Facility Exchange Program for Early- to Mid-Career Safeguards Professionals

There are a number of early- to mid-career professionals working at US national laboratories on international safeguards projects who have little to no experience in operating nuclear facilities. This lack of operational plant experience limits their ability to fully apply their knowledge and expertise to existing measurement challenges, propose effective solutions to newly identified issues, and effectively contribute to proposal calls. Conversely, there are mid-career professionals who have years of hands-on experience in operating production plants in areas directly relevant to international safeguards (e.g., nuclear material accounting and control) but who have little exposure to international safeguards programs. To address these shortcomings and encourage mutual professional development, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)/Y-12 National Security Complex Exchange Project was piloted. The goal of this project is to facilitate an exchange of ideas, information, and viewpoints among early- to mid-career staff at ORNL and Y-12. The opportunity to engage with and observe operations at Y-12 provides ORNL staff with a new perspective on domestic safeguards and strengthens their understanding of domestic reporting, whereas staff from Y-12 gain a better understanding of international safeguards efforts and how they might contribute to international safeguards and nonproliferation programs. This paper highlights the realized benefits and success of this exchange, as well as the challenges that were overcome to foster a meaningful exchange.