Industry Supply Chain Sectors
Advisory and Legal Support Services
This subsector contains companies that provide advisory and consulting services that address the development of legal and regulatory regimes, licensing support, siting, environmental impact analyses, legal advice, and tender writing and development. Standards development and trade association activities are also included within this subsector.
Other examples include:
- Seismic Analysis
- Auditing
- Feasibility Studies
- Licensing Support
Design, Construction, and Operation
Companies in this subsector are responsible for technology design and engineering, procurement, project management, site preparation, power plant construction and power plant operation and maintenance. This subsector addresses all activities in the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phase of a project and also covers utilities that operate plants and companies that provide plant maintenance and repair.
Other examples include:
- Gen IV Designs
- Architectural Design
- Predictive Maintenance Tools
- Radiation Monitoring
Components
Companies in this subsector are generally manufacturers that may seek commercial opportunities throughout a plant's lifecycle, including parts required for operation and maintenance, uprates and upgrades. We delineate this subsector to reflect commercial opportunities for component manufacturers independent of the Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) providers.
Other examples include:
- Primary Containment Systems
- Structural Systems
- Balance of Plant
Fuels
The fuels subsector includes all aspects of the fuel cycle including mining and milling uranium, enrichment, conversion, fabrication of assemblies, refueling, transportation of fuel, and fuel storage.
Other examples include:
- Dry Storage
- Wet Storage
- Advanced Fuels
- Conversion
Back-End Services
This subsector contains companies that provide services related to plant decommissioning and used fuel management, including waste management and removal, remediation; used fuel management, interim storage and transportation; geologic disposal and reprocessing and recycling of plant byproducts.
Other examples include:
- Remediation
- Dispolal
- Transport
- Waste Management
Academic Framework
University Education
There are over 100 U.S. colleges and universities that offer undergraduate and graduate (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) programs in nuclear science and engineering related disciplines, with 32 recognized as nuclear engineering programs.
These programs are open to international participants, and are largely funded by university, government, or private fellowships. Nuclear engineering programs in the United States form a critical component of our international engagement in civil nuclear energy. Historically, U.S. universities and colleges have provided students from many countries with a top-quality education, including the foundation to rise to positions of leadership. The role of U.S. universities and colleges continues and is expanding to meet the increasing global demand for nuclear energy human resource development.
There are over 25 universities who operate licensed research and education reactors, with power output of up to 10 MW. Research reactor applications include education, research, and isotope production. Several schools also operate particle accelerators for research purposes.
Collaboration between academia and industry is a key component of U.S. nuclear engineering education. Several major U.S. technology companies and utilities in the civil nuclear industry support university research and educational programs by providing expert lectures on industry-relevant topics, funding student fellowships, and access to research equipment.
Labor apprenticeship programs are available in the United States. Students can seek apprenticeships from the Nuclear Mechanic Apprenticeship program in six different categories: Electricians, pipefitters, millwrights, sheet metal workers, boilermakers, and ironworkers. The apprenticeships are aligned to the nuclear energy industry's required initial training program.
University Programs
Colorado School of Mines
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center (NuSEC)
- Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) 1 MW research reactor
- Transuranic Radiochemistry Labs on campus and at GSTR
- Mines Neutron Radiography Facility (MINER)
- Active Materials Characterization Laboratory (ActMCL)
- Center for High Performance Computing (10,496 core IBM BlueGenQ)
Georgia Institute of Technology
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Advanced X-ray Imaging and Therapy Optimization Laboratory
- AREVA Radiation Detection Laboratory
- Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safety
- Plasma-facing Components Thermal-hydraulic Test Facility
- PWR Axial Offset Anomaly Test Facility
- Radiological Science and Engineering Laboratory
- Nanoscale Materials Analysis Laboratory
- Southern Nuclear Detection Laboratory
- Spark Plasma Sintering Furnace
- Varian Clinical Linear Accelerator Laboratory
- Varian Treatment Planning Laboratory
Idaho State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- AGN-201M 5W Reactor Laboratory
- Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Laboratories
- Idaho Accelerator Center
- Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES)
- Component Flooding and Evaluation Laboratory (CFEL)
Kansas State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Semiconductor Materials and Radiological Testing (SMART) Lab
- TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor
- Kansas State MicroAnalytics Lab (KSMAL)
- Nuclear Energy Systems Transport (Nu-EST) Lab
- Radiological Systems Integration Lab (RSIL)
- Radiological Engineering Analysis Lab (REAL)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES)
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center
- Industrial Performance Center Center for Science and Technology with Accelerators and Radiation
- Concrete Sustainability Hub
- H.H.Uhlig Corrosion Laboratory
- Laboratory for Advanced Modeling and Simulation (with 3 high-speed parallel computer clusters)
- Laboratory for Electrochemical Interfaces
- Laboratory for Innovation in Fusion Technologies
- Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy
- Laboratory for Reactor Thermal Hydraulics
- MIT Computational Reactor Physics Group
- Quantum Engineering Group
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- 200 kW Nuclear Reactor with a beam port, an active cooling system, a thermal column and pneumatic transfer tubes.
- Internet Accessible Hot Cell Facility
- D-D Neutron Generator
- Radiation Measurements and Spectroscopy Lab
- Nanotechnology, Nuclear Forensics, and Radiochemistry Lab
- Two-Phase & Multi-Phase Flow Lab
- Hydrogen and Mass Spectrometry Lab
- Nuclear Materials Lab
- Radiation Imaging Lab
- High Performance Computer Lab
North Carolina State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- INL National University Consortium
- UNC System Nuclear Reactor Program Center with PULSTAR Reactor w/ Neutron Imaging Facility, Ultra Cold Neutron Source, Neutron Powder Diffractometer, Intense Slow Positron Beam, Neutron Activation
- US DOE Consortium for Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL) VERA Users Group
- US DOE NNSA Consortium for Nonproliferation Enabling Capabilities (CNEC)
- NC State Consortium for Nuclear Power (CNP)
- US DOE Center for Low Temperature Plasma Interactions with Complex Interfaces
- NC State Center for Nuclear Energy Facilities & Structures
- International CTF Users Group
- Several High Performance Computer Clusters
Ohio State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- OSU-Nuclear Reactor Lab including a 500 kW research reactor (NSUF Facility)
- Nuclear analysis and radiation sensor laboratory
- Nuclear power plant simulator
- Prototype distributed digital
Oregon State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Gamma and Alpha Spectrometry Laboratory
- Advanced Plant Experimental Test Facility
- Laser-Imaged Natural Circulation Facility
- High Performance Computing Cluster
- NuScale Integral Systems Test Facility
- Laboratory of Transuranic Elements
- Camera-Observed and Instrumented Loop Facility
- Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test Facility
- Radioecology Research Laboratory
- Multi-User Counting Laboratory
- High Temperature Test Facility
- 1.1 MW TRIGA Mark II Pulsing Research Reactor
- Neutron Radiography Facility
- Transient Reactor Test Loop
- Neutron Activation Facility
- Advanced Nuclear Systems
- Engineering Laboratory
- Naval Reactor Test Loop
- Endurance Flow Loop
Penn State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Advanced Multi-Phase Flow Laboratory (AMFL)
- Multiphysics Modeling and Simulation Group (MMSG)
- Radiation Science and Engineering Center (RSEC)
Purdue University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Applied Intelligent Systems Laboratory
- BioElectrics and ElectroPhysics (BEEP) Laboratory
- Center for Materials Under Extreme Environment
- High Energy Density Laboratory
- Institute of Thermal Hydraulics
- Laser & Discharge Produced Plasma Laboratory
- Metastable Fluid Research Laboratory
- Multiphase & Fuel Cell Research Laboratory
- Nuclear Materials
- Nuclear Reactor Design and Simulation Laboratory
- Purdue University Multi-dimensional Integral Test Assembly (PUMA)
- Purdue University Reactor Number 1 (PUR-1)
- Radiation Surface and Interface Science Laboratory
- Reactor Sharing Field Trips
- Surface Science Laboratory
- Thermal Hydraulics and Reactor Safety Laboratory
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- The Gaerttner Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Center
- The Walthousen Critical Reactor Facility
- The Center for Multiphase Research (CMR)
- The Multiscale Science & Engineering Center (MSEC)
- The Center for Engineering-Based Patient Modeling (CEPM)
South Carolina State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Applies Radiation Sciences Laboratory
Texas A&M University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Accelerator Laboratory
- AGN-201M Nuclear Reactor Laboratory
- Computing Facilities
- Fuel Cycle and Materials Laboratory (FCML)
- Thermal-Hydraulic Research Laboratory
- Nuclear Heat Transfer Systems Laboratory
- Nuclear Engineering Science Center (1MW Triga Reactor)
- Radiation Detection Measurement Laboratory
- Systems Radiobiology Laboratory (TIPS Joint-Facility)
- Nuclear Power Plant Simulator Engineering Laboratory
- Center for Large-Scale Scientific Simulations (CLASS)
- The Cyclotron Institute
- Institute for the National Security and Cybersecurity Education and Research (INSCER)
- National Center for Electron Beam Food Research
- Center for Nuclear Security Science and Policy Initiatives (NSSPI)
- Radiological Engineering, Detection and Dosimetry (RED2) Laboratory
University of California, Berkeley
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Nuclear Science and Security Consortium (NSSC)
- Applied Nuclear Physics Laboratories
- Detection Laboratory
- Nuclear Materials Laboratory
- Nuclear Waste and Fuel Cycle Laboratory
- Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL)
- Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory
University of Florida
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Advanced Laboratory for Radiation Dosimetry Studies (ALRADS)
- Backscatter Radiography by Selective Detection (RSD) Lab
- Laboratory for Development of Advanced Nuclear Fuel Materials (LDANF)
- Progress Energy Advanced Radiation Detection (PE-ARDAD) Lab
- Visualization, Imaging, and Computation for the Thermohydraulics of Reactors (VICTR)
- University of Florida Training Reactor (UFTR)
University of Idaho
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center for Advanced Energy Studies
- Idaho National Laboratory
- Center for Space Nuclear Research
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center for Plasma-Material Interactions
- Computational Plasma Physics Lab
- Functional X-ray Imaging Lab (FXIL)
- HIDRA (tokomak/stellarator)
- High Temperature Corrosion Lab
- High Temperature Nuclear Materials Lab
- Magnetron Sputtering Lab
- Multiphase Thermo-Fluid Dynamics Lab
- Neutron Metrology Lab
- Radiation Detection & Imaging Lab Research Centers and Laboratories, and Initiatives
- North American Technical Center (NATC), Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) (The other three such centers are in Vienna, Tokyo and Paris.)
- Industry-sponsored research for plasma-radiation-material interactions, and nuclear power
- Radiological Instrumentation Lab
- Radiation Surface Science and Engineering Lab
- Socio-Technical Risk Analysis (SoTeRiA) Lab
- Soft Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Lab
- Virtual Education and Research Lab
- Micro and Nanotechnology Lab
- Seitz Materials Research Lab
- Beckman Institute for Adv Sci & Tech
- Blue Waters Sustained Petascale Computing
University of Maryland
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- University of Maryland Radiation Facilities
- Maryland University Training Reactor
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- I-MWt pool type Research Reactor - Fast Neutron Irradiator, Thermal Column and Neutron Imaging facility, Hot Cell
- Mega Curie Cobalt Irradiation Facility
- 5.5 MeV Van de Graf Accelerator
- Integrated Nuclear Nonproliferation and Safeguards Laboratory (INNSL)
- Multiscale Nuclear Reactor Safety Modeling Laboratory
University of Michigan
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Detection for Nuclear Nonproliferation Laboratory
- Experimental and Computational Multiphase Flow Lab (ECMF)
- High Field Science Laboratories (CUOS)
- High Temperature Corrosion Laboratory (HTCL)
- Irradiated Materials Testing Complex (IMTL)
- Materials Preparation Laboratory
- MCASL Center
- Metastable Materials Laboratory
- Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory (MIBL)
- Neutron Science Laboratory (NSL)
- Plasma, Pulsed Power, and Microwave Laboratory
- Plasma Science and Technology Laboratory
- Position Sensing Semiconductor Radiation Detector Lab
- Radiation Detection Laboratory
- Radiation Effects and Nanomaterials Laboratory
- Radiation Imaging Laboratory
- Radiological Health Engineering Laboratory
University of Missouri
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Particulate Systems Research Center
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- The Center for Energy Research
University of New Mexico
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- AGN-201M Nuclear Training Reactor
- Solid State Alpha, Beta, Gamma Detectors
- Thermal-Fluids and Reactor Safety Research Laboratories
- Fission Fragment Spectrometer Research Laboratory
- Sandia-UNM Academic Alliance gives faculty access to Sandia facilities
University of Pittsburgh
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center
University of South Carolina
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center of Economic Excellence in Nuclear Science and Energy
- General Atomics Center for the Development of Transformational Nuclear Technologies
University of Tennessee, Knowville
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Ion Beam Materials Laboratory
- Scintillation Materials Research Laboratory
- Radiochemistry and Nuclear Forensics Laboratory
- Data Acquisition and Instrument Characterization Laboratory
- Prognostics, Reliability, and Control Laboratory
- Micro-Processing Research Facility
- UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Advanced Materials
- Parallel Computing ACF and Local Beowulf Clusters
University of Texas at Austin
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- 1.1 MW TRIGA Reactor
- 14 MeV Neutron Generator
- Measurement Systems and Labs
- Compton suppression HPGe systems
- Coincidence HPGe spectroscopy Electrochemistry and Corrosion Lab
- Radiochemistry/NAA Laboratories
- Nuclear and Applied Robotics Lab
- Texas Materials Institute Computational
- Texas Advanced Computational Center (world?s #1 university supercomputer)
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences
University of Utah
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Radiation Detection Laboratories
- Radiochemistry Laboratories
- 100 kW TRIGA Reactor
- Computational Resources
- Structure Laboratories (shared w/ Civil Engineering Dept.)
- Material Science Laboratories (collaborations with Nanofab)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center for Plasma Theory and Computation
- Fusion Technology Institute
- Institute for Nuclear Energy Systems
- Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
- Materials Science Center
- Max Carbon Radiation Science Center/1 MW TRIGA Type Nuclear Reactor
- Pegasus Plasma Experiment
- Wisconsin Shock Tube
- Wisconsin Materials Institute
Utah State University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Thermohydraulics and Materials Properties Research Center
Virginia Commonwealth University
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Radiation Detection and Measurement Laboratory
- Radiochemistry Laboratory
- Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory
- NanoNuclear and Radiation Effects Laboratory
- Microsensor and Radiation Detector Laboratory
- Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Laboratory
- Nuclear Simulator
- Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Reactor
- VCU Nanomaterials Core Characterization Center
- VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation
Virginia Tech
Nuclear Research Facilities:
- Center for Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Fuel Cycle (NMFC)
- MARS - Center for Multiphysics for Advanced Reactor Simulation
- Multiphase Flow and Thermal-hydraulics Laboratory (MFTL)
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL) at NCR
- Radiation Measurement, Simulation and Visualization Laboratory (RMSVL)
- Virginia Tech Transport Theory Group (VT3 G)
-
Blacksburg Campus:
- Multiphase Flow and Thermal-Hydraulics Laboratory
- Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Fuel Cycle
- Molten Salt Loop (MSL) amp;& High Temp Water Loops
- Computational Nuclear Materials
- Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) Lab
- Heat Transfer & Safety (HEATS) Lab
- Radiation Measurement and Simulation Lab
- VT's Computer clusters at Advanced Research Computing (ARC)
-
Northern Virginia Campus:
- Virginia Tech Transport Theory Group (VT3G)
- MARS - Center for Multiphysics for Advanced Reactor Simulation (an ICTAS Center)
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Lab (NSEL)
- 3 Research Group Computer Clusters
- Access to the US Naval Academy Subcritical Reactor and Nuclear Laboratories
- Access to NIST & the University of Maryland Research Reactor
Near-Term Workforce Resource Development Deployment Programs
Several 2-year community colleges and technical schools cooperate with U.S. nuclear utilities and technology companies to offer programs for non-licensed operators, electrical and electronic technicians, and mechanical technicians. Programs in instrumentation control, health physics, and radiation protection are also offered.
At the end of 2007, NEI, in cooperation with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), established the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program (NUCP) to develop Associate's degree programs for individuals to fill maintenance, chemistry, radiation protection and non-licensed operator entry level positions.
Organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute - a policy organization of the nuclear energy and technologies industry - NUCP assesses the supply an demand for skilled nuclear power workers, provides a uniform curriculum that ensures that nuclear industry trainees consistently meet industry-wide learning objectives, and ensures that the process meets the needs of the entire civil nuclear industry. Graduates of NUCP schools that accept positions at related nuclear companies are generally exempted from portions of required initial training. NUCP programs are open to international students. A few NUCP certified programs:
Energy Providers Coalition for Education (EPCE)
EPCE offers timely and relevant online energy programs that meet the emerging needs of the energy industry to include nuclear energy related courses.
Community College programs
Contact the NCI for more information or general inquiry on how the United States can assist.