Friday 16 August 2024
Call for access to NNL facilities – Now Open for Academic Researchers
As the UK’s national laboratory for nuclear fission, we are committed to advancing world-leading science. Our collaboration with academic partners is a cornerstone of this mission. In partnership with Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Alpha Resilience and Capability (ARC), we are excited to announce that the NDA/ARC Sponsored Access to NNL Facilities Call is now open. This initiative offers a unique opportunity for academic researchers to access our active laboratories.
View the Active Facilities Proposals Call information here.
Understanding ‘User Access’ at NNL
You may have heard the terms ‘Facility Access’ or ‘User Access’, but what do they really mean? NNL is in a unique position to offer world-leading research laboratories—referred to as ‘active’ labs—capable of handling nuclear materials. Active labs are scarce in the UK, and many universities lack the facilities to conduct this level of research. This limitation means that some research projects can only go so far without access to more advanced facilities. As the UK’s national laboratory, we aim to bridge this gap by providing academic researchers access to our labs, enabling them to take their research to the next level.
A collaborative effort for progress
This year, we have joined forces with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Alpha Resilience and Capability (ARC) to offer the next round of access through a newly updated two-phase process:
- Phase One: FY 24/25: Academics now have the opportunity to visit NNL’s active facilities. These visits will allow them to engage with our subject matter experts, explore potential R&D projects, and work on developing funding applications for Phase Two.
- Phase Two: FY 25/26: Successful proposals from Phase One will move forward to Phase Two, where approved experimental programmes will be jointly delivered by the selected academics and NNL scientists.
A streamlined access process
The ‘call’ process for accessing NNL facilities has been refined to enhance and streamline user access. The new two-phased approach incorporates time for necessary steps such as applying for security clearance, reducing barriers to entry. Site visits will be instrumental in helping applicants refine their proposals, ensuring they are well-supported by NNL to develop detailed and viable experimental projects.
Proposals
Proposals should outline a potential experimental project that aligns with the missions of the NDA and/or ARC. Proposals will be assessed against defined scoring criteria and should clearly detail how a visit to NNL’s facilities will benefit both the research, and the researcher.
The facilities and equipment available for visits are detailed on pages 45–69 of the NIRO UK Nuclear Fission R&D Catalogue and the Royce and NNUF websites. These resources can help you understand the capabilities you’ll have access to and how they can enhance your research.
Key dates to remember
- The call for Phase One is now open and will run until 27th September. Site visits are scheduled between December 2024 and March 2025.
- A briefing call will be held on 2nd September to provide applicants with an opportunity to ask questions before the submission deadline.
For more information or to ask any initial questions, please contact: access.liaison@uknnl.com.
Visit the following resources for further details:
