U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Scholarship and Fellowship Program (77.008)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Scholarship and Fellowship Program (Assistance Listing 77.008) is run by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It awarded $69.3 million in 186 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $372,805 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $450,000. Half of the 186 awards fell between $399,209 and $500,000, and they ranged from $17,500 to $600,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$69.3 million
- Grant awards186
- Typical award$450,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$1.3 million
- Size rank920 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $19.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $1.3 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 920th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 66% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 34 states and territories.
What the program funds
The NRC UNLP grant program is currently on pause since the issuance of E.O. 14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025. The UNLP provides financial assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (including community colleges) and trade schools, to support nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines. The objective was to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities as well as the safe handling of nuclear materials. These goals are also being reviewed to determine if the UNLP can better utilize taxpayer resources by focusing on grants for scholarships with a concomitant service obligation to NRC or other nuclear or appropriate federal agency to leverage the UNLP investment. Lastly, the UNLP program provides funding to support research and development (R&D) for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. University R&D activities provide an opportunity to complement current, ongoing NRC-led research.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
For the prior year grants, accredited U.S. public and private Institutions of Higher Education. However, the grant program is currently on pause since the issuance of E.O. 14222 and pending the wholesale review of the UNLP policies, procedures and documents to comply with E.O. 14332, “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.” No new awards were made since January 2025, but previous existing grants remain open and are still active.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funds were managed by the awardee institution. Primary responsibility for general supervision of all grant activities rests with the grantee institution under the prior year awards. NRC is including oversight and accountability in the current wholesale review of the UNLP.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Award amounts range from $150,000.00 to $600,000.00 (depending on the program).
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Scholarship and Fellowship Program (77.008) awarded$69.3 million across 186 grant awards, an average of $372,805 per award.
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to colleges and universities.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 185 | $69.2 million | 100% |
| Other | 1 | $145,457 | 0.2% |
By state
24 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 11 | $4.5 million |
| Illinois | 10 | $4.4 million |
| Indiana | 10 | $4.4 million |
| Nevada | 9 | $4.2 million |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | $3.8 million |
| New York | 9 | $3.4 million |
| Ohio | 8 | $3.4 million |
| California | 8 | $3.1 million |
| North Carolina | 8 | $3.1 million |
| Massachusetts | 8 | $3.0 million |
| Florida | 9 | $2.9 million |
| Wisconsin | 7 | $2.7 million |
| Michigan | 6 | $2.5 million |
| South Carolina | 6 | $2.2 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $2.0 million |
| New Mexico | 4 | $2.0 million |
| Idaho | 7 | $1.9 million |
| Texas | 8 | $1.9 million |
| Alabama | 4 | $1.8 million |
| Oregon | 5 | $1.7 million |
| Kansas | 4 | $1.7 million |
| Missouri | 5 | $1.4 million |
| Georgia | 3 | $1.3 million |
| Maryland | 3 | $1.2 million |
| Connecticut | 2 | $899,995 |
| Tennessee | 3 | $852,286 |
| Wyoming | 1 | $600,000 |
| New Jersey | 3 | $553,002 |
| Washington | 2 | $516,349 |
| Maine | 1 | $500,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $500,000 |
| Utah | 1 | $418,624 |
| Louisiana | 3 | $224,468 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $86,807 |