The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $546,151 Cooperative Agreement to Roane State Community College under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) to implement a Nuclear Technology Program. The program, set to begin in Fall 2024 and be fully scaled by Fall 2026, will support collaboration between the college and industry leaders to develop and deliver curriculum informed by employer needs, providing a cohort with the skills necessary for...
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded a $689,687 Project Grant to Northeast State Community College in Tennessee to provide workforce training programs. The award, effective August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024, is funded through the ARC's Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002). Under this grant, Northeast State Community College will deliver workforce skills training, including programs for industrial control systems technicians and cybersecurity, targeting displaced...
This $640,000 cooperative agreement from the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy through the Nuclear Energy Research, Development and Demonstration program (CFDA 81.121) supports nuclear energy safety analysis and fuel performance modeling at the University of Tennessee from October 2021 through September 2024. The University will perform safety analysis of high-burnup fuel for a Westinghouse 4-loop pressurized water reactor, encompassing normal operation, anticipated operational...
The Department of Energy awarded the University of Tennessee a $3.2 million cooperative agreement from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2027 under the Nuclear Energy Research, Development and Demonstration program (CFDA #81.121). The award will support research into innovative nuclear energy programs including the design and testing of new operator interfaces incorporating human factors for reliable hybrid plant operations. It will also fund the analysis of appropriate response procedures for...
The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded a $18,216,312 Project Grant (CFDA 23.002 Appalachian Area Development) to Tennessee Technological University (Tennessee Tech) on August 15, 2023. Through this award, Tennessee Tech and its sub-recipients will provide the following key products and services: Development of open-source software, prototypes, and technical documentation to support advanced data modeling and generative AI capabilities. This work will be conducted in collaboration with the...
This federal Project Grant award of $987,664.00 was provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) under the Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002). The award was made on March 1, 2025 to the Small Modular And Advanced Reactor Training Program, a minority-owned non-profit organization located in Pittsburgh, PA. The funding will support the organization's efforts to strengthen economic development, infrastructure, and community capacity across the 13-state Appalachian region...
The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded Tennessee Technological University a $500,000 Project Grant under the Appalachian Area Development federal grant program (CFDA 23.002) to support career and technical education initiatives from May 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. The grant focused on strengthening the regional economy and workforce through activities advancing the ARC's strategic plan goals of investing in entrepreneurship and business development, increasing education and skills...
The federal Project Grant award of $546,331.00 was provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) under its Appalachian Area Development program (CFDA 23.002). The grant was awarded to East Tennessee State University (ETSU), a public university overseen by the Board of Regents Tennessee, to support workforce training initiatives in the Appalachian region. The grant will fund a 2-year project from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026 to provide specialized training and education programs that aim...
The University of Tennessee received a $1,250,000 Project Grant from the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Research, Development and Demonstration program (CFDA 81.121) to conduct comprehensive research, development, and demonstration initiatives to advance nuclear energy science and technology. The funding will support a multi-year project focused on understanding the thermomechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of TRISO nuclear fuel particles under simulated reactor operating and...
This $900,000 federal Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under the Nuclear Energy Research, Development and Demonstration program (CFDA 81.121), supports nuclear energy research at North Carolina State University (NC State) from August 1, 2024, through September 30, 2027. The key products and services to be delivered under this award include: Mechanical properties testing of unirradiated and irradiated materials, including miniature tensile tests, nano tensile tests,...
LEAD APPLICANT ORGANIZATION NAME: ROANE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGELEAD APPLICANT ENTITY TYPE: EDUCATION TRAINING PROVIDERLEAD APPLICANT LOCATION: 276 PATTON LANE, HARRIMAN, TN 37748-5011NAME OF EMPLOYER PARTNERS INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION: MS TECHNOLOGY, INC. (MSTECHNOLOGY), OAK RIDGE, TN ENERGY SOLUTIONS, OAK RIDGE, TN (HEADQUARTERS SALT LAKE CITY, UT) Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (Y-12), OAK RIDGE, TNNAME OF EDUCATION OR TRAINING PROVIDERS: ROANE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (LEAD APPLICANT)NAME OF ENTITIES INVOLVED IN ADMINISTERING THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM: EAST TENNESSEE HUMAN RESOURCE AGENCY (ETHRA), 9111 CROSS PARK DRIVE, SUITE D-100, KNOXVILLE, TN 37923WORKER ORGANIZATIONS, LABOR-MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS, OR LABOR UNIONS: ATOMIC TRADES AND LABOR COUNCIL (ATLC) (AFFILIATED WITH METAL TRADES DEPARTMENT AFL-CIO), OAK RIDGE, TNNAME TYPE OF OPTIONAL PARTNER(S):OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY (ORNL): EMPLOYERUNITED CLEANUP OAK RIDGE (UCOR): EMPLOYERGEM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (GEM): EMPLOYERX-ENERGY (TRISO-X): EMPLOYERRBM SERVICES, LLC (RBM): EMPLOYERUPPER CUMBERLAND WORKFORCE: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (CUMBERLAND FENTRESS COUNTY ONLY)EAST TENNESSEE ECONOMIC COUNCIL (ETEC): ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCILEAST TENNESSEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (ETEDA): ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCYLOCAL COUNTY CITY MAYORS, CHAMBERS, AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS: LOCAL GOVERNMENTSGEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: THE COMMUNITIES SERVED IN THE PROJECT ARE IN EAST TENNESSEE IN SOUTHERN APPALACHIA AND A PART OF THE APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION (ARC) REGION.TOTAL FEDERAL FUNDING REQUESTED: 1,444,545TOTAL LEVERAGED FUNDS PROPOSED (TOTAL 5-YEAR PERIOD): 455,958PROJECT TITLE NAME: NUCLEAR INDUSTRY PATHWAYS: MEETING EMERGING NEEDSPROPOSED NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO START TRAINING. 140SUMMARY OF PROJECT PURPOSE AND EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES OFFERED: THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL BE DESIGNED TO MEET THE DEMONSTRATED EMPLOYER NEED FOR NUCLEAR TECHNICIANS. REVIEW OF OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION SHOWS THE EDUCATION FOR THESE POSITIONS CAN VARY FROM A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WITH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, TO A GROUPING OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COURSES, TO A COLLEGE CAREER CERTIFICATE, TO AN AAS DEGREE AND IN SOME CASES POSITIONING JOB SEEKERS TO ATTAIN A 4 YEAR AND BEYOND DEGREE. TARGETED POPULATION(S) TO BE SERVED: THE TARGET POPULATION TO BE SERVED BY THE PROPOSED PROJECT INCLUDES INCUMBENT WORKERS (IN RELATED STEM ENGINEERING FIELDS), DISLOCATED WORKERS, NEW ENTRANTS TO THE WORKFORCE SUCH AS TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, INDIVIDUALS WITH PREVIOUS EDUCATION THAT NEEDS UPGRADING TO INCREASE THEIR MARKETABILITY AND WAGE-EARNING ABILITY, VETERANS (WITH POSSIBLE PREVIOUS RELATED EXPERIENCE), AND NON-TRADITIONAL FEMALES IN THIS STEM FIELD, WITH A FOCUS ON UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS.DEVELOPMENT TRACKTARGETED INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR(S): RENEWABLE ENERGY CLEAN ENERGYTARGETED H-1B OCCUPATIONS :H-1B OCCUPATION(S) FOR WHICH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF H-1B VISAS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED (NOTE: APPLICANTS MUST PROVIDE DATA SHOWING THAT THE OCCUPATION IS IN-DEMAND IN THE PROPOSED SERVICE AREA, ON A CAREER PATHWAY TO A MIDDLE- TO HIGH-SKILLED OCCUPATION FOR WHICH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF H-1B VISAS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED WITH VERIFIABLE DATA SUCH AS DOLS FOREIGN LABOR CERTIFICATION DATA CENTER), AND SUPPORTING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION OR BROADBAND SECTORS. SPECIFY OCCUPATION(S): 19-4051.00 (NUCLEAR TECHNICIANS)RECOGNIZED POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL(S) OFFERED: CREDENTIALS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE NUCLEAR TECHNICIAN ASSOCIATE DEGREE, NUCLEAR TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATE AND OSHA CERTIFICATIONS. PAID INTERNSHIPS ARE ANTICIPATED TO RESULT IN CEUS. ADDITIONAL NON-CREDIT CURRICULA AND CERTIFICATION ARE TO BE DEVELOPED DETERMINED AS PART OF THIS GRANT.PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION:NAME, TITLE: ELIZABETH PEREIRA, GRANT SPECIALISTADDRESS: 276 PATTON LANE, HARRIMAN, TN 37748PHONE NUMBER: 207-479-1539EMAIL ADDRESS: PEREIRAEA ROANESTATE.EDU