u/El_Grande_Papi

In a world where the funding opportunities still made any amount of sense, we would be preparing for the DOE SBIR FY2027 Phase 1 Release 1 topics to come out. Instead, the DOE SBIR FY2026 Phase 1 Release 1, Phase 2 Release 1, Phase 2 Release 1, and Phase 2 Release 2 due dates have all come and gone without anything ever being released from the program. Does anyone have any sort of guess or understanding as to when we can expect DOE SBIR to come back into existence?

I am looking to perform what is essentially a neutron radiation shielding study, and I am wanting to get some advice as to which simulation program is the best to use. In this study, I am looking to model how DT generated neutrons are attenuated by different shielding components. I have significant experience with other radiation transport simulators (Geant4), but have not used MCNP or OpenMC before. My pros and cons are essentially that while MCNP is the industry standard, it is export-controlled and, assuming I can get access (I believe I can), I would need to teach myself. OpenMC on the other hand is open source with a large community, meaning I believe it would be easier to pick up, but idk how it compares in terms of accuracy. Also, would one look significantly better on a resume? I am assuming MCNP would, but that's just a guess. Are there any other pros/cons that I am overlooking here? Thanks!