I-NERI Goals
The goals of the International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) program are to foster closer collaboration with foreign researchers, improve communications, and expand the sharing of nuclear research information. In order to accomplish its assigned mission, the I-NERI program has established the following overall objectives:
- Develop advanced concepts and scientific breakthroughs in nuclear energy and reactor technology in order to address and overcome the principal technical and scientific obstacles to the expanded use of worldwide nuclear energy.
- Promote collaboration with international agencies and research organizations in order to improve the development of nuclear energy.
- Promote and maintain a nuclear science and engineering infrastructure in order to resolve future technical challenges.
Since the I-NERI program's inception, the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) has coordinated wide-ranging activities among governments, industry, and the worldwide research community to develop advanced nuclear energy systems. Each collaborative activity is specifically tailored to fit current programmatic needs.
Project Definition and Funding
New projects are established in accordance with the following basic process. Candidate collaborative-projects are developed jointly based on current-year work packages and budgets. Principle Investigators typically draft a “mini proposal” with their concept. If accepted, they present a full proposal for review and concurrence by the bilateral committee. Each country participating in I-NERI collaboration with the U.S. provides the funding for their share of the work scope. Actual cost-share amounts are determined for each jointly-selected project with the goal of achieving a 50-50 matching contribution from each partner country. Funding provided by the U.S. can be spent only by U.S. participants, unless special arrangements are made in accordance with the Agreement.
