Application and Review Process

Application

The application is meant to be as simple as possible while still providing reviewers with enough information to make informed decisions. An application consists of an online form and a nuclear-fuel-cycle-relevant publication submitted via email. The publication must have been published in a journal or presented at a conference, or have been accepted for publication or presentation, at the time of the application.

Papers will be evaluated to determine awards. All papers will be evaluated in each of the competitions for which they qualify. No student or paper may receive more than one award in each year.

Review

Publications will be reviewed in the following manner:

  • All eligible publications will be evaluated in the Open Competition.
  • Publications that do not receive an award in the Open Competition award will, if qualified, be evaluated in the Competition for Students who Attend Universities with Less Than $600 Million in 2020 R&D Expenditures. Students attending universities on this list are not eligible for this competition.
  • Publications that do not receive one of the above awards will, if submitted by an undergraduate, be evaluated in the Undergraduate Competition.

Evaluation Criteria

Publications will first be evaluated to determine that they are relevant to the nuclear fuel cycle. If deemed relevant, publications will then be evaluated using the following criteria:

  • Innovation (45%) – publication’s importance, novelty, impact, questions answered.
  • Communication Skills (25%) – student’s skill at disseminating research results; writing clarity.
  • Applicant’s Role in the Research (25%)
  • Quality of the Publication or Conference (5%)

Rules for Award Winners

Applicants must agree to abide by the Rules for Award Winners.


Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is midnight, Central Daylight Time, Sunday March 13, 2022.