The Centre for Radiation Impact on Materials at Queen’s University is a Tier 1 Research Centre dedicated to advancing knowledge on how existing and emerging materials perform under the harsh conditions found in current and next-generation nuclear reactor environments. The Centre’s research portfolio covers a range of materials issues, with particular strengths in corrosion of materials, structural materials, computational modelling of materials, and fundamentals of radiation effects.
The centre was established in 2025 as part of Queen’s commitment to world-leading nuclear research. Since the recruitment of a single faculty member in 2002, the university’s nuclear materials research program has expanded rapidly. A major milestone in this growth was the establishment of the Reactor Materials Testing Laboratory (RMTL) in 2015, which now serves as a core research facility for the centre. Today, the program is supported by a Canada Excellence Research Chair, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, and two industry-funded University Research Chairs—positioning Queen’s as one of Canada’s foremost institutions in nuclear materials research.
Canada is a nuclear nation with a complete domestic supply chain—from fuel processing to plant operation and eventual decom¾ÞÈéÊÓƵing. As the country commits to large-scale expansion of nuclear power, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), research into the long-term performance and resilience of reactor materials is more critical than ever.
The 2020 SMR Action Plan and recent cross-party commitments at both the federal and provincial levels highlight the strategic importance of nuclear energy in Canada’s clean energy transition. To ensure the safe, efficient, and long-lasting performance of these technologies, the centre’s research will play a pivotal role in enabling nuclear power to serve as a low-carbon, baseload complement to intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.
With global consensus growing around the role of nuclear energy in decarbonization and climate resilience, the Centre for Radiation Impact on Materials is poised to become a leader in nuclear research on the international stage, supporting the energy transition worldwide.
The Centre for Radiation Impact on Materials actively collaborates with Canadian and international partners, including academic institutions, industry leaders, and nuclear organizations. Current partnerships span the United States, United Kingdom, France, Argentina, and Australia, with plans to expand further.
The Centre for Radiation Impact on Materials offers graduate internship opportunities within the nuclear sector (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories) and supports professional development through interdisciplinary training programs. These are delivered in collaboration with other campus units, such as the Student Academic Success Services (SASS) – Graduate Student Support.