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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Judge temporarily blocks DOE’s move to slash university research funding
A group of universities led by the American Association of Universities (AAU) acted swiftly to oppose a policy action by the Department of Energy that would cut the funds it pays to universities for the indirect costs of research under DOE grants. The group filed suit Monday, April 14, challenging a what it termed a “flagrantly unlawful action” that could “devastate scientific research at America’s universities.”
By Wednesday, the U.S. District Court judge hearing the case issued a temporary restraining order effective nationwide, preventing the DOE from implementing the policy or terminating any existing grants.
Bob Coward is Principal Officer of MPR Associates (MPR), an international specialty engineering and technical services company. He is responsible for all aspects of MPR performance in all engineering areas and all business sectors. His career has focused on nuclear power plant design, evaluation, and development, with specific expertise in the areas of project management, safety analysis, and design and development of new nuclear power plants. A special skill is leading multi-organization and multi-discipline teams to achieve their mission and deliver excellence with a focus on collaboration and teamwork.
During his career at MPR, he has worked on over 100 electric generating plants throughout the world, including 58 of the 65 U.S. nuclear power plant sites, as well as others in Asia, Europe and Africa.
He is recognized as a key industry leader in the safe and reliable operation of the U.S. nuclear power fleet, participating on the NEI Nuclear Strategic Issues Advisory Committee and Supplier Advisory Committee. He has also had leadership roles on the EPRI Advanced Light Water Reactor Program, the Department of Energy NP2010 Program, and led the STP 3&4 project to construct two ABWRs at the STP site in Texas. He has held significant senior advisory roles in the preparation of the Design Certification submittal for the NuScale SMR design and the ABWR Design Certification renewal.
Coward has been a member of the American Nuclear Society since 2001, where he serves on the Nuclear Installations Safety Division and the Operations & Power Division
He graduated in 1983 with honors from Duke University with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer.
Read Nuclear News from July 2017 for more on Bob.
Last modified October 2, 2018, 10:59am CDT
