UGA Research Institute
Strategic Partnership with Savannah River National Laboratory
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)
- SRNL is the nation’s leading research and development center for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management and Office of Legacy Management.
- SRNL continues to serve a critical role for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in both weapons and nonproliferation programs.
- SRNL provides integrated technical solutions that are both modern and practical to address complex technical challenges of environmental cleanup and national security mission needs.
- On a day-to-day basis, SRNL works with faculty members and students on cooperative projects across a wide spectrum of scientific inquiry.
SRNL and UGA have a history of partnering to solve big problems, sustain and engage a future workforce, and accelerate the adoption of new technology. The research partnership allows UGA faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students the opportunity to collaborate with researchers and leverage SRNL capabilities. UGA shares in SRNL’s pursuits of practical science-based tools that address some of the nation’s most challenging problems.
Partnership Intersection
- Environmental Remediation
- Separation Science
- Radiochemistry and Actinide Science
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Decarbonizing Manufacturing and/or Energy Production
- National Strategies for Cyber Security
- Nonproliferation/National Security
- Hydrogen and Tritium Technologies
Research Opportunities Include
- Developing innovations in sensing, characterization, and data analytics/machine learning to advance environmental remediation and addressing our national security needs
- Developing innovative technologies and models to treat and safely store nuclear waste
- Identifying novel approaches to maintain aging infrastructure exposed to extreme conditions
- Forging solutions that enable global security and stability
- Leveraging transformative technologies to address emerging challenges
- Designing engineering solutions that enable global energy and economic security and stability
UGARI’s Role
UGARI-Savannah River Center facilitates research for UGA faculty and enhance student development through collaborations supporting the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) mission for the Department of Energy (DOE). Strategic assets available through UGARI as investments in these collaboratives include:
Joint UGA/SRNL Appointments for Faculty
SRNL offers joint appointments to faculty and staff who are actively collaborating with SRNL research staff. The appointment is a recognition of individuals who are consistently engaged with SRNL in meaningful collaborations.
A joint appointment can further the collaborative experience between faculty and SRNL staff, spurring additional collaborative opportunities. Collaborative opportunities include, but are not limited to, development of joint proposals, publication of peer-reviewed journal articles, and engagement with students in the laboratory environment.
At the establishment of a joint appointment, the collaborative scope is identified along with technical and management points of contact at the laboratory.
Joint appointments are renewed upon demonstration of continued meaningful collaboration with SRNL staff to further the mission needs of the Department of Energy.
For more information on joint appointments and other collaborative opportunities at SRNL, please email Daniel.kaplan@uga.edu.
Student/Postdoc Opportunities
SRNL hosts educational internships based on specific university/academic research programs aligned with SRNL’s core research competencies. Targeted proposal awards, federal research programs or other external initiatives fund these internships and supporting work. Undergraduate and graduate internships focus on research in the primary areas of national and global security, environmental stewardship, and science and technology.
Internship positions are available for undergraduate students to explore career options and experience a learning environment at a national laboratory. Supplemental opportunities to develop students along their educational path are available including education on resume writing, technical reference identification, scientific publication process, and science communication. Summer internships are commonly first announced in the preceding January: SRNL Summer Internships
Specific opportunities include the Office of Science Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program. SRNL welcomes candidates from Georgia Tech to apply through the Office of Science application system.
Graduate student internship opportunities aligned with graduate student research may be supported. SRNL encourages advisors and graduate students to work with SRNL research staff to identify opportunities to leverage the unique capabilities and instrumentation of SRNL to further academic research. Opportunities may coincide with the academic calendar and be based on individual project needs.
Specific opportunities include the Office of Science Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program.
SRNL fosters postdoctoral researchers to develop their technical skillsets. SRNL provides postdoctoral researchers an exciting learning environment to develop into the next generation of professional scientists and engineers, explore basic science and the unknown, and make impactful discoveries. Postdoctoral researchers work alongside experienced research staff, applying exceptional critical thinking and data-analysis skills to develop advanced scientific ideas.
Applicants must be capable of assessing technical challenges and developing thoughtful, creative solutions. Effectively communicating technical results, as well as demonstrating the potential to generate new ideas and convert them into future programs, is vital to success at a national laboratory.
Postdoctoral research positions are appointed annually, with the majority of individuals enrolled in the program for a two-year period. These positions can be renewed for up to three years. Publication of impactful research efforts is expected.
Distinguished and named postdoctoral research fellow positions are available, such as the SRNL Eisenhower Postdoctoral Fellowship (ncsu.edu)
Learn More about SRNL: Savannah River National Laboratory Homepage (doe.gov)