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Charles Hendry, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, speaking at the opening of the Nuclear Research Centre

Charles Hendry, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, speaking at the opening of the Nuclear Research Centre Dave Pratt

Press release issued: 9 November 2011

A new Nuclear Research Centre, a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford, was officially opened yesterday [Tuesday 8 November].

A new Nuclear Research Centre was officially launched yesterday [Tuesday 8 November] and Charles Hendry, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, spoke at the opening.

The Nuclear Research Centre (NRC) is a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of Oxford, creating a centre of national and international importance in nuclear research.  

The centre aims to provide leading edge and innovative research to support the design and safe operation of current and future generations of nuclear systems.

A team of world-class scientists, engineers and external experts will support future developments in nuclear safety.  The centre will also build on existing partnerships with EDF Energy, Rolls-Royce and AWE.

Professor David Smith, Director of NRC Bristol and Professor of Engineering Materials at the University of Bristol, said: “With a community of over 100 world-class people in nuclear research the new centre will ensure the continuity of the nuclear community and safeguard expert knowledge.  The centre will also provide leading edge research to support the nuclear business community.”

Professor Chris Grovenor, Director of NRC Oxford and Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford, added: “We aspire to build on the complementary expertise in the two universities, and the breadth of our activities in nuclear science, engineering and social science, to make the NRC a serious contributor to assuring a nuclear future for the UK.”

The centre, which has three themes:  nuclear futures, advanced research and applied research, will focus on work for both fundamental research and allow emerging topics to be tackled.

The work of the two universities, to advance the fundamental understanding and applications of nuclear research, is key to the NRC’s future contribution to industry, government and the research community.

The centre is based on a large and active research community at the two universities with direct experience in areas of the nuclear sector, such as:

  • helping to solve problems in the operation of nuclear facilities;
  • advancing the thinking on technical operations and future research needs;
  • developing the skills needed for a new generation of scientists and engineers who will work in the nuclear facilities of the future;
  • a research platform to help government and the regulatory authorities develop policy and make informed technical decisions;
  • maintaining the UK’s reputation for the quality of its international research, partnerships and competitiveness in the nuclear sector.

As well as a research focus, the centre will develop new skills and provide high quality graduates and postdoctoral researchers for the future needs of UK industry.

 

Further information

[1] World Nuclear Association

Nuclear Research Centre
The NRC will bring together underpinning research groups at the Universities of Bristol and Oxford, involving the Safety Systems Research Centre in Civil Engineering at Bristol, Chemistry, Physics and Materials Research in the Oxford Division of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, the Oxford Martin School, and in the Bristol Faculty of Science and the Interface Analysis Centre, Mechanics of Materials and Structural Integrity, Seismic Research in the Departments of Engineering at Bristol and Oxford and expert groups in Social Science and Law examining social policy and public perceptions.

Charles Hendry, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wealden.

The Nuclear Research Centre is part of the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute. The institute seeks to address the challenges of the 21st century with environmental scientists, geographers, engineers, and law and social researchers, carrying out research on all aspects of global and environmental change, from basic science and social science to technological and policy solutions.

Please contact joanne.fryer@bristol.ac.uk for further information.
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