2025 NEST Fellows and the NEST Awards jury
Fifteen fellows attended the second NEA Nuclear Education, Skills and Technology (NEST) Awards on 5-6 November in Paris, France. Eight fellows were selected to present a summary of their fellowship experiences, acquired skills, and the overall impact of the fellowship on their studies and career paths.
The NEST Awards is part of the NEA NEST Framework, which was launched in 2019 with the goal of addressing gaps in nuclear skills capacity building and knowledge transfer through hands-on training within multinational research projects. Since then, more than 230 fellowships have been completed, 14 countries have joined the Framework, and 8 projects have delivered training opportunities across a range of thematic areas.
Opening the event, NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV, highlighted the uniqueness of the programme, “giving participants not just technical training but more importantly, intrinsic understanding about what it takes to put large projects together, especially multinational activities, and working with peers around the world”, before entering the workforce.
Coming from eight academic institutions across eight countries, fellows presented their academic backgrounds, insights and the lessons learnt by participating in two NEST projects: NEST Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Remote Technology and Robotics for Decommissioning (ARTERD).
Presentations and projects included a wide range of research: modernising reactor designs, testing and evaluating advanced materials under extreme conditions, decommissioning hasardous sites with autonomous robots and optimising robotic control and mobility. Socio-economic aspects, like developing a community-centred approach to nuclear energy deployment and the case for SMRs in developing countries were also featured in several presentations. After each presentation, both fellows and experts asked questions and exchanged ideas with the presenters.
Fellows discussing the projects presented
Following presentations by the Fellows, three leading experts participated in a career development panel. The panellists, Todd Allen, Department Chair and Professor at University of Michigan; Ik Jeong, Director at Nuclear Education and Training Centre at the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI); and Phil Rogers, Director and Co-Founder of private sector company Equilibrion, shared their personal career paths and advice. Key takeaways of the advice for Fellows included: continuously reassessing career goals, building strong networks and soft skills, having the confidence to take initiative and not underestimating oneself.
Todd Allen, Department Chair and Professor at University of Michigan, sharing his career insights
The NEST jury awarded four of the presentations with prizes – with two recipients sharing third place. First place was awarded to Laura Sanna from Politecnico di Milano, Colby Arsenault from McMaster University received the second prize, and Tong Chen from the University of Tokyo as well as Young-woon Song from Pohang University of Science and Technology shared the third place.
Laura Sanna, first-prize winner, presenting her project on the development of mono- and multi-element metallic coatings for lead-cooled fast reactor environments
While in Paris, the Fellows also took part in site visits, including a private tour of the Curie Museum, which is the site of the former laboratory of Marie Curie. They also visited the World Nuclear Exhibition, providing opportunities to see nuclear industry technologies, discover additional professional and academic opportunities and gain exposure to the global nuclear industry.
Site visits at the Curie Museum and the World Nuclear Exhibition
Looking ahead, the NEST Framework continues to grow with new member countries and project areas. The 2027 NEST Awards will give more Fellows the chance to showcase their professional development, achievements and accomplishments.
Those interested in participating in NEST, or looking for more information, can contact the NEST Secretariat at nest@oecd-nea.org.