The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) will provide CAD9.4m ($7.13m, €6.5m) over the next three years to support 29 research projects in the initial phase of a small modular reactors research grant initiative.
The goal of the financial support is to facilitate the deployment of SMRs while bolstering the scientific foundations necessary for regulatory decision-making.
The funded projects will examine a range of research challenges and other issues like environmental protection, risk management, cybersecurity solutions for SMR deployment in remote locations, achieving a better understanding of nuclear material produced by SMRs, and the role and significance of human factors when working with SMRs.
As part of the 2022 federal budget, CNSC received CAD15m to work with NSERC in funding research that facilitates effective regulation and oversight of SMRs.