I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2126
To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science and Engineering
Programs at the Department of Energy for fiscal years 2002 through 2006.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 12, 2001
Mrs. BIGGERT (for herself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr.
KNOLLENBERG, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. SIMPSON, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon,
Mrs. WILSON, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. OTTER, and Mr. CALVERT) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To authorize funding for University Nuclear Science and
Engineering Programs at the Department of Energy for
fiscal years 2002 through 2006.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ‘‘Department of Energy
University Nuclear Science and Engineering Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) U.S. university nuclear science and engi-
neering programs are in a state of serious decline.
nuclear weapons, and design and operate naval nu-
clear reactors.
(4) Future neglect in the nation’s investment in
human resources for the nuclear sciences will lead to
a downward spiral. As the number of nuclear science
departments shrink, faculties age, and training reac-
tors close, the appeal of nuclear science will be lost
to future generations of students.
(5) Current projections are that 50 percent of
industry’s nuclear workforce can retire in 10 to 15
years, and 76 percent of the nuclear workforce at
our national labs can retire in the next 5 years. A
new supply of trained scientists and engineers to re-
place this retiring workforce is urgently needed.
(6) The Department of Energy’s Office of Nu-
clear Energy, Science and Technology is well suited
to help maintain tomorrow’s human resource and
training investment in the nuclear sciences. Through
its support of research and development pursuant to
the Department’s statutory authorities, the Office of
Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology is the prin-
cipal federal agent for civilian research in the nu-
clear sciences for the United States. The Office
maintains the Nuclear Engineering and Education
Research Program which funds basic nuclear science
and engineering. The Office funds the Nuclear En-
ergy and Research Initiative which funds applied
collaborative research among universities, industry
and national laboratories in the areas of prolifera-
tion resistant fuel cycles and future fission power
systems. The Office funds Universities to refuel
training reactors from highly enriched to low en-
riched proliferation tolerant fuels, performs instru-
mentation upgrades and maintains a program of
student fellowships for nuclear science and engineer-
ing.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY PROGRAM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Energy,
through the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Tech-
nology, shall support a program to maintain the nation’s
human resource investment and infrastructure in the nu-
clear sciences and engineering consistent with the Depart-
ment’s statutory authorities related to civilian nuclear re-
search and development.
(b) DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY,
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under this Act, the Director of the Office of Nuclear
Science and Technology shall—
(1) develop a robust graduate and under-
graduate fellowship program to attract new and tal-
ented students;
(2) assist universities in recruiting and retain-
ing new faculty in the nuclear sciences and engineer-
ing through a Junior Faculty Research Initiation
Grant Program;
(3) maintain a robust investment in the funda-
mental nuclear sciences and engineering through the
Nuclear Engineering Education Research Program;
(4) encourage collaborative nuclear research be-
tween industry, national laboratories and universities
through the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative; and
(5) support communication and outreach re-
lated to nuclear science and engineering.
(c) MAINTAINING
UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH
AND
TRAINING REACTORS
AND ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUC-
TURE.—Within the funds authorized to be appropriated
pursuant to this Act, the amounts specified under section
4(b) shall, subject to appropriations, be available for the
following research and training reactor infrastructure
maintenance and research:
(1) Refueling of research reactors with low en-
riched fuels, upgrade of operational instrumentation,
and sharing of reactors among universities.
(2) In collaboration with the U.S. nuclear in-
dustry, assistance, where necessary, in re-licensing
and upgrading training reactors as part of a student
training program.
(3) A reactor research and training award pro-
gram that provides for reactor improvements as part
of a focused effort that emphasizes research, train-
ing, and education.
(d) 
UNIVERSITY-DOE 
LABORATORY
INTER-
ACTIONS.—The Secretary of Energy, through the Office
of Nuclear Science and Technology, shall develop—
(1) a sabbatical fellowship program for univer-
sity professors to spend extended periods of time at
Department of Energy laboratories in the areas of
nuclear science and technology; and
(2) a visiting scientist program in which labora-
tory staff can spend time in academic nuclear
science and engineering departments. The Secretary
may under section 3(b)(1) provide for fellowships for
students to spend time at Department of Energy
laboratories in the area of nuclear science under the
mentorship of laboratory staff.
(e) OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.—For the re-
search programs described, portions thereof may be used
to supplement operation of the research reactor during in-
vestigator’s proposed effort provided the host institution
provides cost sharing in the reactor’s operation.
(f) MERIT REVIEW REQUIRED.—All grants, con-
tracts, cooperative agreements, or other financial assist-
ance awards under this Act shall be made only after inde-
pendent merit review.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) TOTAL AUTHORIZATION.—The following sums
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy, to remain available until expended, for the purposes
of carrying out this Act:
(1) $30,200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(2) $42,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
(3) $47,850,000 for fiscal year 2004.
(4) $55,600,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(5) $64,100,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(b) GRADUATE
AND UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW-
SHIPS.—Of the funds under subsection (a), the following
sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry out sec-
tion 3(b)(1):
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(2) $3,100,000 for fiscal year 2003.
(3) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2004.
(4) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(5) $3,200,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(c) JUNIOR FACULTY RESEARCH INITIATION GRANT
PROGRAM.—Of the funds under subsection (a), the fol-
lowing sums are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out section 3(b)(2):
(1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(2) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
(3) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
(4) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(5) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(d) NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND EDUCATION RE-
SEARCH PROGRAM.—Of the funds under subsection (a),
the following sums are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out section 3(b)(3):
(1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
(3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.
(4) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.
(5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(e) COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH RELATED TO
NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.—Of the funds
under subsection (a), the following sums are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out section 3(b)(5):
(1) $200,000 for fiscal year 2002.
(2) $200,000 for fiscal year 2003.
(3) $300,000 for fiscal year 2004.