The Nuclear Safety Research and Development (NSR&D) Program is managed by the Office of Nuclear Safety, within the Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS) to provide corporate-level leadership supporting nuclear safety research and development throughout the Department of Energy (DOE). The NSR&D Program also consults with the Nuclear Safety Council, which includes membership representing senior management from each program office with responsibility for nuclear facilities.

NSR&D Program Objectives:

  • To establish an enduring Departmental commitment and capability to utilize NSR&D in preventing and reducing the hazards and risks posed by DOE/NNSA nuclear facilities;
  • To foster a Departmental culture that embraces NSR&D as a standard business practice for effecting continuous improvement in nuclear facility safety consistent with Integrated Safety Management (ISM) principles;
  • To optimize NSR&D resources in resolving existing and emerging nuclear facility safety concerns; and
  • To implement the commitments on NSR&D as contained in the Department's Implementation Plan to Improved Nuclear Operations in response to Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 2004-1, Oversight of Complex, High-Hazard Nuclear Operations.

NSR&D Committee

DOE's NSR&D Program established the NSR&D Committee to (1) develop mechanisms for effectively sharing information on nuclear safety research and development activities and results, and (2) seek cost effective means to perform nuclear safety research and development that may have benefit DOE-wide and/or to multiple program offices.  The Committee is chaired by the NSR&D Program Manager and includes members from National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOE program offices with nuclear facilities.

NSR&D Call for Proposals and Project Selection

The NSR&D Program annually solicits proposals having a Department-wide benefit; the NSR&D Committee participates in the review, rating and prioritization of the proposals. Projects funded by the NSR&D Program are selected based on the Committee’s ratings. The objectives of proposals submitted to the Program should be to develop hardware and/or software; acquire data to support safe design, construction, and/or operation of nuclear facilities, nuclear explosives or environmental restoration activities; and for reduction of risk from high-consequence, low-probability events.

Results for Department-wide R&D

The Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), within the Office of Science, collects, preserves, and disseminates DOE-sponsored R&D results that are the outcomes of R&D projects or other funded activities at DOE labs and facilities nationwide and grantees at universities and other institutions. NSR&D Program funded projects are expected to submit all interim and final reports to OSTI. The NSR&D Program also develops an Annual Report on DOE NSR&D.

NSR&D Program Reports

Related Documents:

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

NSR&D Acting Program Manager/Project Manager

Patrick Frias or send an email to nsrdprogram@hq.doe.gov