R&D Institutions
Known as the cradle of China's nuclear industry, that is, the birthplace of China's nuclear science and technology, the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) is the nation's leading comprehensive nuclear research institution.
Known as the cradle of China's nuclear power engineering, the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC) is the only large-scale comprehensive R&D base in China that integrates nuclear reactor engineering research, design, testing, operation and small batch production. It is a leading member of China's nuclear power R&D network, which also includes the China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute (CNPRI), the Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute (SNPRI), the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI), the Research Institute of Nuclear Power Operation (RINPO), and the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) of Tsinghua University.
The China Institute for Radiation Protection (CIRP) specializes in radiation protection research.
The nuclear fuel R&D platform consists of a number of research institutes, including the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology (BRIUG), the Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy (BRICEM), the Institute of Physical and Chemical Engineering (IPCE), the NPIC's Department of Nuclear Fuel, and the CIAE's Department of Radiochemistry.
Research on advanced nuclear energy technologies has enjoyed strong government support. CIAE's area of focus is fast reactors; Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology is working on high temperature reactors; the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and CNNC's Southwest Institute of Physics are studying fusion reactors; and CAS's Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics leads the research on thorium-based molten salt reactors.
科技研发机构
中国原子能科学研究院是中国核科学技术的发祥地和基础性、综合性核科研基地，被誉为中国核工业的“摇篮”。
中国核动力研究设计院是中国唯一集核反应堆工程研究、设计、试验、运行和小批量生产为一体的大型综合性科研基地，被誉为“中国核动力工程的摇篮”。与中广核研究院、苏州热工研究院、上海核工程研究设计院、中核核动力运行研究所、清华大学核能与新能源技术研究院一起，组成了中国核动力科技研发体系。
中国辐射防护研究院是中国专门从事辐射防护研究与应用的综合科研机构。
以核工业北京地质研究院、核工业北京化工冶金研究院、核工业理化工程研究院、中国核动力研究设计院材料所、中国原子能科学研究院放射化学所为代表的科研机构，构建了中国核燃料科技研发平台。
中国积极推进先进核能系统的研发，中国原子能科学研究院是快堆研发中心；清华大学核能与新能源技术研究院是高温堆研发中心；中科院等离子体物理研究所和核工业西南物理研究院是聚变堆研发中心；中科院上海应用物理所牵头开展钍基熔盐堆的研发。
