funds from 

grants and contracts from non-NRC sources, for example 

from the Department of Energy or its contractors, to meet 

the matching requirement? 

It is not permissible to use Department of Energy, its contractors 

or other Federal grants as the institutional match. 
36

Curriculum Vitae are mentioned under III.A.2.b on page 5 of 

the announcement, but there is no other indication about 

which individuals should submit Vitae. Please clarify. 

The Principal investigator, not the junior faculty being proposed 

for support, must have a Vitae. 

In the project description, would you like to see current 

research interests and activities of junior faculty that would 

be funded through this faculty development program 

(in addition to a description of the faculty development 

program itself)?

While a discussion of the current research interests and 

activities of junior faculty funded by this program is not required, 

to the extent that it will help describe the faculty development 

program itself, it may prove useful.

To improve the success of receiving an award, would you 

like to see the proposal come (or be entirely endorsed) at 

the institution level, college level, or department level? 

Same question in regard to administering and evaluating 

the program. 

The Funding Opportunity Announcement speaks to the 

institution submitting proposals and being responsible for 

monitoring and reporting the effectiveness of the individual 

development plan. To the extent that the college or department 

speaks for the institution (and has the authority to submit the 

proposal on behalf of the institution) then it does not matter 

which level in the institution submits the proposal.

To improve the success of receiving an award, would 

multiple programs or departments fair better than single 

units? In the case of our institution, we have both health 

physics and nuclear engineering programs, in separate 

departments and colleges.

There would be no advantage to having multiple departments 

submit a single proposal versus one department. 
37

Please comment on the use of this award for faculty recruitment.

The purpose of the award is to attract and retain highly qualified junior faculty in tenured-track positions during the first 6 years of their 

careers. This award can be used to recruit faculty to the university or 

used to support faculty already at the university.

According to the RFP, funding from the grant can be used for 

“....course development, equipment stipends, participation in 

professional society meetings...” What are “equipment stipends”? Is there suppose to be a comma between those two 

words, and if so, does that mean the faculty member can use 

funds from the grant to pay the stipend for a graduate student?

An equipment stipend is funding that may be required to support 

equipment purchases for the new junior faculty position. 

If a junior faculty member is already at a university and has a 

startup package (funding from the university for support of 

graduate students, purchase of equipment, travel to conferences, etc.), can that startup package be used as matching money 

for the NRC grant?

No, the matching funds must be funds triggered specifically by the 

NRC junior faculty Funding Opportunity Announcement.

May the funds for faculty development be used for any faculty 

member who has been in his or her position for fewer than 6 years?

Yes, if the grant is for probationary tenured-track faculty in the academic areas described in the Funding Opportunity Announcement 

during their first 6 years of their career. 

Since graduate students may be included on applications, may 

we budget for graduate student research assistants on the 

Faculty Development Grant Program to fund their participation? The research assistant is distinguished from a fellowship 

recipient. 

There is no mention in the Funding Opportunity Announcement 

(FOA) that speaks to funding or including graduate students or 

research assistants. The FOA does state that “small amounts 
38

(could be used) for initiating or continuing research projects 

in their areas of expertise.” It also states that “the program 

intends to provide support to enable new faculty to enhance 

their careers as professors and researchers in the university 

department where employed.” Therefore, budgeting for graduate 

student research assistants was not envisioned by the FOA 

unless perhaps it can be demonstrated that it helps the “new 

faculty to enhance their careers as professors 

and researchers....” 

Can any funding be included for administration of 

the program?

One of the areas permitted is “associated expenses” that would 

allow reasonable administration costs. 

Is an itemized budget reflecting different activities needed?

Yes, to the extent that the detail requested in the SF 424A 

is met.

If two faculty members are proposed for support and the 

institutional maximum match of $100,000 per year is made 

($50,000 X 2), can the institutional match be weighted more 

heavily toward one faculty member than another given that 

an experimental junior faculty member entails more costs 

than a computational junior faculty member?

No, the funding cannot be weighted toward one versus the other 

faculty member, since if two are requested and only one is found 

meritorious by the peer review panel, only up to $50,000 could 

be awarded even if more than $50,000 was requested for that 

particular faculty member. 

Does the term of the award begin with the recruitment 

period or start with the faculty member’s first term?

The term of the award begins when funds are made available to 

the institution regardless of whether the funds are being used for 

recruitment of junior faculty or existing junior faculty. 
39

May the NRC funding include graduate student support 

(tuition and salary) and summer salary of the PI recipients 

for both course development and some research activities?

While the NRC funding can be used by the junior faculty 

recipient for course development, summer salary, and small 

amounts for initiating or continuing research, the funds are not 

intended to support graduate student tuition and salary unless 

this funding enables the junior faculty recipient to enhance his/

her career as a professor and researcher in the department 

where employed. 

Is it permissible for the institutional match to be in the form 

of support for a graduate(s) student ($50,000+)? 

Yes, as long as that graduate student is in direct support of the 

junior faculty member receiving the award. 

Would the NRC like one proposal for each faculty member 

being nominated or one proposal per institution for 

both nominations?

If an institution decides to nominate two candidates, one 

proposal for the two nominations should be submitted 

with justification, as outlined in the Funding Opportunity 

Announcement, for each junior faculty candidate nominated. 

The announcement states that “grants could include 

support for developing proposals for research and small 

amounts for initiating or continuing research projects in 

their areas of expertise...Can this mean use of the NRC 

funding to support a graduate assistant? 

The Funding Opportunity Notice is intended to support 

junior faculty in enhancing their careers as professors and 

researchers. To the extent that a graduate student promotes that 

objective, some funding for that purpose would be permitted. 

However, the primary purpose is junior faculty development, 

not graduate assistant support, and the applications will be 

evaluated on how well that is addressed in the proposal. 
40

May a small amount of funding be allocated for 

management of the project (junior faculty grants)?

One of the areas permitted is “associated expenses” that would 

allow reasonable administration of management costs.

Are pre-award negotiations conducted after the selection 

of the recommended applications? Can the pre-award 

negotiations influence the selection process for awards?

Yes, pre-award negotiations are conducted after selection and, 

based on those negotiations, the awards may be affected. 

Exactly what is meant by “institutional capacity”?

It is in the interest of the NRC to know how these faculty 

development grants will assist the institution in furthering the 

growth of the specific educational area with regard to attracting 

and retaining highly qualified junior faculty.

Who are considered the individuals “administering 

the project”?” Does this refer to the department head 

submitting the proposal?

It can refer to the department head or anyone else responsible 

for project administration.

To whom does “current and pending Federal support” 

refer (III.A.2.c?)

It applies to both the applying department and the junior faculty 

candidates under consideration for an award.

Do “faculty development plans” refer to the applying 

department as a whole or specifically to the development 

plans of the identified/selected faculty candidates?

It refers to the institutions/departments faculty development 

plans and not the individual identified/selected candidates.
41

Are the 3 year awards applicable exclusively to the 2 

specific faculty members identified at the start of the grant, 

or are they applicable to the department as a whole? In 

other words, can the department shift support to other 

faculty in the course of the 3 year award period?

Yes, they are specific to the identified faculty members. Support 

can be shifted if some unanticipated event occurs, but only after 

consultation with and approval by NRC.

Is there a bias against the department based on the other 

funded NRC (or other Federal agencies) projects in the 

department? What is considered “duplication” in the 

context of enumerated selection factors (V.G?)

No, each application will be considered on its individual merits. 

Duplication refers to whether NRC is already funding work in this 

area or plans to do so outside of this grant. 

Are the grants multi-year and do recipient institutions re-apply every year to have a grant continue for multiple years?

These are multi-year grants and there is not a requirement to 

re-apply each year.

If a grant is received in the first year, may the receiving 

institution apply for a new grant form the same program in 

subsequent years? 

Yes. Receiving a grant one year does not preclude an institution 

applying for the same grant in subsequent years.

If a faculty member has less than 2 years experience at 

the current faculty position in an appropriate field, but has 

previous experience at a different institution, does the 

previous experience count toward the 6 years? 

“The grants specifically target probationary tenure-track faculty 

....during the first 6 years of their career.” If “career” were 

interpreted to refer to any aspect of a professional career, the 
42

junior faculty applicant would be ineligible if he was a professor 

elsewhere or worked at another profession related to nuclear. 

However, for purposes of this Funding Opportunity Notice, 

career refers to the current position.

Trade School Scholarships

If we are in a partnership with another trade school or 

community college, and the coursework is predominantly 

in one institution but many of the credit hours occur at the 

other institution which grants the degree, which institution 

is eligible to apply for the scholarship.

The degree granting institution must apply for the scholarship(s).

What is the funding history of community colleges?

Community colleges have participated and received funding 

from prior NRC solicitations. 

Is there a required matching amount?

There is no cost share required for any of the grants but the 

grants in the junior faculty program encourage cost sharing.
43

Is a letter of intent required for these grants?

No.

Can a private state corporation which publishes a Nuclear 

Publication (newspaper/journal) and offers an internetbased course on nuclear-related topics apply for awards?

No, the scholarships and fellowships are intended for 

educational institutions that offer a curriculum in nuclear-related 

subjects and recipients must “be matriculated in a baccalaureate 

degree program....”.

Recruitment Team Contact Information

Susan Salter - Susan.salter@nrc.gov 

Team Leader (Coordinates the planning and implementation of 

the agency’s recruitment activities, manages the recruitment 

team staff)

Peggy Etheridge - Peggy.etheridge@nrc.gov 

Lead Recruiter (Manages the recruitment and special 

emphasis programs)

Kimberly English – Kimberly.english@nrc.gov 

Recruitment Program Manager (Manages the communications 

activities related to the agency’s recruitment plan) 

Kreslyon Fleming – Kreslyon.fleming@nrc.gov 

Recruitment Program Assistant
45

Acknowledgements

The Office of Human Resources acknowledges Region IV for its 

special contribution toward this booklet. Thanks, RIV!

U.S. NRC

Equal Opportunity Employer
46

NUREG/BR-0357

September 2008