b'Fostering Nuclear Energy Innovation A key provision of the 2018 Nuclear Energy Innovation Capability Act required DOE to establish a National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC), so the world-class national laboratory system could assist with development of advanced nuclear energy technologies. INL was chosen to lead NRIC, which will provide private developers with the support they need to test and demonstrate new reactor concepts and assess performance. As a result, NRIC will help accelerate the licensing and commercialization of new nuclear energy systems. Leading Fast Reactor Effort Tomorrows advanced nuclear reactors, particularly fast neutron reactors, will require different testing facilities than those that support todays nuclear power plants. The U.S. doesnt have access to a test reactor that matches the operating conditions of many new technologies, and international testing facilities are not a viable option for American companies to use. The DOE Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) program aims to solve that problem while sustaining American leadership in nuclear energy technology. Its efforts are focused on maturing the initial concept for a sodium-cooled fast test reactor. In 2019, DOEsDr. Ashley Finan will serve as NRIC Office of Nuclear Energy announced plans to build a VTR. INL is leading thosedirector, and Nicholas Smith will be efforts and is one of the sites under consideration.deputy director.GAIN Gateway for AcceleratedGAINInnovation in NuclearGateway for Accelerated Innovation in NuclearBuilding Industry Alliances The Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative is now in its fifth year supporting private-public partnerships. In FY 2019, GAIN organized seven industry-facing workshops to discuss research, development, demonstration and deployment needs related to numerous topics. GAIN provided the nuclear industryGAINGAIN Gateway for Accelerated with access to critical technical information from decades of DOE laboratory research by piloting a process to release nuclear research legacy documents.Innovation in NuclearThe highly impactful GAIN NE Voucher Program, which awarded 14 vouchers inFY 2019 to innovative nuclear energy companies, builds enduring technicalGateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclearrelationships between laboratories and industry. GAIN Gateway for AcceleratedGAIN5Innovation in NuclearGateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear'