Schumer Announces $600K in Federal Funds for Brookhaven National Laboratory to Support Nuclear Research

Press Release

United States Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that Brookhaven National Laboratory, in a partnership with Rutgers University, won a $990,000 Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Grant from the Department of Energy (DOE). Brookhaven National Lab will receive $600,000, or 60% of the funding, and Rutgers University will receive $390,000, or 40% of the funding. Brookhaven National Lab is set to receive payments of $200,000 over three years to fund its research. The grant is part of the Department of Energy's focus on restarting the United States' nuclear energy program, and will support research at Brookhaven on nuclear energy efficiency.

"This is a win for Long Island, and a win for the country's energy future," continued Schumer. "With this grant, the Brookhaven National Lab will be able to continue developing its cutting-edge energy research and sustain high-paying jobs on Long Island."

The grant comes from the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) program, which supports the development of crosscutting technologies that directly support and complement the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy's (DOE-NE) advanced reactor and fuel cycle concepts, focusing on innovative research that offers the promise of dramatically improved performance.

Specifically, this grant will enable Brookhaven National Laboratory, with support from Rutgers University, to research the effect of radiation on materials in extreme temperatures, which could increase efficiency in the production of electricity in advanced reactors. The grant falls under the nearly $13 million the DOE has recently invested in nuclear energy innovation projects.

Brookhaven National Laboratory, established in 1947 and located in Upton, Long Island, is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates for the United States Department of Energy. Brookhaven's staff of over 3,000 scientists, engineers and technicians specializes in nuclear physics research and has received an impressive six Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking work.

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