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August 29,  2016
OPPORTUNITIES
New Opportuntities at the Applied Nuclear Physics (ANP) Lab
at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Berkeley, CA

The Applied Nuclear Physics program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has several exciting opportunities available. Click on each position title to learn more about the position and apply.

Track Scientist who will be responsible for development of radiation detection technologies, specifically in gamma-ray detection and imaging employing semiconductor and scintillation detectors. Your work will be embedded in ongoing efforts at the Applied Nuclear Physics Program within the Nuclear Science Division at LBNL in close association with projects in the Nuclear Engineering and the Physics Departments at UC Berkeley. 
Advanced degree (i.e., PhD) is required.
The posting shall remain open until the position is filled.

This position will develop a framework for the simulation and analysis of highly distributed networks of radiation detectors and contribute to the development of advanced data analysis algorithms.
PhD is required. 
The posting shall remain open until the position is filled, however for full consideration, please apply by close of business on August 10, 2016.
 
Scientific Engineering Associate #1
This position will develop a framework for the simulation and analysis of highly distributed networks of radiation detectors and contribute to the development of advanced data analysis algorithms.
All degree levels are encouraged to apply: Bachelor, Master, PhD.
The posting shall remain open until the position is filled, however for full consideration, please apply by close of business on August 10, 2016.
 
This position will develop data acquisition systems and real-time analysis frameworks for systems that fuse radiation data with data from contextual sensors, including video and LIDAR.
All degree levels are encouraged to apply: Bachelor, Master, PhD.
The posting shall remain open until the position is filled, however for full consideration, please apply by close of business on September 26, 2016. 

Doreen and Jim McElvany Nonproliferation Challenge
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and the Nonproliferation Review
Deadline: September 9th, 2016

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) and its journal, the Nonproliferation Review, want to spur new thinking, specific recommendations, and policy initiatives in the nonproliferation and disarmament field. We'll publish the most outstanding new ideas and proposals and award a grand prize of $10,000, as well as a $2,000 runner's up prize.
 
This year's contest is open to those enrolled in a master's or doctoral program, or who have received their graduate or PhD degree no more than five years prior to the contest deadline.

Visit here  to learn more and apply.

Call for Proposals for FY17-18 Funding
PASCC, BAA
Deadline: September 9, 2016 

The Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (PASCC) is now accepting project submissions in response to its Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

PASCC will select a number of proposals for research and dialogues for FY16-17 funding. We are particularly interested in proposals for research on the following topics:

  *   Proliferation of WMD/WME (defined to include nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as other high-casualty or high-disruption weapons that might have "strategic" effects)
  *   Future technologies of mass effect
  *   WMD/WME employment methodologies and delivery systems
  *   Management, prevention, and response mechanisms/regimes
  *   Multi-domain threats to strategic stability

Please note that PASCC does not fund training or studies aimed at the development of new technologies. Issues related to conventional forms of terrorism and topics whose primary focus is on cyber security are also outside of its purview.

Detailed instructions for submitting white papers are included in the two BAAs available at grants.gov 
If you have questions about the BAA or the application process, 
please email:  10CONS.PASCC@us.af.mil
THE UNITED STATES
Should America Be The First To Use Nuclear Weapons, Again?
James Conca, Forbes
August 26, 2016 

Donald Trump has done what most candidates dread doing - bringing nuclear weapons into the public discourse. Of course, he did it accidentally out of basic ignorance, but the issue has now leapt to the forefront of many discussions.

      Read more

Battelle Contract Renewed to Operate Pacific Northwest Laboratory
David Kramer, Scitation
August 23, 2016 

The Department of Energy has granted the Battelle Memorial Institute another five years to manage the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Battelle, the world's largest nonprofit research and development organization, has operated the facility in Richland, Washington, since 1965.

      Read more
CHINA
US Accuses China General Nuclear Power Corp of Pushing American Experts for Nuclear Secrets
August 26, 2016 

A state-owned Chinese power company under indictment in the US pressed American nuclear consultants for years to hand over secret technologies and documents they weren't supposed to disclose -- and in some cases it got them, several of the consultants have told the FBI. 

      Read more

Here Comes a New Chinese Export: Nuclear Reactors
August 24, 2016 

On a seaside field south of Shanghai, workers are constructing a nuclear reactor that's the flagship for Beijing's ambition to compete with the U.S., France and Russia as an exporter of atomic power technology.  The Hualong One, developed by two state-owned companies, is one multibillion-dollar facet of the Communist Party's aspirations to transform China into a creator of profitable technology from mobile phones to genetics.

      Read more
NUCLEAR POWER
New Study Casts Doubt on the Future of Nuclear Power
 Andrea Germanos, EcoWatch
August 23, 2016 

While it's been touted by some energy experts as a so-called "bridge" to help slash carbon emissions, a new study suggests that a commitment to nuclear power may in fact be a path towards climate failure.  For their study, researchers at the University of Sussex and the Vienna School of International Studies grouped European countries by levels of nuclear energy usage and plans, and compared their progress with part of the European Union's 2020 Strategy.
        

Nuclear Energy and Path Dependence in Europe's 'Energy Union': Coherence or Continued Divergence?
 Andrew Lawrence, Climate Policy
July 1, 2016 

Since its initial adoption, the EU's 2020 Strategy - to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increase the share of renewable energy to at least 20% of consumption, and achieve energy savings of 20% or more by 2020 - has witnessed substantial albeit uneven progress. This article addresses the question of what role nuclear power generation has played, and can or should play in future, towards attaining the EU 2020 Strategy, particularly with reference to decreasing emissions and increasing renewables. It also explores the persistent diversity in energy strategies among member states.   
       
ARMS CONTROL AND DETERRENCE
Time May Be Right for a Northeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
 Chung-in Moon, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
August 25, 2016 

In July, Seoul agreed to US deployment in South Korea of a missile defense system known as Terminal High Altitude Area Defense  (THAAD). The decision precipitated fierce resistance from opposition political parties as well as the Chinese government. Members of opposition parties demanded that the government immediately reverse its decision and enter into consultations with the National Assembly. China urged that deployment be suspended and warned of retaliatory measures. But President Park Geun-hye flatly rejected these demands, reaffirming her position that North Korea's mounting nuclear and missile threats leave no alternative to deployment of THAAD.
        

Missile Proliferation: Treat the Disease
Sitki Egeli, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
August 22, 2016 

In discussions of export controls, proliferators are usually the focus. But maybe the focus should fall instead on the hypocrisy of states that set the rules.
       

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