Human Capital Development, Safeguards by Design, and University Engagement-Lessons Learned

摘要

The Department of Energy (DOE), Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI), Human Capital Development (HCD) program recognized a need to expose college students in nuclear engineering programs to concepts related to safeguards. In many universities' students are trained in the mechanical engineering departments, and receive an emphasis or minor in nuclear engineering. These students typically have limited interception with safeguards concepts. Most of these students are required to do a mechanical engineering senior design project for a graduation requirement. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) through funding from DOE began reaching out to universities to support senior design projects related to a safeguards problem. To date LANL is in the second year of working with University of Rhode Island, and is using the current model to reach out to additional universities with nuclear engineering minors or emphasis in Mechanical Engineering Departments, such as University of Texas. A recommended practice is to get subject matter experts (SMEs) at national laboratories to outreach material to engage with universities.