Nuclear materials partnership

National Nuclear Laboratory (

) and

have signed an agreement to share knowledge and opportunities in the specialist area of nuclear materials.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will jointly bid for funding opportunities and contribute to joint research activities.

In a similar arrangement, made with Sheffield University, Manchester University will gain access to NNL equipment and facilities with students being offered the opportunity to work alongside NNL staff.

The NNL will provide teaching material to the university and support students using bursaries, awards and vocational placements and mentoring schemes.

The collaboration will also work to define trends and skills gaps in the nuclear materials industry and develop strategies to address any shortages.

Prof Andrew Sherry, Manchester University’s director of materials performance, said: ‘This agreement reinforces our existing links with the NNL and creates new opportunities for young researchers to benefit from the outstanding expertise and facilities at the NNL. We look forward to developing new collaborative research programmes to address materials performance in nuclear applications and to develop the UK skills base.’

Dr Peter Bleasdale, managing director of the NNL, said: ‘We have been working with the university for many years and this is an extension of that work, which also presents new opportunities.

‘The field of materials science is crucial to the development of technologies and skills in the nuclear industry and we are delighted to be working with and helping to develop some of the brightest young people around in this field,’ he added.