The International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I‐NERI) supports the National Energy Policy by conducting research to advance the state of nuclear science and technology in the United States. I‐NERI sponsors innovative scientific and engineering research and development (R&D) in cooperation with participating countries. The research performed under the I‐NERI umbrella addresses key issues affecting the future of nuclear energy and its global deployment.

This I‐NERI 2006 Annual Report serves to inform interested parties about the program’s organization, progress of collaborative research projects undertaken since FY 2003, and future plans for the program. Following is an overview of each section:

  • Section 2 discusses background information on the series of events that led to the creation of the I‐NERI program. The countries and international organizations participating in current I‐NERI collaborative agreements are also presented.
  • Section 3 presents an overview of program goals and objectives, a work scope summary for the three constituent program areas, a description of the I‐NERI organization, and an overview of funding since the program’s inception.
  • Section 4 provides a summary of programmatic accomplishments, highlighting key activities for each year of the program, areas of research under each bilateral agreement, and a profile of participating organizations. This section also provides a summary of the projects completed in FY 2006.
  • Sections 5 through 11 present details of the R&D work scope for current I‐NERI collaborative projects with Brazil, Canada, the European Union (EU), France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), respectively. For each participating country or organization, the report presents an index of projects and a summary of technical accomplishments achieved in FY 2006.