The National Nuclear Security Administration has allocated $21 million in research grants to 36 projects that would study nuclear security-related topics under the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances Program.
Teams from various universities have up to three years to research areas that would prepare them for future work managing the U.S. nuclear stockpile for the government, NNSA said Thursday.
Topics covered by the recent SSAA program grants concern hydrodynamics, instabilities, hypersonics, low energy nuclear science, radiochemistry and material properties under extreme conditions and energetic environments.
“This work will expand our understanding of key scientific principles in focused research areas that are fundamental to the nuclear deterrent and will ensure a pipeline of highly trained scientists and technicians to support the future deterrent,” explained Mark Anderson, the assistant deputy administrator for research, development, test and evaluation in NNSA’s defense programs office.
The two-decade SSAA program is an effort by the NNSA to recruit technical scientists and engineers to boost the nuclear security enterprise workforce.