HISTORY
The Nuclear Radiation Center at Washington State University was established in 1961 as an all-university facility to provide an on-campus nuclear reactor and to
provide facilities for nuclear related educational and research programs for the entire campus. The facility was initially financed by a $300,000 matching-fund grant
from the National Science Foundation. Funds to purchase the first fuel for the nuclear reactor were provided by means of a $32,000 US Atomic Energy Commission
grant. In about 1963 an additional grant for $110,000 was obtained from the AEC to purchase laboratory equipment for the Nuclear Radiation Center. The total capital
investment in the facility, reactor, and laboratory equipment up to 1965 amounted to $850,000 of which $408,000 was provided by the State of Washington.
In 1966 the initial 100 KW plate-type fueled nuclear reactor at the Nuclear Radiation Center was upgraded to a 1,000 KW TRIGA-type reactor with a pulsing
capability. Funds for the conversion were provided by a $135,000 grant from the US Atomic Energy Commission and a $100,000 grant from the National Science
Foundation. During the period 1967 to 1970 the AEC provided $561,700 in fuel support for the operation of the WSU TRIGA reactor under the AEC University
Reactor Fuel Assistance Program.
In 1969 the Nuclear Radiation Center facilities were increased from 7,000 square feet to 13,000 square feet of laboratory space with the aid of a $40,000 National
Science Foundation matching funds grant. In 1975 the WSU TRIGA reactor core was partially upgraded to a new type of long lived reactor fuel (FLIP) with $72,000
in funds from the US Atomic Energy Commission. The upgrading was completed in 1978 with an additional $182,000 for FLIP fuel from the US Department of
Energy.
At present, the Nuclear Radiation Center is a specialized research center that is part of the Office of Research. This administrative structure has been successful in
promoting interaction between the NRC and the University. In many universities such broad interaction has not occurred because of the association of the reactor with
one department, usually nuclear engineering.
The Nuclear Radiation Center contributes to the university through the research programs at the Center and graduate education with over 30 thesis projects having
been completed at the Center in the past 20 years. Direct educational support to the university is provided by undergraduate and graduate courses that involve the use
of the facilities at the Center. On the average, six to ten courses annually use the Centers unique facilities. Regionally the Center has, through the federally funded
Reactor Sharing Program, made the facilities at the Center available to numerous other colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest.
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