Education Projects

Students from MU currently enrolled at TAMU, along with Dr. Sunil Chirayath and Adam Hetzler

Collaborative Interactions with Indian Nuclear Institutions

The purpose of this project is to develop and plan collaborative interactions in consonance with the emerging US-India civil nuclear cooperation.

Screenshot from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Module

Development of Asynchronous Safeguards Education Modules at TAMU

Asynchronous educational tools for distance education provide an easily accessible path by which the safeguards community can disseminate information to other disciplines and aspiring safeguards experts. This effort will focus on converting three existing TAMU in-residence, safeguards-related courses into a form suitable for asynchronous use. A complete safeguards curriculum will also include course materials not currently offered at TAMU.

Development of International Safeguards Overview Modules

To increase awareness and elevate the overall nuclear material safeguards and security culture within the U.S., NSSPI will develop a series of independent/stand-alone overview modules on international safeguards and nuclear nonproliferation that will be intended for distribution to students in various fields of study as well as at other U.S. universities.

GTRI Nuclear Security Education Program Partner Institutions

Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Nuclear Security Education Program

Building on earlier efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, GTRI is working with Texas A&M University (TAMU), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Pennsylvania State University (PSU) to establish a sustainable Nuclear Security curriculum. The schools have worked together to develop syllabi and have divided up tasking to develop the classes. It is envisioned these courses will serve as a nuclear security specialization for a Master’s of Science degree or as a graduate certificate in nuclear security.

Students participating in hands-on training at ORNL in November 2009

Human Resource Development

As a premier educational institution, Texas A & M University and NSSPI are working with the U.S. Department of Energy, other U.S. universities, foreign government agencies and universities, private industry, and other international organizations such as the World Nuclear University and the International Atomic Energy Agency in helping to develop the next generation nuclear security and safeguards specialists to keep in line with the global nuclear renaissance. Starting in FY2010, this major project heading was subdivided into more descriptive initiatives.

Scene from a Safeguards Workshop for Chinese students and new professionals at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China

International Safeguards Educational Support

NSSPI collaborates with national laboratories to develop educational programs to train international students as next-generation safeguards specialists.

Multidisciplinary Policy-making Simulation: Response to Foreign Detonation of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)

Under the supervision of senior Texas A&M faculty, a group of International Affairs and Nuclear Engineering graduate students will undertake a focused examination of policy making in response to the detonation in a foreign country of a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD). Students would construct and supervise the initial “play” of a multi-stage simulation involving the following scenario: An RDD attack is carried out by terrorists in a country that is a member of the NATO alliance.

The first group of NSLP students from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory at the completion of their summer intelligence course in 2008.

National Security Leadership Program

The National Security Leadership Program was created as part of a collaboration between Texas A&M and Lawrence Livermore to provide key Livermore Lab personnel with advanced education in national security issues as part of a continuous workforce improvement and leadership enhancement initiative. NSLP is a joint program among Lawrence Livermore, the Bush School and the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M. This year-long, 12-credit-hour program includes courses, seminars and other activities leading to the awarding of a graduate certificate from Texas A&M. Throughout their year in the program, the participants are designated Fellows of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the Bush School.

A researcher at LLNL works with a flow-through chemical automation system (Photo Credit: LLNL)

Nuclear Forensics Education Program at TAMU

The threat of nuclear terrorism is greater today than at any time in the past. Nuclear forensics plays an important role in combating that threat. However, the field of nuclear forensics is in dire need of human capital to help feed the pipeline of technical experts that will work daily to protect the world from this threat.

TAMU, MEPhI, and IATE faculty and students at the RAP-NIS meeting in Switzerland in 2010

Russian Academic Program on Nonproliferation and International Security

This project is a collaboration between U.S., Russian, French, and Swiss partners to develop nuclear nonproliferation education programs in the U.S. and Russia

The campus at Texas A&M University

Safeguards Education Undergraduate Outreach

NSSPI will develop an undergraduate level course for engineering students at TAMU to learn about current nonproliferation issues and safeguarding nuclear material.

Students participating in a short course at ORNL in May 2010

Safeguards Experience in National and Commercial Facilities

This subtask will enable students participating in NSSPI’s safeguards and nonproliferation track at TAMU to augment their academic safeguards education with practical experience in real-world applications.

NSSPI Deputy Director Dr. David Boyle with a graduate of the GNEII pilot course in 2011

Support for the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute

The Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI), teamed with Sandia National Laboratories, is working with Middle East regional partners to jointly develop and operate the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII). Located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, GNEII is a Khalifa University institute housing a regional education program offering both classroom instruction and hands-on experience in topics related to nuclear energy safety, security, safeguards, and nonproliferation. GNEII is designed to (1) promote international interests in developing a nuclear energy security and safety culture, (2) increase collaboration between the nuclear energy security and safety communities, and (3) help to enhance global standards for nuclear energy technology in the Middle East.

Support to Summer Technical Safeguards Training Courses at LANL

NSSPI faculty are involved in designing and teaching summer courses at Los Alamos Nastional Laboratory as part of the NGSI Safeguards Summer Student Program.

The University of New Mexiso Main Campus

Support to the Safeguards Detector Training Laboratory at University of New Mexico.

NSSPI has been involved in the creation and expansion of the Safeguards Detector Training Laboratory at University of New Mexico.

Education Projects

Collaborative Interactions with Indian Nuclear Institutions

Development of Asynchronous Safeguards Education Modules at TAMU

Development of International Safeguards Overview Modules

Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Nuclear Security Education Program

Human Resource Development

International Safeguards Educational Support

Multidisciplinary Policy-making Simulation: Response to Foreign Detonation of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)

National Security Leadership Program

Nuclear Forensics Education Program at TAMU

Russian Academic Program on Nonproliferation and International Security

Safeguards Education Undergraduate Outreach

Safeguards Experience in National and Commercial Facilities

Support for the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute

Support to Summer Technical Safeguards Training Courses at LANL

Support to the Safeguards Detector Training Laboratory at University of New Mexico.

Education

Who Are We?

Education

Research

International Engagement

Nuclear Security Science
& Policy Institute

Education Projects

Collaborative Interactions with Indian Nuclear Institutions

Development of Asynchronous Safeguards Education Modules at TAMU

Development of International Safeguards Overview Modules

Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Nuclear Security Education Program

Human Resource Development

International Safeguards Educational Support

Multidisciplinary Policy-making Simulation: Response to Foreign Detonation of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)

National Security Leadership Program

Nuclear Forensics Education Program at TAMU

Russian Academic Program on Nonproliferation and International Security

Safeguards Education Undergraduate Outreach

Safeguards Experience in National and Commercial Facilities

Support for the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute

Support to Summer Technical Safeguards Training Courses at LANL

Support to the Safeguards Detector Training Laboratory at University of New Mexico.

Education

Who Are We?

Education

Research

International Engagement

Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute

Nuclear Security Science
& Policy Institute