The DOE is concerned about creating interest in young people towards the nuclear industry as half of the current worker force in the nuclear field will be of retirement age within a span of 10 years. This creates a large void in talent and work force that the DOE is hoping to begin filling now.

The DOE elected to not release other details concerning the grants received by schools.

The grant received by the DOE at ASU is one of several grants that ASU has been awarded in recent months by the DOE. In April the DOE awarded ASU a $14 million grant for the development of the Energy Frontier Research Center. The center will be responsible for the study of solar energy that will lead to the production of hydrogen fuel from water.

The Energy Frontier Research Center is expected to conduct experiments in to using photosynthesis to oxidize water which will ultimately lead to hydrogen. This center is only one of more than 45 centers the DOE has created for the purpose of energy research. The center at ASU will be lead by Professor Gust who is a chemistry professor at ASU.

The center at ASU is a direct result of President Obama's stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The goal of the act is to provide jobs for students, under and post graduate as well as post doctoral associates.