The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded over $5 million for 42 undergraduate scholarships and 33 graduate fellowships to students pursuing nuclear science and engineering degrees.
The funding – $5000 for each undergraduate scholarship and $50,000 for each three-year graduate fellowships – has been awarded to students at 29 different institutions in the United States.
The graduate fellowships will also include $5000 toward a summer internship at a US national laboratory or other approved facility where students will study a breadth of critical nuclear energy issues, from fuel cycle sustainability to reactor efficiency and design.
The funding is part of DOE’s commitment to support a strong nuclear energy industry, says US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. "By helping to educate and train the next generation of nuclear energy leaders in the United States, we can strengthen our competitive position in the global market and continue American leadership in clean energy innovation."
Since 2009, DOE has awarded over $23 million to almost 430 students for nuclear energy scholarships and fellowships through its Nuclear Energy University Program. In 2013, the program awarded $5 million to 68 students.
"Over 95% of the fellowship students who have completed the program are now pursuing careers in nuclear energy fields at the Department’s national laboratories, other government agencies, academic institutions or private companies," DOE says.
