Future is Bright for Academic Partnership Program at Canada's National Nuclear Laboratory as Universities Agree to Five-Year Extensions

Toronto Star

29-07-2025

CHALK RIVER, Ontario, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada's premier nuclear science and technology laboratory, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to drive nuclear opportunity for Canada, are pleased to announce that they have signed five-year extensions with all nine universities currently participating in CNL's Academic Partnership Program (APP). Developed to ensure Canada's R&D community is ready to fully support the country's ambitious climate change goals through nuclear energy – the APP is helping to establish a talent pipeline for the nuclear industry; encouraging collaborative research projects; and, facilitating joint access to the infrastructure, technology and expertise at Canada's national nuclear laboratories.
Since it launched in 2022, the APP has grown rapidly, beginning with early participants that included McMaster University, the University of Ottawa and Ontario Tech University in 2022; Western University, the University of Waterloo, the University of New Brunswick and Queen's University, who joined in 2023; and, the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan, which saw the program expand west in 2024. These renewals extend the original agreements for an additional five-year period, positioning the Academic Partnership Program for continued growth and success.