U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Scholarship and Fellowship Program

The NRC UNLP grant program is currently on pause since the issuance of E.O. 14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025.

The UNLP provides financial assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (including community colleges) and trade schools, to support nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines. The objective was to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities as well as the safe handling of nuclear materials. These goals are also being reviewed to determine if the UNLP can better utilize taxpayer resources by focusing on grants for scholarships with a concomitant service obligation to NRC or other nuclear or appropriate federal agency to leverage the UNLP investment. Lastly, the UNLP program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research.

For the prior year grants, accredited U.S. public and private Institutions of Higher Education. However, the grant program is currently on pause since the issuance of E.O. 14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025, but previous existing grants remain open and are still active.

In the prior year awards, the beneficiary eligibility was the same as applicant eligibility.

Applications were reviewed by panels and award recommendations made by the NRC Selecting Official, based on a set of criteria established by the NRC, as stated in the NOFO. However, the grant program was paused following issuance of E.O. 14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025, but previous existing grants remain open and are still active.

Applications were reviewed by panels and award recommendations made by the NRC Selecting Official, based on a set of criteria established by the NRC, as stated in the Notices of Funding Opportunity. The grant program is currently on pause since the issuance of E.O.14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025, but previous existing grants remain open and are still active.