I-NERI Press Releases

U.S. and the Republic of Korea Agree on Joint Nuclear Energy Research Projects

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Republic of Korea Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), in collaboration under the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI), have announced five new awards totaling approximately $4 million to five joint teams of U.S./Korean researchers for research in the development of advanced nuclear reactor technology. The selection was made by the DOE/MOST Bilateral I-NERI Committee (BINERIC) at a meeting held in Washington, DC on November 13, 2002. The new awards increase the total number of projects currently funded by DOE and MOST under I-NERI collaboration to eleven.

The successful projects were selected from twenty-two proposals submitted in response to a competitive solicitation issued jointly by DOE and MOST for R&D in three general areas:

• Next generation reactor and fuel cycle technology
• Innovative nuclear plant design
• Advanced nuclear fuels and materials

The I-NERI program was initiated in 2001 by DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE) to foster international collaborative research and development (R&D) on nuclear technology focused on the development of advanced technologies, such as next-generation nuclear energy systems, which represent improvements in nuclear technology in terms of economic performance, proliferation resistance, waste management and enhanced safety.

Currently, there are 12 collaborative research projects in progress under the three established I-NERI collaborative agreements; the first with the Commisariat a l Énergie Atomique (CEA) of France, the second with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the third with the Organization for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). DOE is in the process of developing bilateral agreements with other countries.

Further information regarding the I-NERI awards and other research can be found on the I-NERI web site which can be reached via www.nuclear.gov.

Posted: December 13, 2002