Purpose:
The annual scholarship assists students pursuing science and engineering degrees that support work conducted in the fields of nuclear technology and nuclear waste cleanup and science disciplines that support those fields. Scholarship amount that will be awarded is $10,000.
2025 Winner- Zachary Gardiner (USC)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (CNTA) and Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC) have announced University of South Carolina (USC) student Zachary Gardiner as the winner of the 2025 SRMC Science Scholarship.
The $10,000 scholarship is sponsored by SRMC, the liquid waste contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Gardiner, a senior from Hummelstown, PA, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at USC in chemical engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering, energy concentration. CNTA Executive Director Allison Hamilton Molnar said CNTA is proud to award this scholarship to such a deserving student.
“Zachary is an exceptional student who understands nuclear and all that it can do to improve our world,” Hamilton Molnar said. “CNTA is pleased to present him with financial support to continue his education. No doubt he will be an exemplary addition to the nuclear industry’s future.”
This past school year, Gardiner served as the vice president of the American Nuclear Society student chapter at USC, as well as the president of the American Chemical Society student chapter.
Through these positions, he said he was able to discuss ways to connect students with nuclear industry professionals, as well as how to conduct educational outreach programs to explain the positives of nuclear energy in the world today.
In his studies at USC, he conducted research by contributing to, growing, and obtaining data in support of the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database, a joint project between USC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to develop an easily accessible database that assists in modeling nuclear fuel behavior and interaction at various temperatures and concentrations in a molten salt reactor.
Following assisting in this project, he conducted more experimental thermodynamic measurements in the laboratory supporting molten salt corrosion and phase behavior research for projects with multiple DOE laboratories.
Over the Summer of 2025, he participated in an internship program at the Savannah River National Laboratory working in the Hydrogen Isotope group on tritium technology.
Gardiner’s career goal is to obtain a degree in chemical engineering, and to enter a nuclear engineering or related PhD program. He added that he wants to obtain a PhD so that he might be able to work in nuclear-related research following graduation, whether at a DOE laboratory, a university, or in the industry.
Award Eligibility:
Candidate must be enrolled as a junior or senior in the fall of 2025 at a university or college within the states of South Carolina or Georgia.
Candidate must have at least a “B” average overall grade and a “B” average in science/engineering and mathematics for college level course work.
Candidate must be pursuing a B.S. degree in nuclear science, nuclear engineering, an engineering or science discipline that supports work conducted in the fields of nuclear technology and nuclear waste cleanup and science. Examples include: nuclear applications associated with chemistry or chemical engineering, environmental science or environmental engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, etc. The candidate may also demonstrate their interest and involvement in the nuclear field by describing a summer research project or their junior/senior thesis topic. (see page 3 on application)
Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen.
Application Process
The application (including transcripts, letter of recommendation, and answers to questions on page 3 of the application) must be received by Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, Inc. (CNTA) by July 31, 2025.
Application sent via email is preferred.
Application Materials
2025 SRMC Science Scholarship Application has information on the award, the process, & the information students must send to office@cntaware.org by July 31st
Financial Need
Financial need will be considered. The candidate may submit evidence of unmet need as part of the application.