The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy awarded the first 13 Nuclear Science User Facilities Super Rapid Turnaround Experiment (Super RTE) projects. Each project supports the advancement of nuclear energy.

The 2024 Super RTE awards, totaling approximately $1.8 million, were granted to seven principal investigators from universities, one principal investigator from industry and five scientists from national laboratories.

The Super RTE, which opened for the first time April 1, is a user access award process that offers an avenue for researchers to perform a broader scope of irradiation effects studies (i.e., more samples and more access time at Nuclear Science User Facilities partner institutions) than the traditional RTE award process. Super RTE projects must be completed within 12 months of the award.

The 2024 Super RTEs covered a wide range of topics to further post-irradiation knowledge of nuclear materials. Of the 13 Super RTE projects awarded, eight are focused on fuels or structural materials for the next generation of reactors, and five of the projects focus on materials for the current reactor fleet.

All experiments will look at various properties of materials that have undergone irradiation at various reactors, doses, temperatures, times and manufacturing methods. Researchers will characterize those samples using mechanical testing, microstructural analysis and various microscopy techniques.

Super RTE proposals are expected to be solicited and awarded annually. Like traditional RTE proposals, they will be reviewed and evaluated for technical merit, relevancy and feasibility. The number of awards depends on the availability of funding. The Super RTE Technical Review Process provides further explanation of the review process. Proposals must support the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy mission. 

FY24 Super Rapid Turnaround Experiment award recipients