"Analysis points to ways engineering strategies could be reimagined to minimize delays and other unanticipated expenses."
(from comments below).
The two quoted authors in the press release are a prof in energy studies and a nuclear engineer.
What I notice is that MIT does not have a Systems Engineering undergraduate department, but numerous specialties.
In a large design/build project such as a nuclear power plant, the systems engineering group (there must be exactly one) keeps track of the performance and function of each of the subsystems (civil works like containment, basements, buildings; electrical; controls; HVAC; the nuclear bits; and so on). In addition, it is the system engineering group that responds (or directs responses) to a change order request, and the overall impact on expense, on functionality/reliability/safety, and schedule.
It seems these are responsibilities that are not identified here with a known role; instead the authors reinvent system engineering for themselves.
There is a lot of SE work done in numerous industries (Elon Musk is what I would call a systems engineer, based on how he identifies things to do and how he gets them done. His degree is not in SE though).
A short list of US universities offer SE or related disciplines; in California/New York/Illinois. MIT is not one: it has a research group not a degree-granting program.
References:
https://www.incose.org/ The International Council of System Engineering. Has published a handbook in numerous editions over the years.
https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/nasa-systems-engineering... First published 1995, based on other reports published in the 1960s.
MILSTD 499, 1970s, very dated by today's standards