US DOE to fund nuclear data research

"Nuclear data is vital to a host of activities ranging from basic science to energy production to national defence," said Timothy Hallman, DOE associate director of Science for Nuclear Physics. "These data require upkeep and constant improvement, and this effort will enhance the quality and availability of nuclear data for US science, government, and industry."

The effort is coordinated by the Nuclear Data Interagency Working Group, and includes four DOE programmes: the Office of Nuclear Physics; the DOE Isotope Program; the Office of Nuclear Energy; and the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation.

Research is expected to include experimental work, computational modelling and simulation, and potential efforts to improve the curation of access to existing data. New data developed from the projects will be transferred as appropriate to the United States Nuclear Data Program, which acts as a central clearinghouse for nuclear data used by both science and industry.

Grants of up to USD1 million per year will be made to university and national laboratory applicants and will be awarded competitively, based on peer review.

A DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement has been issued by DOE's Office of Science.