Nuclear Universities Consortium for Learning, Engagement And Research: NUCLEAR

最近对气候变化和能源供应安全的担忧意味着，英国现在很有可能与其他国家一起建造新一代核反应堆，以满足我们未来的能源需求，同时也有助于履行英国到2050年大幅减少二氧化碳排放的承诺。这些新的压水式反应堆将在至少60年内继续发电。在此期间，我们将看到该行业在全球范围内发生重大变化，核退役和废物处理变得更加重要，各种未来发电反应堆甚至燃料循环正在开发中，包括小型模块化反应堆和其他“第四代”设计。因此，将会有越来越多的新出现的研究挑战，英国科学家和工程师将能够做出决定性的贡献。我们将能够利用越来越多的核专业知识被吸引到大学部门，核研究设施的扩建正在建立中，并将与相关学科的专业知识进行接触。然而，有效性还取决于：1.与工业界建立灵活和有效的联系；2.利用国家核研究实验室的独特设施和知识；3.能够充分利用国际方案及其发展新的研究伙伴的机会。在过去五年中，ESPRC投资了一些研究联合体，支持核能研究的不同方面。这些活动汇集了一些现有的面对核问题的团体，并直接导致了新的合作。这种合作是形成新的研究想法和提议的关键。随着我们推进新一代反应堆建造、处置技术的相应发展和新反应堆系统的创新设计，我们将需要更广泛的研究经验。这个网络的目的是通过为核能团体工作，并让对核能有新兴趣的团体参与，从而帮助学术界应用新方法来帮助解决具有挑战性的核问题，从而促进英国有效地参与这些核研究计划。这将通过四条链战略实现：1.通过促进核网络会议、研讨会和年度学术核研究会议来扩大网络，以分享研究挑战、研究想法和研究成果；2.与英国产业界有效接触，确保研究重点和有效的知识转移。这将包括发展与TWI管理的能源产生和供应知识转移网络的联系；3.便利进入英国和海外的专业研究设施，例如，国家核实验室的中央实验室、曼彻斯特的道尔顿坎布里安设施、钻石同步加速器、INL的高级试验反应堆等；和4.与国际核研究团体合作，确保通过参与开发财团，特别是在竞标包括欧盟框架计划在内的国际研究基金时，加强英国在学术研究方面的良好声誉。这一战略要求网络合作伙伴以明确的愿景买入，并开发供所有成员使用的支持性材料，使行业和全球参与者意识到英国的能力和利用我们的研究抵押品的潜力。归根结底，该网络只有在被视为为英国核能研究社区工作的实体时才会成功；它必须为个人学者、研究团体和大学提供机会，通过参与这一核网络来提高他们的研究成功，使其受益。

Recent concerns over climate change and security of energy supply have meant that the UK, alongside other countries, is now very likely to build a new generation of nuclear reactors to meet our future energy needs whilst also helping to meet the UK's commitment to significant reductions in C02 emissions by 2050. These new pressurised water reactors will continue to generate electricity for at least 60 years. During this time we will see significant global changes to the industry, with nuclear decommissioning and waste disposal becoming even more significant and a variety of future generating reactors and even fuel cycles being developed, including small modular reactors and other "Gen IV" designs. Consequently, there will be an increasing range of emerging research challenges to which UK scientists and engineers will be able to make decisive contributions. We will be able to capitalise on the growing nuclear expertise being attracted into the University sector, the expansion of nuclear research facilities being established, and will engage with expertise from related disciplines. However, effectiveness will also depend upon:1. Establishing flexible and efficient links with industry;2. Using the unique facilities and knowledge residing at national nuclear research laboratories; and3. Being able to make the most of international programmes with their opportunities to develop new research partners. Over the last five years ESPRC have invested in a number of research consortia that have supported different aspects of nuclear energy research. These have brought together a number of the existing nuclear facing groups and have directly led to new collaborations. Such collaborations are key to nucleating novel research ideas and proposals. As we move forward with a new generation of reactor build, commensurate developments in disposal technology and innovative design of new reactor systems, a wider range of research experience will be required.The aim of this network is to facilitate the effective UK academic engagement in these nuclear research programmes by working for the nuclear energy groups and engaging groups with emerging interest in nuclear energy, thereby helping academics to apply new approaches to help solve challenging nuclear issues.This will be achieved through a four-strand strategy:1. Growing the network by facilitating nuclear network meetings, seminars and an annual academically based nuclear research conference to share research challenges, research ideas and research outputs;2. Engaging effectively with UK industry to ensure research focus and effective knowledge transfer. This will include developing links with the Energy Generation and Supply Knowledge Transfer Network managed by TWI;3. Facilitating access to specialist research facilities in the UK and overseas including, for example, the National Nuclear Laboratory's Central Laboratory, Manchester's Dalton Cumbrian Facility, the Diamond synchrotron, the Advanced Test Reactor at INL, etc; and4. Engaging with the international nuclear research communities to ensure that the UK's strong reputation for academic research is strengthened through participation in developing consortia, especially when biding for international research funds including EU Framework programmes.This strategy requires the network partners to buy in to a clear vision and to develop supporting material to be used by all members to make industry and global players aware of UK capability and the potential to make use of our research collateral. Ultimately the network will be successful only if it is seen as an entity that works for the UK nuclear energy research community; it must offer individual academics, research groups, and universities the opportunity to improve their research success by engaging, to their advantage, with this nuclear network.