Blog Post Timeline

Posts by Month

October 2023

  • Bangor University Community Day 2023 (20/10/2023) - Last Saturday, Bangor University hosted a community day to engage with the City’s residents and showcase the range of fascinating research being conducted at the University. At this event, hosted in Pontio, three research students (Sarah Vallely, Harvey Plows and Lewis Dixon) manned a stall to represent the Nuclear Futures Institute (NFI). Well attended throughout, […]
  • Invitation to participate in the Scientific Committee for the Call for Projects of the DIADEM Program (16/10/2023) - Prof Simon Middleburgh, co-director of the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University, has been invited to become a member of the committee of the French National Agency for Research (ANR) to evaluate and select the proposals for the DIADEM exploratory Priority Research Programme and Infrastructure call. Simon was chosen as a result of his experience […]

September 2023

  • BBC News Article: Bangor scientists design fuel to live in space BBC News Article (4/9/2023) - Bangor University’s, Dr. Phylis Makurunje, Prof. Simon Middleburgh and David Williams were interviewed by the BBC on their work to support space exploration. The BBC visited the Nuclear Futures Institute and found out about the work we are doing on nuclear fuels to support moon bases and nuclear rocket engines. You can read more about […]

August 2023

  • Welcome to our new Nuclear Medicine academics (18/8/2023) - We would like to welcome our new academics in nuclear medicine to Bangor University. Dr. Mark Ogden and Dr. Tim Smith have joined us and will support research into the medical uses of nuclear technology including radiopharmaceuticals, theragnostics, external beam therapies and more.
  • Sky News Interview: Michael Rushton comments on nuclear power and energy security (11/8/2023) - At 10:20, 30th July 2023, Dr. Michael Rushton was invited to comment on energy security on Sky News as it relates to nuclear power. Parts of the interview were widely syndicated, appearing on radio stations from LBC to Classic FM. The interview is available here for those with access to the Learning on Screen Service. […]
  • House of Commons – Science, Innovation and Technology Committee – Delivering Nuclear Power: NFI Contribution (3/8/2023) - Bangor University’s Nuclear Futures Institute has made significant contribution to the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s report “Delivering Nuclear Power”. Released on the 31st July 2023 this report gives the findings of the committee which set out to examine the Government’s approach to developing new nuclear power. For this, the Nuclear Futures […]
  • Universities’ Nuclear Technology Forum 2023 (3/8/2023) - The University of Bristol recently hosted this year’s Universities’ Nuclear Technology Forum (UNTF). This is an annual conference designed to give PhD students, and early career researchers, in the nuclear sector the opportunity to present their work, perhaps for the first time, to their peers. Bangor University was well represented at this event, with six […]

July 2023

  • Uranium Science 2023 (11/7/2023) - Last week (5th-7th July 2023), the Uranium Science international Conference was held at the Henry Royce Institute at the University of Manchester. NFI staff and students, who are working on fuel-related projects, attended the conference to share the results of their current research, learn of the work that is being carried out by other institutions, […]

June 2023

  • Great Exhibition Road Festival 2023 (29/6/2023) - Imperial College, and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, hosted its annual Great Exhibition Road Festival over the weekend of the 17th and 18th June 2023. This event is a celebration of scientific and artistic innovation, designed to engage the public and inspire their curiosity to learn about our world. At this event, […]
  • Special Interest Group and Collaborative Computational Project in Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (29/6/2023) - Earlier this month, the Nuclear Futures Institute (NFI) had the privilege of hosting the annual technical meetings of both the UK Fluids Network’s Special Interest Group in Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (SIG-NTH), and the Collaborative Computational Project for Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (CCP-NTH). At this event, a wide range of academic and industrial researchers had the excellent […]
  • Materials for Nuclear Technologies: Challenges, Problems and Solutions (28/6/2023) - The Nuclear Futures Institute will be hosting Materials for Nuclear Techologies: Challenges, Problems and Solutions Date: 3rd July, 2023 9am – 5pm Please note this conference will be in person, but is a hybrid. Online attendance is welcome. Teams Link:  Bangor is situated in North Wales between the sea and Snowdonia National Park. There are […]
  • Publication: A stochastic reaction–diffusion modelling investigation of FLASH ultra-high dose rate response in different tissues (22/6/2023) - We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper in Frontiers in Physics, co-authored by NFI member Alberto Fraile. A stochastic reaction–diffusion modeling investigation of FLASH ultra-high dose rate response in different tissues R. Abolfath, A. Baikalov, A. Fraile, S. Bartzsch, E. Schüler and R. Mohan.   Frontiers in Physics. Volume 11. (2023) https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2023.1060910 […]
  • Prof. Bill Lee speaks at Science and the Senedd 2023 (14/6/2023) - On the 13th June Prof. Bill Lee (NFI co-director) contributed to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) “Science and the Senedd” event. This was the nineteenth time this annual event has been held and took place in Cardiff in the Senedd and at the Pierhead. The aim of Science and the Senedd is to bring […]
  • Welcome to our new Operations Manager: Brian Murcutt (1/6/2023) - The Nuclear Futures Institute would like to welcome our newest staff member, Brian Murcutt. Having worked in the university since 1988, he is bringing his expertise and knowledge into his new role as Operational Manager.  Brian Murcutt

May 2023

  • Drapers’ Academy STEM Fair 2023 (19/5/2023) - Established in 2010 by the Worshipful Company of Drapers and Queen Mary University of London, the Drapers’ Academy is a secondary school and sixth form located in Romford, Greater London. On Wednesday, 3rd May 2023 the Drapers’ Academy hosted a year 10 to year 13 STEM Fair, showcasing to the Academy’s students the range of […]
  • NEF CDT Visit CEA Cadarache & ITER (19/5/2023) - CEA Cadarache, the largest energy research centre in Europe, and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, have been central to many leading nuclear engineering research efforts for several decades. Located close to the village of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance in southern France, their facilities (both existing and under construction) are designed to provide a range of prototypical […]
  • Article on the Welsh Affairs Committee Report on Nuclear Energy in Wales (12/5/2023) - From his meeting with the Welsh Affairs Committee, Professor Laurence Williams OBE FREng FLSW was set out six questions with answers to be replied to. The following explains briefly about the committee, Professor Laurence Williams involvement and the NFI’s response to the questions. Welsh Affairs Committee “Nuclear energy in Wales” Third Report of Session 2022 […]
  • Job: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Fusion Power Plant Regulation (11/5/2023) - PDRA Opportunity in Fusion Power Plant Regulation NFI is looking for a PDRA to deliver a project on the development of a fusion power plant (FPP) regulatory framework to enable the global deployment of FPPs. The project is funded by the Clean Air Task Force based in Boston MA USA and will be initially for […]
  • Professor Laurence Williams OBE FREng FLSW elected Fellow for Learned Society of Wales (4/5/2023) - The Nuclear Futures Institute would like to congratulate Professor Laurence Williams OBE FREng FLSW who has been elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. Professor Williams is the Ser Cymru Professor of Nuclear Policy and Regulation in the Nuclear Futures Institute. The post can be seen on this link.

April 2023

  • Cambridge Festival 2023: Nuclear Energy Futures Carnival (3/4/2023) - On Saturday, 25th March 2023, PhD students from the 3rd Cohort of the Nuclear Energy Futures Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), including two PhD students from Bangor University (Harvey Plows and Conor Buchanan), travelled to Cambridge University for the 2023 Cambridge Festival.  At this event, hosted at the New Museum site, the CDT students ran […]
  • Worshipful Company of Drapers Education Dinner 2023 (3/4/2023) - Bangor University has a long and prosperous history with the Worshipful Company of Drapers that spans over one hundred years. This includes a munificent donation to fund the construction of the entire museum and library wings of the University’s Main Arts Building (constructed 1909-1911), and funding for the University to establish some of the first […]

March 2023

  • NFI thanked in Parliamentary debate on medical isotopes (9/3/2023) - Simon Middleburgh was mentioned during a Parliamentary debate on medical Isotope production, this is related to the ARTHUR project which could see a medical isotope production facility located in North Wales in the near future.  Local MP, Liz Saville-Roberts (member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd) was involved in the debate “National Medical Isotope Centre: North Wales” when Simon […]
  • The NFI’s development of a Space Nuclear Propulsion System (9/3/2023) - On the 7th March 2023, the World Nuclear News published an article on recent funding received by the Nuclear Futures Institute to develop nuclear thermal propulsion systems for space exploration. This work is being led by Dr. Phylis Makurunje alongside Prof. Simon Middleburgh. The article states: Bangor University in Wales will develop a nuclear thermal fuel […]
  • Simon Middleburgh on BBC Radio 5 Live explaining cleaner alternative Nuclear energy (8/3/2023) - Simon Middleburgh recently went on BBC Radio 5 Live on the Breakfast show to talk about the cleaner Nuclear energy alternative. This was related to the American breakthrough with Confinement Fusion, the article can be viewed here for further information around the subject. The interview took place on Tuesday 7th March 2023, and outlines the […]
  • Welsh Secretary of State Visits Bangor (7/3/2023) - Recently the Nuclear Futures Institute had a visit from the Welsh Secretary of State, and along with Wrexham Glyndŵr University. The UK Government Wales Posted an article on Linkedin describing the events. Universities in Wales are sites of world-class research and development projects. Welsh Secretary David TC Davies and Minister James Davies this week visited […]

January 2023

  • EESW Girls In STEM with the Nuclear Futures Institute, Bangor University (20/1/2023) - Following on from the success of the EESW (Engineering Education Scheme Wales) Girls in STEM day for girls from local secondary schools on the 9th November 2022, an additional event was held on the 18th January 2023. 90 girls from Syr Hugh Owen, Prestatyn and Rhyl high schools attended and were split into 3 groups. […]

December 2022

  • Simon Middleburgh on BBC News and Radio Wales for Confinement Fusion (14/12/2022) - On 13th December 2022 Simon Middleburgh appeared on the BBC News and also Radio Cymru explaining the recent  breakthrough in confinement fusion in America.  The TV appearance can be viewed here, starting at 3:24:58.  The radio article can be listened to here, starting at 1:21:38. An account will be needed to access both  through the […]

November 2022

  • Engineering Education Scheme Wales Girls in STEM Day (26/11/2022) - On the 9th November 2022, volunteers from the NFI, along with other groups in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, held an EESW (Engineering Education Scheme Wales) Girls in STEM day for girls from local secondary schools. The event saw 90 girls participate in the day, which was filled with science related activities, […]
  • Interview with Bill Lee on his career in nuclear materials (23/11/2022) - Prof. Bill Lee has recently gave an interview to Imperial College about his career so far. The article is wide ranging, ranging from teaching all the way to nuclear’s role in future energy systems and well worth a read.
  • Prof. Laurence Williams contributes to House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee (10/11/2022) - The Nuclear Futures Institute’s professor of policy and regulation, Laurence Williams, took part in a recent session of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on the subject of Delivering Nuclear Power. This took place on the 2nd November 2022. You can see what Laurence had to say on Parliament.tv by clicking on […]
  • Students visit Los Alamos National Laboratory (10/11/2022) - PhD students Fabio Martini, Christopher Moore and Sarah Vallely recently returned to the office, after spending 10 weeks conducting research at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the USA. The three travelled to New Mexico to work on both experimental and computational projects, alongside experts in their field of work. This exciting opportunity was made […]

September 2022

August 2022

  • Waste nuclear heat could help revive UK commercial greenhouse usage – report (18/8/2022) - An interdisciplinary team led by Dr Anita Crompton and funded by NERC, has been investigating the feasibility of using waste nuclear heat to decarbonise and stimulate a reversal in the decline of commercial greenhouse use in the UK. This waste heat could provide the low carbon, low-cost heating needed by greenhouse growers to improve the economics of operations. It could also allow an expansion of edible horticulture, which could benefit the industry, UK consumers and the environment.
  • Welcome, Sediqa Jalali, to the NFI! (11/8/2022) - A new member of staff We are thrilled to have Sediqa Jalali joining our team as a clerical officer. Hailing from Afghanistan, Sediqa is a Farsi speaker with an education background in Business Administration (BBA degree). She graduated from the Peshgam Institute of Higher Education in 2015.   Sediqa’s Profile Sediqa Jalali Sediqa Jalali has […]
  • New Research Facility BULLET arrives at M-SParc (11/8/2022) - The Bangor University Lead Loop for Erosion/corrosion Testing (BULLET) has been delivered to Bangor University, M-SParc, by SRS in Italy this week. BULLET will test materials in flowing, high temperature lead (Pb).
  • National Nuclear Laboratory and Bangor University sign MoU to boost new nuclear development in Wales (2/8/2022) - On 29 July 2022, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Bangor University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two organisations work together to advance education and innovation for nuclear in Wales. The MoU will have NNL, Bangor University and the Nuclear Futures Institute share access to infrastructure, facilities and equipment to further the nuclear efforts in the region.

July 2022

  • UNTF 2022 – Nuclear Futures hosts successful conference (4/7/2022) - From the 20th – 22nd of June 2022, the Nuclear Futures Institute hosted a three-day conference - The Universities’ Nuclear Technology Forum. UNTF is one of the oldest nuclear engineering conferences in the world. It provides a great opportunity for early-stage researchers to present work to their peers and build their professional network.

June 2022

  • PhD Opportunity: Tritium Production and Fusion Power (29/6/2022) - This project would aim to investigate the feasibility of producing tritium on the industrial scale that would be required to support the deployment of fusion power so that FPPs would not have to breed their own tritium. The longer-term vision is for the UK to create a tritium production industry that could service both the UK and global FPP industry need. In the shorter term it is recognised that STEP, other UK and international small spherical Tokamak reactors and private fusion endeavours will need tritium supplies for their early year.

May 2022

  • THOR Opening Event in M-SParc (25/5/2022) - On May 10th - 11th, 2022, Bangor University's Nuclear Futures Institute (NFI) was proud to host the first THOR Open Collaboration Meeting at the Menai Science Park (M-SParc), located in Gaerwen, Isle of Anglesey. Aside from representatives from the University, delegates in attendance were - IDOM Rolls Royce United Kingdon Atomic Energy Authority National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC)-Daresbury Jacobs Engineering Group Welsh Government Westinghouse Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Vessco Engineering. M-SParc Dr Michael Rushton opened the meeting by introducing the NFI and its experimental facilities. After this, Dr Marcus Dahlfors delivered a presentation detailing the THOR facility's history, prospects, and future ambitions before providing a tour of the THOR experimental hall and offices – during which many valuable discussions occurred. The second part of the day was dedicated to technical presentations from the THOR commissioning team. These began with a presentation on the loop system design calculations by Dr Jivan Khatry, followed by talks regarding instrumentation design by Dr Jinfeng Li, process control and instrumentation by Dr Abiodun Ayodeji and special sensing techniques such as wire mesh and optical sensing by Mr Harvey Plows. While the primary focus of the collaboration meeting was on the THOR facility, the other planned experimental facilities to be constructed by the NFI at M-SParc were also discussed. This began with a presentation by Dr Alberto Fraile detailing the Bangor University Lead Loop for Erosion Testing (BULLET) facility. After this, and in a similar theme, Dr Robert Annewandter discussed multiscale modelling of lead corrosion. The first collaboration meeting ended with a fruitful open floor meeting. Bangor University, the NFI, and the Reactor Design and Thermal Hydraulics (RDTH) group would like to thank all delegates who attended this first collaboration meeting.
  • New Publication: Atomistic simulations of magnetoelastic effects on sound velocity (20/5/2022) - Novel magnetoacoustic phenomena have been discovered in recent years, such as acoustic spin pumping and magnetization switching induced by sound waves, with potential technological applications in spintronics and magnetic recording.
  • New Publication: Spray dried fuel additives (18/5/2022) - The Nuclear Futures Institute is pleased to highlight the publication of a recent research paper written by Dr Phylis Makurunje and Dr Simon Middleburgh. The paper is titled “Self-contained dual-scale composite architectures in spray dried zirconium diboride” and was published in the Ceramics International journal.
  • Prof. Bill Lee elected to the Learned Society of Wales (6/5/2022) - The NFI Director, Professor Bill Lee, among six other Bangor academics have been elected to the Learned Society of Wales. The Learned Society of Wales is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh nation.

April 2022

March 2022

  • NFI Academics and Students Present at TMS 2022 (21/3/2022) - Five Nuclear Futures academics and students presented their research at TMS 2022. TMS aims to bring a multi-disciplinary mix of engineers, scientists, business leaders, and other professionals in the minerals, metals, and materials fields. This year, the conference was held in person in Anaheim, California.
  • New particle sizer is ready for use at the NFI Labs (14/3/2022) - A new particle sizer is ready to use at the Nuclear Futures Institute of Bangor University! The Horiba LA-960V2 is a laser scattering particle size distribution analyser. Our acquisition of the particle sizer was made possible because of an EPSRC grant Simon Middleburgh received to build the new Bangor University Fuel Fabrication Facility (BUFFF) - a new NNUF User Facility.
  • PhD Student Chris Moore Publishes New HEA Paper (11/3/2022) - Christopher Moore, a 2nd year PhD student with the Nuclear Futures Institute has published a paper titled “Hydrogen accommodation in the TiZrNbHfTa high entropy alloy”. High entropy alloys and their hydrides are a new type of material and this paper works to provide a better understanding of how these systems behave at the atomic level. Read more at https://nubu.nu
  • Prof. Bill Lee presented Wendell D. Weart Lifetime Career Achievement Award by the Waste Management Symposium (10/3/2022) - Professor Bill Lee has been presented with the Wendell D. Weart Career Achievement Award. Bill was nominated for the award based on his outstanding contributions to the discipline of nuclear waste management for the past 40 years and for his national and international recognition in the field.
  • Lee Evitts Gives Nuclear Medicine Lecture as Part of ‘STEM and Medicine’ Seminar Series (3/3/2022) - A new research seminar series centred around STEM and Medicine has begun in Bangor University. The NFI's own Dr Lee Evitts, Sêr Cymru Lecturer in Nuclear Medicine delivered the second lecture of the series where he shares his exepertise in the field.

February 2022

  • Simon Middleburgh talks Nuclear Fusion breakthrough on BBC Radio Wales (28/2/2022) - Ser Cymru Reader, Dr Simon Middleburgh was invited to share his opinions and insights on this news on the BBC Radio Wales Drivetime Show - Radio Wales Drive. Simon discussed how this breakthrough would be a "major springboard" to future experiments and a confirmation that all of the science and engineering work that has gone into making fusion a possiblity over the past few decades is indeed viable and that exciting times are ahead of us in the world of nuclear science.
  • Prof Bill Lee publishes new article in The Conversation (23/2/2022) - Many people are frightened of radiation, thinking of it as an invisible, man-made and deadly force, and this fear often underpins opposition to nuclear power. In fact, most radiation is natural and life on Earth wouldn’t be possible without it. Read more at https://nubu.nu
  • New Publication: Analysis of hypervelocity impacts: the tungsten case (21/2/2022) - The Nuclear Futures Institute are pleased to highlight the publication of a new research paper written by Dr Alberto Fraile. The paper is titled “Analysis of hypervelocity impacts: the tungsten case". The impact simulations were performed using classical MDs (molecular dynamics) as implemented in LAMMPS.

January 2022

  • Marjorie Bertolus appointed as Honorary Professor (26/1/2022) - The Nuclear Futures Institute would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest honorary academic, Prof. Marjorie Bertolus.
  • New Publication: 30 Years of Safer Systems (17/1/2022) - “30 Years of Safer Systems” contains articles from the last 3 decades of the Safety Critical Systems Club (SCSC) newsletter “Safety Systems”. The club is for engineers, managers and academics in the field of system safety across all industry sectors, so the articles in this volume offer a broad and historical coverage of safety topics, […]
  • New Years Honours within the NFI Community (11/1/2022) - The New Year’s honors list is published by the UK’s Cabinet Office and recognizes British people for excellence in a spectrum of pursuits, ranging from arts and athletics to science and politics. Two members within the Nuclear Futures Institute community have recieved honours as part of the 2021 list.

December 2021

  • Prof. Bill Lee Receives Prestigious National Award (14/12/2021) - The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a UK engineering institution whose activities encompass the whole materials cycle. IOM3 hosted the Special & Publication Awards as well as its Premier Award winners (7 December) celebrating professional achievements and outstanding contributions in the field of science and engineering. At this award ceremony and dinner, Prof. Bill Lee collected his IOM3 Platinum Medal in recognition of outstanding contributions to materials science, technology and industry.
  • New Nuclear Futures Institute Pamphlet (9/12/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute have released and printed their newest pamphlet which details their latest research areas and capabilities. Visit the blog post page to find out more!

November 2021

  • AMR Report in special COP26 edition of Nuclear Futures magazine (26/11/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute have had their AMR Report - Delivering Net Zero: The Role of Advanced Modular Reactors featered as an article in the Nuclear Institute’s Nuclear Future magazine. The article is titled “New report on Advanced Modular Reactor Technology released by the Nuclear Futures Institute” – and can be found in the September/October edition.
  • Simon Middleburgh makes Advanced Technology Fuels presentation at the MiNES 2021 Conference (23/11/2021) - The MiNES (Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems) 2021 conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Run by TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society), the MiNES conference serves as a professional destination for the fission reactor materials community to share their latest research and developments in the field. As part of the fuels and actinide materials fabrication methods session, Simon made a presentation on the current research being conducted in Advanced Technology Fuel (ATF) accelerated development at Bangor University.
  • Michael Rushton gives Co-Generation talk as COP Cymru Panellist (11/11/2021) - As part of the COP 26 Regional Roadshow, a COP Cymru panel hosted by radio and television presenter Lisa Gwylim, addressed how Welsh science is world-leading in addressing the biggest challenges facing the planet’s climate. The panel session focussed on our ambitious commitments to decarbonise the economies of the United Kingdom – energy production, storage […]

October 2021

  • New Welsh Nuclear Skills Partnership launched by NNL (26/10/2021) - The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has formalised its research and development ambitions in Wales with the launch of a new base on Ynys Môn/Isle of Anglesey.
  • Wendy Owen elected to SCSC Steering Committee (26/10/2021) - Wendy Owen, a Research Associate of the Regulation & Policy group has been elected as a Steering Committee member of the Safety-Critical Systems Club (SCSC). Within SCSC, she is currently the Task Group lead for risk evaluation and assessment (REA) in the Security-Informed Safety Working Group (SiSWG) and is also contributing to the club’s 30th anniversary […]

September 2021

  • Phylis Makurunje makes an appearance in the American Ceramic Society Bulletin (28/9/2021) - The NFI’s Dr Phylis Makurunje has made an appearance in the 100th volume of the American Ceramic Society Bulletin. Phylis’ article describes how the South African space program (SANSA) inspired her as a young woman to become a materials engineer working on aerospace composite materials. Phylis says that “South Africa is one ambitious country, ambitious […]
  • Two NFI Postgraduate Researchers Receive Drapers’ Scholarship (28/9/2021) - For over a hundred years, the Drapers’ Company, one of the historic Livery Companies of the City of London and now a philanthropic organisation, has been linked to Bangor University, initially through substantial grants towards the construction of some of the University’s main buildings including the library, science laboratories and the electrical engineering department. Three […]
  • Simon Middleburgh and NFI Honorary Professor Lyndon Edwards quoted by Nature in article on molten salt nuclear reactor technology (21/9/2021) - The Nuclear Future’s Institute’s Dr Simon Middleburgh and NFI Honorary Professor Lyndon Edwards have been quoted in a press release article by Nature on molten salt nuclear reactor technology. Nature was first published in 1869 and is the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal. Nature publishes the finest peer-reviewed research that drives innovation in the world’s most important scientific topics.
  • The Nuclear Futures Institute attends the Cambridge UK Nuclear Academics Meeting (21/9/2021) - The Nuclear Academics Meeting 2021, provided a forum for academics working on nuclear energy-related research, from new build through to decommissioning of existing reactors to discuss topics of common interest. The Nuclear Academics Meeting attracts speakers from industry, academia, both national and international. This year’s Nuclear Academics Meeting was held by the University of Cambridge on the […]

August 2021

  • The future of medical radioisotope production in the UK, Nuclear Future article (16/8/2021) - Lee Evitts, Fiona Pearce, Simon Middleburgh, Michael Rushton and Bill Lee have had their latest article published in the Nuclear Future magazine. The article is called “The future of medical radioisotope production in the UK” and can be found in the July/August 2021 issue (membership required). Since Henri Becquerel’s discovery in 1896, radioactivity has been […]

July 2021

  • NFI Releases AMR Report to Achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (13/7/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute have released a report outlining how the delivery of carbon Net Zero entirely depends on the successful deployment of a range of low carbon technologies working in tandem with each other - including nuclear power.
  • Honorary Research Fellow Thomas Davis gives Presentation to the NFI (6/7/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute would like to extend our gratitude to Dr Thomas Davis for presenting to us at the NFI student meeting on Friday 2nd of July 2021.  Tom’s presentation discussed various aspects of research in nuclear science, ranging from sodium-cooled fast reactors, ferritic-martensitic steels, atom probe spectroscopy and TEM. Tom’s areas of expertise […]
  • National Nuclear Labs launches new base in North Wales (2/7/2021) - The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has formalised its research and development ambitions in Wales with the launch of a new base on Ynys Môn/Isle of Anglesey.

June 2021

  • Prof. Bill Lee awarded ACerS Distinguished Life Member Award (23/6/2021) - The American Ceramic Society, an organisation that strives to advance the understanding of ceramics and other materials, has awarded one of its three 2021 Distinguished Life Membership awards to Professor Bill Lee of the Nuclear Futures Institute. The Distinguished Life Membership Award is the highest honour that can be granted to members of The American […]
  • New Publication: Diffusion in doped and undoped amorphous zirconia (21/6/2021) - Congratulations to KESS2 PhD candidate Megan Owen who has published her first paper in the Journal of Nuclear Materials! The Nuclear Futures Institute is very pleased to announce a new publication by PhD student Megan Owen, the paper was co-authored by Michael Rushton, Lee Evitts, Bill Lee and Simon Middleburgh. The paper was published in the […]
  • Thorium paper presented at annual ITWG Meeting (21/6/2021) - The paper Utilizing neutronics modelling to predict changing Pu ratios in UO2 in the presence of Th, authored by Lee Evitts and co-authored by Matthew Gilbert and Simon Middleburgh of the Nuclear Futures Institute has been presented at the annual meeting of the International Technical Working Group on Nuclear Forensics (ITWG; www.nf-itwg.org). The paper was presented […]
  • The NFI is awarded the IOM3 Platinum Medal (3/6/2021) - The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) has awarded their Platinum Medal to Professor Bill Lee and the Nuclear Futures Institute. The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) has awarded the Platinum Medal to Professor Bill Lee of Bangor University’s Nuclear Futures Institute in recognition of their outstanding record of research accomplishments in […]

May 2021

  • PhD student Megan Owen offered Delegate Position at ACerS President’s Council of Student Advisors (19/5/2021) - PhD Student Megan Owen has recently been offered a position as a Delegate at The American Ceramic Society’s (ACerS) President’s Council of Student Advisors (PCSA). The American Ceramic Society sets out to advance the study, understanding, and use of ceramics and related materials. More than 10,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, students, marketing […]
  • New Publication: Performance and economic assessment of enriched gadolinia burnable absorbers (19/5/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute are very pleased to announce the publication of a new research paper written by PhD Student Mustafa Bolukbasi, co-authored by Simon Middleburgh, Marcus Dahlfors, and Professor Bill Lee. The paper is titled “Performance and economic assessment of enriched gadolinia burnable absorbers.”
  • Doing more with nuclear, article in The Energy Institute’s Energy World magazine (7/5/2021) - Why stop at power generation? Here, Michael JD Rushton and William E Lee suggest that small modular and other advanced reactors could also be employed to generate heat for use in homes and industry, as well as to create clean hydrogen. Experience of both exists in Europe and Russia.
  • AMR & AGR Workshop 2021 (7/5/2021) - Congratulations to Professor Bill Lee, Professor Andrew Sherry and all of the organisers who all were instrumental in making the AGR AMR Workshop a success. The Nuclear Futures Institute would also like to thank all speakers and attendees for taking part in our workshop. Following the workshop, the Nuclear Futures Institute will draft a report […]
  • New Publication: Utilizing neutronics modelling to predict changing Pu ratios in UO₂ in the presence of Th (4/5/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute is very pleased to announce a new publication led by Dr Lee Evitts and co-authored by Dr Simon Middleburgh, Prof Bill Lee and Dr Marcus Dahlfors of the Nuclear Medicine Research Group. Lee’s publication can be found in the international journal Progress in Nuclear Energy. The isotopic fractions of plutonium produced in a […]

April 2021

  • Good News: The NFI Welcomes New Team Members and Research Group (9/4/2021) -   Once again, the Nuclear Futures Institute has expanded with new staff members and the launch of a new research group. The NFI happily welcomes Dr Hafiz Ahmed to the team, who will lead the group’s research efforts in the field of Nuclear Instrumentation and Control Engineering (NICE) – this is the newest Nuclear Futures […]
  • Best of Luck, Iuliia! (8/4/2021) - The Nuclear Futures Institute are sad to announce that Iuliia has decided to move on to her newest role at the University of Birmingham.  On behalf of the entire Nuclear Futures Institute, Iuliia will be a sorely missed colleague and we are very sad to see her go. We would like to wish Iuliia the […]

March 2021

  • PhD student Megan Owen makes BBC Radio Cymru Appearance (12/3/2021) - PhD student Megan Owen has made another BBC Radio Cymru appearance to describe different historical events in nuclear. Megan appeared on the “Dros Gino” (Over Lunch) show hosted by Catrin Haf Jones. The program examines the events of the Fukushima Daiichi, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island and discusses the lessons learned that are to be taken […]
  • Sêr Cymru Reader Dr Simon Middleburgh contributes to British Science Week (12/3/2021) - British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths that will take place between 5-14 March 2021. As part of British Science Week, the Welsh Government Office for Science has created a series of videos from prominent Sêr Cymru programme researchers throughout Wales. The prestigious Sêr Cymru programme is the multi-million-pound […]
  • Bangor University joins Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (9/3/2021) - Following a market study completed in March 2020, the Welsh government worked with the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries, the Canadian Nuclear Association, and Natural Resources Canada on a digital trade mission. The four-day event explored bilateral opportunities in Canada, the UK, and other markets of interest for Welsh and Canadian companies. As part of […]

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

  • PhD student Megan Owen interviewed by BBC Radio Cymru (28/11/2020) - In light of the current developments surrounding nuclear power in the UK, PhD student Megan Owen was interviewed by BBC Radio Cymru, to describe her research at the Nuclear Futures Institute and to give her thoughts on the future of nuclear. Megan took part in two shows aired on BBC Radio Cymru, which were ‘Dros […]
  • Universities Nuclear Technology Forum (UNTF) Review (18/11/2020) - On 10th November 2020, Bangor University hosted the Universities Technology Forum (UNTF) in conjunction with the Nuclear Institute through the Nuclear Academic Liaison Subcommittee (NAILS). The following article describes the experience of two of our research students (Corey Bevan and Christopher Moore) as they attended the meeting. This year we hosted the meeting online but […]
  • The future of nuclear: power stations could make hydrogen, heat homes and decarbonise industry – article in The Conversation (4/11/2020) - Prof. Bill Lee and Dr. Michael Rushton have recently had an article published in  The Conversation which discusses the opportunities for future nuclear power to deliver so much more than electricity.  Read the article here…

October 2020

  • Group day to Snowdon – October 2020 (9/10/2020) - The time was 9.30am: the clouds broke above Llanberis in North Wales as Bangor’s finest nuclear engineers and scientists, young and old, congregated at the foot of Snowdon. It had been some time since many had needed to communicate face-to-face with other humans and this was clear – but there was excitement in the air.  […]
  • Bangor’s Nuclear Academics Make Key Contribution to Royal Society’s Report on Nuclear Co-Generation (7/10/2020) - The Royal Society has today released a policy briefing exploring how nuclear power could used beyond electricity generation to help decarbonise the economy. Bangor University academics made key contributions to the report. Prof. Bill Lee was an author and member of the the policy briefing’s steering group. Dr. Michael Rushton also wrote about historical examples […]
  • Postdocs in Nuclear Energy (PiNE) 2020 (1/10/2020) - On September 30th, PiNE2020 online conference was successfully held and led by Iuliia and Lee. Speakers from leading universities in the UK presented high-quality research work within the nuclear energy sector. Dalton Fellow in Nuclear Fuel Technology, Dr. Joel Turner, from the University of Manchester, and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Knowles, from the […]

September 2020

  • Seminar at University of Bristol (30/9/2020) - Simon Middleburgh gave a well-attended presentation at the Materials and Devices Seminar at the University of Bristol. He was invited by long-time collaborator Dr. Dong (Lilly) Liu.  He presented his ongoing work understanding the benefits of Advanced Technology Fuels (ATFs) and the economic benefits of moving to new materials. This includes the work published in […]
  • MUZIC-3/MIDAS Joint Conference (30/9/2020) - In light of COVID-19, the MUZIC-3/MIDAS joint conference was hosted virtually between the 10th and 16th of September, instead of the original plans to host a face-to-face meeting at Bangor University. Academics and industrial partners discussed further advancements in the Mechanistic Understanding of Zirconium In Corrosion (MUZIC) and the Mechanistic Understanding of Irradiation Damage in […]
  • Research Masters: Fusion Fuel Cycle (2/9/2020) - Energy from nuclear fusion is the result of the fusion of light atoms such as the isotopes of hydrogen –  deuterium (2H) and tritium (3H). The most favoured fusion reaction is the so-called D-T reaction which fuses  2H (D) and 3H (T) to produce 4He and a neutron (plus a staggering 17.6 MeV of kinetic energy). […]

July 2020

  • CDT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Course Starts at Bangor (27/7/2020) - The Nuclear Energy Futures Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) has begun its lecture series on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Dr. Simon Middleburgh and Prof. Ian Farnan (University of Cambridge) are providing an online lecture series discussing the nuclear fuel cycle from extraction to disposal/recycling.  On Monday 27th July, Prof. Farnan gave the first lecture, describing […]
  • AMR Competition Announcement (27/7/2020) - The Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor is proud to be part of the Westinghouse led consortium tasked with developing Lead-cooled Fast Reactor technology. The £10M programme is sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Feasibility and Development project. The Westinghouse LFR is a 450 MWe Gen. 4 reactor. […]
  • New Publication: Synthesis of Candidate Advanced Technology Fuel – Uranium Diboride via Carbo/Borothermic Reduction of Uranium Dioxide (22/7/2020) - Uranium diboride (UB2) has a greater uranium density and a higher thermal conductivity than UO2, both traits that result in increased performance for nuclear fuels. For the first time, UB2 has been prepared via a method suitable for industrial production. A synthesis procedure suitable for industrial-scale production is a key requirement for any nuclear fuel […]
  • New Publication: Thermal conductivity variation with Gd accommodation in Gd-doped UO₂ using the NEMD method (20/7/2020) - We are very pleased to announce the publication our new paper looking at how doping uranium dioxide fuel with gadolinium affects its thermal conductivity. Doping is a useful tool for optimising the performance of fuel, so understanding how it affects thermo-physical properties is important for the safe and reliable operation of nuclear reactors. Bangor’s own […]
  • Nuclear Institute Young Generation Network Speaking Competition 2020 (1/7/2020) - Congratulations to our research fellow, Iuliia Ipatova, for the 2d place in the Nuclear Institute Young Generation Network (NI YGN) Speaking Competition! NI YGN Speaking Competition is back in 2020. This year’s competition was held via webinar. And on the 25th of June Iuliia delivered her talk in this event organized by the YGN in […]

June 2020

April 2020

  • Seminar “Nuclear technologies: myths and facts”. (16/4/2020) - In April 2020 our research fellow, Iuliia Ipatova, was invited to deliver a guest seminar on the fundamentals of nuclear technologies to the Chemistry department of Bangor University. During the lecture, students learned about nuclear fission, nuclear fusion and how energy is released from both processes. The recording of the lecture is provided here. During the presentation Iuliia covers the […]

March 2020

February 2020

  • Dr. Andrew Duff seminar and workshop at Bangor University (20/2/2020) - On the 19th February 2020, Dr Andrew Duff, Project Scientist, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, gave a seminar titled “Application of Computational Methods for Modelling of Scientific and Technological Processes at STFC” – invited by Dr. Simon Middleburgh.  Andrew introduced the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and various centres that it is made up of. His talk introduced some of the computational challenges that are being addressed by researchers […]
  • Bangor UNTF 2020: 10th November 2020 (20/2/2020) - Nuclear Futures are proud to be remotely hosting the Universities’ Nuclear Technology Forum conference at Bangor University on 10th November 2020. Find out more and register at the official website. https://bangor-untf.org This meeting is aimed at nuclear postgraduate students and provides them with a great opportunity to present work early in their PhD and build […]
  • Modelling in Nuclear Science and Engineering Seminar will be hosted by Bangor on 4th/5th November 2020 (17/2/2020) - The Nuclear Futures group at Bangor University will be hosting the Modelling in Nuclear Science and Engineering Seminar on the 4th and 5th November 2020. Looking forward to seeing many collaborators from around the nuclear industry there. Please do not hesitate to contact us for details about registering, activities in the area and tours of […]
  • MUZIC-3, Switzerland 2020 (11/2/2020) - The third iteration of the Mechanistic Understanding of Zirconium Corrosion (MUZIC-3) consortium held its first conference of 2020 in Switzerland this January. The aim of the consortium is to enable the sharing of research amongst peers, in order to improve our understanding of the corrosion of zirconium alloy within a nuclear reactor. The countries that […]

January 2020

  • Publication: Modelling the Thermal Conductivity of UB2 and ZrB2 (14/1/2020) - There is a global effort within the nuclear industry to develop an alternate fission fuel to UO2 that could be safer, more efficient and cheaper to produce.  One such alternative is uranium diboride (UB2) owing to its increased uranium density and thermal conductivity over UO2. Before an alternative fuel can be considered as a viable […]