International Conference on Research Reactors: Addressing Challenges and Opportunities to Ensure Effectiveness and Sustainability

Pre-registration has closed however participation is still possible by sending your completed Participation Form (Form A) through the competent official authority (Ministry of Foreign Affairs or National Atomic Energy Authority) to the IAEA. A participant will be accepted only if the Participation Form is transmitted through the competent official authority of a Member State of the IAEA or by an international organization invited to participate. Should you require the contact details of one of these offices please contact the conference coordinator (link with Conference.Contact-Point@iaea.org )

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has fostered exchange of information on research reactors for many years. Periodic meetings, seminars, symposia and conferences are important mechanisms for this exchange. The IAEA has organized major international conferences on topics of interest to the research reactor community every four years, with the last, held in 2015 in Vienna was titled International Conference on Research Reactors: Safe Management and Effective Utilization.

Since the 1950s and continuing until today, hundreds of research reactors around the world have served society and functioned as cornerstones for nuclear science and technology development. In addition, a number of new research reactor programmes are being planned and developed. Feedback collected by the IAEA highlights the importance of ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of research reactors. Main challenges facing the research reactor community include the need to ensure regulatory effectiveness, manage the ageing of the facilities and staff, and enhance utilization programmes and strategic planning. Leadership and management, spent fuel management, and the need to establish sustainable nuclear infrastructure for new research reactor programmes also pose challenges.

This IAEA conference will address these challenges. Like its predecessors, it will play a vital role in national and international efforts to ensure that research reactors offer society as much benefit as possible, while placing a primary focus on the facilities’ effectiveness and sustainability.

Objectives

The objective of this conference is to foster exchange of information on operating and planned research reactors. It is a forum in which reactor operators, managers, users, regulators, designers and suppliers can share experience and address challenges and opportunities to ensure effectiveness and sustainability in all relevant areas including safety, security, operation, utilization, infrastructure, and management.

Topics

Six topical sessions will address:

• Utilization and applications of research reactors,
• Research reactor operation and maintenance,
• New research reactor programmes,
• Safety of research reactors,
• Security of research reactors,
• Research reactor fuel management and decommissioning,
• Common management considerations.

Key Deadlines

• 28 April 2019: Submission of synopses and grant applications (Forms A, B and C).
• 30 June 2019: Notification of acceptance of synopses.
• 30 September 2019 Submission of accepted full papers.

Persons interested in participating who are not submitting a synopsis must nevertheless submit Participation Form A through official channels as soon as possible (see conference web page for further details).

Registration

There is no registration fee.

Language

The conference will be held in English.

Conference app

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference, exhibitions and scheduled side events. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the Apple iTunes Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.