National Materials Program: Goals and Priorities

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Organization of Agreement States (OAS) Board will collaborate on an annual basis to set National Materials Program (NMP) goals and priorities, which are consistent with the mission and objectives of the NMP, as facilitated by the NMP Champions. The NRC and the OAS Board will determine the process and timing for the establishment and communication of the annual NMP goals and priorities. In conjunction with the development of the annual NMP goals and priorities, the NRC and the OAS Board will review and revise, as needed, the NMP activities that are tracked and monitored, and the quality measures used to measure NMP performance.

On this page:

• 2021 – 2022 National Materials Program (NMP) Priorities
• Summary of Activities on 2020 - 2021 NMP Priorities

2021 – 2022 National Materials Program (NMP) Priorities

Innovation

• RiskSmart Initiatives: apply innovative approaches through risk-informed decision making and by focusing on the most safety-significant aspects in the following areas:
  • IMPEP – revising SA-100 to make the IMPEP process more risk-informed, enhance communication between members of the NMP, and make better use of technology.
  • Inspection Program (IMC 2800 Phase 3) – continue to risk-inform inspection program through IMC 2800 Phase 3 working group; look for opportunities to enhance communication on inspection and enforcement findings among NMP partners.
  • Program Elements – risk-inform time period for adoption of program elements (including regulations)

Risk

• COVID-19 Activities: continue to share lessons learned and reestablish on-site oversight activities as restrictions are eased
• Emergent Technical issues – continue to partner on fusion energy systems, extravasations, and other emerging issues as needed

Technology

• State Communication Portal (SCP): work together to update and redesign the SCP that will promote timely, transparent, and open government to government interactions across the NMP. The focus will be in two areas:
  • Deploy an interactive platform to enhance communication across the NMP; and
  • Redesign the SCP to update and enhance assess to State and tribal information.
• WBL – continue to make continuous improvements to support the NMP’s licensing and inspection capabilities and encourage Agreement State participation.

People

• Training – continue to provide technical training courses to ensure sufficient numbers of qualified inspection and license reviewers for all members of the NMP
• Recruiting and Retaining – built on identified initiatives and actions that NMP leaders can take to keep trained staff in careers with the government

• Centers of Excellence
  • Launch sustainable centers of excellence on Sealed Source and Device Evaluation and Dose Assessment; and
  • Continue to identify new centers to support the mission of the NMP.

NMP Mission

• NMP performance metrics – deploy metrics on the SCP that shows the ability of the NMP to meet its mission

Summary of Activities on 2020 - 2021 NMP Priorities

1. IMPEP - create new vision in the context of the NMP, the NRC-Agreement State partnership, modern risk-informed regulators, and NRC's oversight responsibilities under the AEA
   • Status: The Champion Chat held on February 24, 2021 addressed this subject, with four presentations and subsequent discussion. Currently reviewing SA-100 to identify potential changes to make IMPEP more risk-informed, enhance communication between member of the NMP, and better use of technology.
2. Centers of Excellence - develop structure and provide resources to make them sustainable; identify new centers as needed
   • Status: Emerging medical technology standing committee chartered as a center of excellence. Have identified two additional centers: SSD (charter drafted); event evaluation and dose assessment
3. Training - evaluate and address Agreement States training needs
   • Status: Monthly updates at the NRC/OAS/CRCPD call; expanded access to on-line NRC training courses to non-RAM State employees
4. NMP performance metrics - identify metrics to track the ability of the NMP to meet its mission
   • Status: Discussed use of IMPEP results as indicators; worked with MSST Technical Assistant on presenting IMPEP data in support of metric strategy
5. COVID-19 Activities - reestablishing and coordinating routine activities
   • Status: Held multiple Champion Chats on the impact of COVID on NMP activities which included sharing information on various methods of conducting inspections and incident response.
6. NMP Communication Platform - develop platform (similar to RADRAP) to enhance communication across the NMP
   • Status: Communication platform will part of revised SCP to be deployed later in 2021. MSST staff has had multiple discussions with IT contractor. Interim solution will deploy with revised SCP in summer 2021. The SCP is also undergoing redesign to update information and provide better to access to State and tribal information
7. Guidance on Technical issues - establish working groups to address high priority technical issues as needed
   • Status: Currently addressing fusion energy systems through working group, government-to-government meetings, and coordination with CRCPD on new working group (E-47). Extravasations addressed through government-to-government meeting and Agreement State input on NRC draft licensing guidance. In response to Advisory Committee on Medical Use of Isotopes recommendation, NRC and OAS working on collecting information on patient waste with the NMP community
8. Risk-inform Program Elements - revisit time period for adoption of program elements (including regulations) and identify specific regulatory activities of low-risk that could be shed
   • Status: No action taken at this time
9. WBL - review commitments and encourage Agreement State participation
   • Status: The Web Based Licensing Project Manager provides monthly updates at NRC/OAS/CRCPD call. Over last year, more Agreement States have either deployed WBL or working toward implementation. Increased participation at monthly WBL user group and attention to State needs/concerns.
10. IMC 2800 and Enforcement - enhanced communication on inspection and enforcement findings
    • Status: Champion Chat held on October 22, 2020 discussed and obtained feedback from the NMP community on ways to enhanced communication on enforcement, inspection findings and reciprocity. This information will be folded into the activities of Phase 3 Inspection Program Working Group that is revising all NRC inspection procedures to risk-inform the materials inspection program.
11. Recruiting and Retaining - what initiatives or actions can NMP leaders take to keep trained staff in careers with the government
    • Status: On March 2, 2021 MSST Deputy Director hosted an agency-wide meeting to discuss ways to recruit and retain health physicists. NRC, the OAS Board, and the CRCPD Chair-Elect strategized on approaches to this topic and committed to continue to work on specific actions that were identified.