[Neutron] Financial Support to Reactor Institute Delft

[Catherine Pappas - TNW]

Dear Colleagues
it is my pleasure to announce that the Dutch Council of Ministers decided January 20 to give a substantial financial support to the Reactor Institute Delft. With this support the institute will implement the OYSTER programme and boost its capabilities as the centre of scientific expertise in the field of nuclear and radiation research and education in the Netherlands.
The aim of OYSTER (Optimised Yield – for Science, Technology and Education – of Radiation) is to
 increase the power of the research reactor, install a cold neutron source, improve the
 existing instruments and develop new innovative instruments, which will enable groundbreaking materials science research in the fields of health and energy.
The Reactor Institute Delft is the Dutch centre for multidisciplinary scientific research and education in reactor physics, neutron and positron radiation, radiation detection and radiochemistry. A large part of the research focuses on medical applications, such as the production of medical isotopes and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In addition, new materials are being developed for sustainable energy such as solar cells and batteries and work is being carried out to develop the nuclear reactors of the future. The Reactor Institute Delft is moreover the organisation in the Netherlands that trains people to work with radiation. It also provides international workshops and trainings and is one of the thirteen worldwide Collaborating Centres of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Director of the Reactor Institute Delft and TU Delft dean, Tim van der Hagen: “One of the things OYSTER will make possible is the development of a new generation of medical isotopes for detecting or destroying cancer cells. The slower neutrons will also help to drastically improve the efficiency of solar panels and the capacity, charge rate and safety of batteries.”

The Dutch government is also investing in the realisation of PALLAS, the new nuclear reactor for radioisotope production at Petten. In this way a very strong nuclear knowledge structure will be put in place, which will position the Netherlands amongst the global leaders in nuclear knowledge and product development.
with very best regards

Prof dr Catherine (Katia) Pappas
Neutrons and Positrons Methods in Materials
Faculty of Applied Sciences
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15
2629 JB Delft
the Netherlands
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Tel: +31 15 278 4597
Fax: +31 15 278 8303
Mobile: +31 63 95 65 235
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