The 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.

Aims and Purpose

Our purpose is to provide leading edge and innovative research to support the safe operation of current and future generation nuclear systems. This centre builds on the advantages of our existing strategic alliances with EDF-Energy, Rolls-Royce and AWE; the firm plans for new nuclear build in the South of England; our geographical focus on nuclear research and the co-location of key nuclear stakeholders in the region. The centre provides a highly professional team of scientists, engineers and external experts in the South of England that underpins future developments in nuclear safety and economic operation, seeks to ensure continuity of the nuclear community and safeguard the expert knowledge base, and importantly provides leading edge research to support the nuclear business community.

The history of the two universities in working to advance fundamental understanding and the applications of nuclear research is the key to the NRC contribution to Industry, Government and the Research Community.

It is based on the collective experience of a large, research active community at the two institutions with direct experience of the nuclear sector:

• helping to solve problems in the operation of nuclear facilities
• advancing the thinking on technical operations and future research needs
• building a strong platform of pre-eminent world class researchers in nuclear research
• providing access to geographically accessible, world class research facilities and expertise relevant to the nuclear sector developing the advanced skills needed for those who will work in the nuclear facilities of the future
• responding to needs in an effective, professional way in partnership with Industry, Government and the wider nuclear Research Community
• cost effective research that adds value to the operation of nuclear facilities
• a research platform to help government and the regulatory authorities develop policy and make informed decisions ensuring the UK has a strong nuclear research sector in the South and South West of England
• maintaining the UK's reputation for the quality of its international research, partnerships and competitiveness in the nuclear sector.

 

A Community of over 100 Key Research Personnel in Nuclear Research

The centre assembles underpinning research groups at 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.

As well as our research focus we will be developing new researchers, capturing, sustaining and transferring skills related to the safe and extended operation of current and future nuclear systems and facilitating, via a neutral network environment, discussion on all aspects of nuclear futures.