We are pleased to announce the launch of a new version of the Nuclear Science User Facilities websites. This update contains new features to improve collaboration and the proposal reviewer selection process, a complete overhaul and upgrade to the various search systems used to locate research and development data, and a new feature to allow result pages to be fully compatible with smaller resolution devices. 

Dynamic Keywords

To improve collaboration and the reviewer selection process, expertise keywords are now generated for each reviewer using publications and presentations they have associated with their user account through the profile system. These keywords are combined with the user-provided keywords to build a set of terms that reflect research publications for each account.

Keywords displayed in 'word clouds' located on the Nuclear Energy Researcher Database (NERD), Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database (NEID) Institution Researchers tab, and the Profile edit screens have also been extended to include generated keywords for researchers and make it easier to search by keyword, or select keywords for your profile when editing. 

Search Upgrades

A new combination search form has been added to the home page of the main NSUF website that will perform a full-text search of the Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database (NEID) for Facilities and Capabilities, and the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library (NFML) for both Projects and Samples. The search system has been heavily optimized to function incredibly fast, and search results are now filterable by type, device- and mobile-friendly, increased from a maximum of 50 results to a maximum of 500 results, and can be configured to display only NSUF partner facilities and capabilities, or all information from the NEID. In addition, the search engine now utilizes keywords and supports 'click-to-search' on displayed keywords to help refine search results.

The irradiated samples in the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library (NFML) can now be searched by irradiation conditions and/or keyword, using a newly designed form interface that will allow you to fine-tune values for Dose (DPA), Temperature (°C), and Fluence (n/cm²). If the form is submitted with no changes, the maximum amount of samples in the library will be returned, so the backend systems have been highly optimized to allow result pages to load nearly 7,000 samples within moments. Search results have been expanded to include the irradiation conditions for each sample and the current availability of the sample for research. 

The search forms for locating Institutions, Facilities, and Capabilities in the Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Database (NEID) have been improved so that selections made are persistent when the search is modified from the results page. Optimizations on the search processing have also greatly improved the speed and responsiveness of this search. 

Card View

One of the biggest challenges in producing a site that is mobile- and device-friendly, is data 'grids' that are too wide to collapse effectively down in width to be viewed on smaller resolution screens, like tablets or phones. With device sizes becoming smaller and smaller, and smart watches becoming more popular, this issue was becoming even more challenging. Our goal has been to provide web applications and systems that work for the widest possible audience, so we have developed a novel approach to convert wide data 'grids' into easily collapsible data 'cards'. 

This new viewing mode can be triggered by clicking a 'Change Views' button located to the side of the selection control that changes the amount of records to be displayed on the screen. The viewing mode is persistent for that page, and will be remembered on your next visit. The controls to search, sort, and filter data still work with the card view, and any links, buttons, or other interactive elements in a grid will work the same way when viewed as cards.

Card view is available now for all data pages in the NSUF website: Partner Facilities, Partner Institutions, Awarded Projects, Research Publications, Conference Presentations, and the Nuclear Fuels and Materials Library Search. Additional grids will be upgraded to support card view in future updates. 

 

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