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Newsmakers

This year, NMT won funding for three Laboratory-directed research and development (LDRD) projects that began in FY95. The LDRD program, managed by the LDRD office in the STB Program Directorate, is designed to fund innovative research and development ideas. The LDRD program is divided into three areas: individual projects for fundamental research; program development, which identifies significant program development opportunities; and competency development, which strengthens Laboratory core competencies.

Two NMT proposals were recommended for funding in the program development category. Ken Chidester of NMT-9 is the principal investigator for the proposed work "Disposition of Weapons Plutonium as Non-Fertile Fuel for Light Water Reactors." Ken is also project leader of the newly established Plutonium Disposition Project and this LDRD funding will augment the fundamental research component of Ken's work. Nicholas Coppa of NMT-6 is the principal investigator for "Decontamination of Radioactive Liquids by Freeze Concentration and Fractional Precipitation" (see related article on page 4).

Barbara Cort of NMT-5 submitted a successful proposal, "Structural and Magnetic Characterization of Actinide Materials," that was recommended for competency development funding in the nuclear and advanced materials core competency area.

Mark Williamson of NMT-6 is expected to receive funding for half of his time in the Accelerator-Based Conversion Program. Also, K. C. Kim, Division LDRD point-of-contact, is working to secure additional funds from the LDRD reserve to support two to three small innovative research ideas.

Congratulations to all Division employees who worked on these successful proposals for LDRD funding!

Keith Axler, a staff member in NMT-6, has finished the thesis for his Ph.D. degree from the Colorado School of Mines. The title of Keith's thesis is Engineered Materials for Application in Severe Metallurgical Environments.

In response to a Newsbulletin request for top technical accomplishments during the year, NMT submitted a list of three ongoing projects: High Gradient Magnetic Separation, Open Architecture Machine Control System, and Low-Temperature and -Pressure Separation and Stablization of Radioactive Materials. These accomplishments will be included in the Newsbulletin's 1994 year-in-review article, scheduled for publication on January 6, 1995.


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