Nuclear Innovation Prize

What is the Nuclear Innovation Prize?

The Nuclear Innovation Prize highlights and rewards excellence in nuclear innovation.

There are 3 specific categories for this prize:

• Nuclear Innovation Prize in safety of reactor systems
• Nuclear Innovation Prize in safety of radioactive waste management
• Nuclear Innovation Prize in radiation protection

The second contest will be organised at the next Euratom Research and Training Conferences in Safety of Reactor Systems (FISA 2025) and Radioactive Waste Management (EURADWASTE’25).

Background

Euratom funded research in fission, waste management and radiation protection benefits from consistent success in pursuing excellence across a broad range of nuclear science and technologies.

Together with EU countries the programme has continuously helped maintain a high‑level of competences, underpinned by sound and advanced research. 

Nuclear researchers and engineers are constantly challenging state-of-the-art in the field and improving evolving technologies thereby creating conditions for innovations beyond technologies and scientific breakthroughs, towards a more dynamic and competitive European industry for the benefit of every citizen and the whole of society. 

Why is there a prize?

The contest aims to identify potential disruptive innovations across product developments and their supply chain, from research to market where researchers and engineers play a critical role.

The prize also highlights and rewards the excellence in nuclear innovation that can be found in this field of research as well as the quality of the talented researchers and industries involved.

Award criteria

There are 3 specific categories for this prize. Participants are free to submit an application concerning any technological innovation in the areas of application of fission, radioactive waste and radiation protection science and technology that have been developed within fields covered in Annex I of the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2023-2025.

These applications should have a market potential or should have been taken up (or recognised) by industry or safety or radiation protection regulators to be further developed for the market or for use by regulators.

Entries will be assessed on

• originality and replicability
• technical excellence
• economic impact, exploitation of the innovation

How proposals are judged

Proposals are studied by an independent jury composed of independent experts in technology transfer, from business and academia.

Prize values

The prizes for each of the categories is as follows:

• 1st place: €50,000
• 2nd place: €30,000
• 3rd place: €20,000

Who can apply

Researchers, research teams and innovators working for public and private organisations or companies can apply. 

How to apply

You must submit your proposal via the EU Funding and Tender opportunities portal.

Please read carefully the Rules of Contest.

Contact

For more information email: RTD-FISSIONec [dot] europa [dot] eu (RTD-FISSION[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

• News article
• 31 May 2022

Nuclear Innovation Prize: seven applications awarded

The prize gives recognition to outstanding researchers or engineers who have found innovative ideas or proposed new solutions in the fission area