The U.S. Department of Energy awarded UW-Madison grants Tuesday totaling more than a $22 million for the Morgridge Institute for Research and for nuclear engineering research.
The Morgridge center will use its $20.6 million in grants to help develop a manufacturing plant for a chemical used for nuclear imaging that helps diagnose cardiac disease and cancer.
More specifically, the funding will support Morgridge Institute employees who will focus on the technical aspects of the project.
The other $2.6 million will help further UW-Madison nuclear engineering research, fellowships and facility upgrades.
While announcing the DOE awards, U.S. Secretary of Engineering Steven Chu said the grants were part of an effort to make college education more affordable.
“We must invest in the next generation of American scientists and engineers in order to fulfill our commitment to restarting America’s nuclear industry and making sure that America stays competitive in the 21st century,” he said.
Consistent with the grants’ goals, The Nuclear Engineering University Program gave three UW first-year nuclear engineering Ph.D. students fellowships. These student will each receive $50,000 annually for three years and a summer internship at a national laboratory.
