Dr. Mihai A. Diaconeasa of the PRA Group is one the 2023 recipients of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Distinguished Early Career Award. The Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) is the Office of Nuclear Energy’s (NE) most prestigious award for faculty members beginning their independent careers. The intent of the program is to invest in the innovative research and education programs of outstanding early career university faculty poised to pave new lines of inquiry and advance mission critical research directions in nuclear energy.
Focus of projects is placed on an integrated, clear research and education plan that highlights research and educational strengths to support the development of the faculty member, research infrastructure, curriculum, and research outcomes that will advance research focus while training the next generation of nuclear energy professionals. This integrated path will lead to a successful career as an outstanding researcher, educator, and contributor to the broader nuclear energy community.
His research on“The Application of Dynamic PRA to Revolutionize the PRA Model Development during the Design, Licensing, and Maintenance Activities of Current LWRs and Advanced Reactors” will demonstrate the way dynamic PRA insights can be used to rethink how we can address the completeness problem of the PRA models during the design, licensing, and maintenance activities of current LWRs and advanced reactors by including dynamics observed during actual operating events.
More than $3.1 million was awarded through the U.S. DOE Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) to support five distinguished early career faculty in five states.