The current state of the art in neutron detection is not suitable for field applications. Michigan Aerospace Corporation, in collaboration with Professor James Ryan and his group at the University of New Hampshire, is developing a lightweight neutron spectroscope called NSPECT. NSPECT is sensitive to neutrons in the 0.5 to 10 MeV energy range, and has a response time suitable for identification of nuclear materials of interest, both in passive and active interrogation modes. A version of this instrument, capable of detecting both neutrons and gamma rays, will be specifically designed for first responders. The image below shows the detector portion of an NSPECT unit.