Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 249 8 Idaho National Laboratory views a robust postdoctoral program as essential to its future. The engagement of early career research talent is critical to the success of INL’s mission areas. In 2016, the program received 952 applications and grew 28 percent, added its first distinguished postdoctoral fellowship program and implemented several enrichment activities. Postdoctoral appointments provide hands-on research and development experience under the supervision of qualified mentors, opening the way to research independence. While enhancing the quality of the INL workforce, the work done by postdoctoral researchers advances the lab’s missions in the fields of nuclear energy, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity and clean energy innovation. By performing in a rich science and technology environment and presenting and publishing research, postdocs contribute to the overall research efforts of the laboratory. BY THE NUMBERS INL’s 41 postdoctoral researchers were in the following areas in 2016: Postdoctoral RESEARCHERS RUSSELL L. HEATH POSTDOC APPOINTMENT The Russell L. Heath postdoctoral appointment has been established to attract, recruit, develop and inspire early-career researchers who have the potential to develop into INL’s future scientific and technical leaders. It is named after Dr. Russell L. Heath, who came to the Atomic Energy Commission’s National Reactor Testing Station in 1952, and gained an international reputation as the “Father of Gamma Ray Spectrometry.” The national laboratory now called INL has its roots in AEC’s NRTS, which came to eastern Idaho in 1949. These appointments are highly competitive and are intended to recognize and provide associates with an academic honor, research experience, mentorship, and training to develop their capabilities. Idaho National Laboratory in 2016 named Dr. Cheng Sun as its first honoree under the newly established Russell L. Heath Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate Program. This was INL’s first distinguished postdoctoral appointment, and more are expected. Dr. Sun came to INL in September from Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he had been a postdoctoral associate since May 2013. He holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Texas A&M University. His research areas include advanced structural materials, nanostructured materials, and mechanical property relationships of materials in extreme conditions such as high temperature and high flux. “We have high hopes for all of our postdoctoral appointments and believe we are going to see great things from our first distinguished postdoc, Dr. Sun,” said INL Director Mark Peters. “ This marks the beginning of a new adventure for INL, one we anticipate brings even greater attention to our reputation for outstanding science and innovation.” — Mark Peters, INL Director Engineering Analysis Materials & Fuels Complex National & Homeland Security 18 17 3 2 1 Energy Environment Science &Technology Nuclear Science &Technology Russell L Heath NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO INL’S POSTDOC PROGRAM 952