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. Our purpose is to provide leading edge and innovative research to support the safe operation of current and future generation nuclear systems.
A Community of over 100 Key Research Personnel in Nuclear Research
The centre assembles underpinning research groups at Bristol and Oxford, including:
- Bristol Safety Systems Research Centre
- Oxford Chemistry, Physics and Materials
- Bristol Faculty of Science and the Interface Analysis Centre
- Oxford Martin School
- Mechanics of Materials and Structural Integrity, Seismic Research at Bristol and Oxford
- Social Science and Law examining social policy and public perceptions.
Research Themes
The centre focuses on work for both fundamental research and allow emergent topics to be addressed. The centre has the following themes:
Nuclear Futures
Modelling nuclear futures; new power systems; economic, social and environmental impact; sustainability and resilience; national and global policy; risk assessment; safety case management; nonproliferation strategies.
Advanced Research
Undertaking fundamental research in physics, materials including the nano-scale, chemistry, geo-sciences, engineering and exploring atomistic modelling, nuclear batteries, novel control and protection, smart sensors.
Applied Research
Focussed on current operational needs to ensure safe nuclear systems, lifetime extension, non-destructive testing, human factors and organisational safety, instrumentation obsolescence, waste disposal, new build digital systems assurance, system resilience, decommissioning, risk and uncertainty assessment.
People and Contacts
The NRC invites key stakeholders to arrange visits to its facilities and to meet the world class nuclear research community within the University of Oxford and the University of Bristol. The NRC adopts a partnership approach to the research it undertakes. There are always opportunities to discuss new partnerships.
Professor Tom Scott,
Hub and NRC Co-director, University of Bristol
Key to the NRC’s contribution to Industry, Government and the Research Community, is how the two universities are working together to advance fundamental understanding and the applications of nuclear research.
This collaboration is based on the collective experience of a large, research active community at the two institutions with direct experience of the nuclear sector.
Professor James Marrow,
NRC Co-director, University of Oxford
Since its establishment, the NRC has generated some excellent interactions, some substantive new projects led by both institutions and a number of new projects that we are still pursuing.
We in Oxford also share the aspiration to work closely with industry on training a new generation of nuclear scientists and engineers, and now have more than 60 full time young researchers working in this area.
The NRC is a research collaboration between the two Universities. It does not have any separate corporate identity or contractual capacity.