Of Interest archive

In the latest episode of ITER Stories (Season 2, Episode 5), hear what it's like to move from abroad for the ITER Project ... from the point of view of five ITER spouses.

In "ITER Spouses, A Journey of Transformation," Mansi, Joke, Moon-Jeong, Zijin and Pieter speak about their experiences moving to Provence to support their spouses and their voyage into the ITER World. From raising children, to learning the ropes of living in Provence, rebuilding identities, and taking life into their own hands, they share thoughts that may be interesting to families who are considering a move to ITER in the future, other expats, or the simply curious.

Listen to the latest episode directly on the ITER website or through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Spotify, or Tune In.

The 2022 Report on Human Resources offers the most recent snapshot of the human element of ITER. Who is behind the engineering, the science, and the day-to-day management and administration of the world's largest research collaboration?

ITER Organization staff grew by 3.3% in 2022 over the preceding year, reaching 1,069 members. European staff members represent 69% of the 2022 total, while staff from the six other Members is distributed as follows: China 8.1%, India 2.4%, Japan 3.6%, Korea 6.1%, Russia 7.2% and the United States 3.4%. Staff joined the project from all ITER Members in 2022, with the Human Resources Department fielding 3,098 applications for 111 newcomer recruitments. Of total appointments in 2022, 12.3% were women.

Just over 77% of ITER staff members have an advanced degree (Master's, engineering degree, or PhD). Women represent 18.6% of the staff body, and hold 9% of management positions. The average age of all staff is 45.3 years old (43.9 years for women, and 45.6 years for men). In 2022, global turnover was 7%, with 73 departures.

Nearly 80% of staff choses to live in either Aix-en-Provence (pop. 147,000) or Manosque (pop. 23,000), two of the larger towns in the ITER environment, and 75% have at least one dependent child. Nearly 70% of staff were rewarded in 2022 for performance, and 19.3% were promoted through contract renewal.

See all this granular detail and more in the 2022 ITER Organization Report on Human Resources here.

Besides attending an ITER Open Doors Day, the best way to familiarize yourself with the ITER construction project is to watch our latest drone video. It takes you in and out of the buildings on site—including the tall Assembly Hall where ITER's some of ITER's largest components are viewable—and flies far overhead for an update on the latest site infrastructure achievements.

Watch it on the ITER website or YouTube.

The Energy Subcommittee of the US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing on fusion energy on Tuesday 13 June 2023. 

Titled "From Theory to Reality: The Limitless Potential of Fusion Energy," the hearing focused on how this "history-changing energy source" is progressing from scientific experiment to commercial reality. 

Invited to speak before the Subcommittee members were: Kathryn McCarthy, Director, US ITER Project Office; David Kirtley, CEO, Helion Energy; Wayne Solomon, Vice President, Magnetic Fusion Energy, General Atomics; Andrew Holland, CEO, Fusion Industry Association; Scott Hsu, Senior Advisor and Lead Fusion Coordinator, US Department of Energy.

You can watch the full hearing in replay at this address (starts at 44:45).

For your wall at home or in the office! Download an annotated photo of the ITER site—part of the annual ITER Planet brochure, featuring descriptions in English and French. Or, see this page of the ITER website for all the latest ITER Organization publications.

Download the ITER Planet brochure here.

Registration for the 28th International Conference on Magnet Technology (MT-28) is open on line through 5 September 2023 on the conference website.

See all fee information here, including reductions for retired participants, students and one-day attendees. The registration fee includes access to the exhibition, all technical sessions, all poster sessions, and receptions.

The conference will take place in Aix-en-Provence, France (only 30 minutes from the ITER site) from 10 to 15 September 2023. ITER site visits will be organized.

To register to MT-28, see this link.

From a survey of 26 private fusion companies and 34 supplier companies, the Fusion Industry Association—a US-registered non-profit independent trade association for the acceleration of the arrival of fusion power—predicts a huge growth in demand for fusion suppliers over the coming years. 

Its report The Fusion Industry Supply Chain: Opportunities and Challenges calculates that from USD $500 million in 2022, the fusion supply chain is set to increase to over USD 7 billion by the time companies build their first-of-a-kind power plants. When the fusion industry reaches maturity, the supply chain is predicted to be worth trillions of dollars.

Seventy percent of fusion companies surveyed, however, said their suppliers see building the capacity to meet future demand as too risky without committed orders. "It is clear more long-term certainty is needed—through a mix of finance, regulation, risk-sharing mechanisms, and more communication—so suppliers are prepared to scale ahead of industry need."

Read the full report on the Fusion Industry Association website.

The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD), in partnership with UNESCO, is taking place this year on 5 June.

Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is the ambitious program that the Member States of the United Nations have agreed on to ensure a balanced, sustainable and inclusive development of the planet.

Basic sciences have an important contribution to make to the implementation of this program. They provide the essential means to meet crucial challenges such as universal access to food, energy, health coverage and communication technologies. They enable us to understand the impact of the currently nearly 8 billion people on the planet and to act to limit, and sometimes even to reduce it: depletion of the ozone layer, climate change, depletion of natural resources, extinction of living species.

Applications of technology are easy to recognize. On the other hand, contributions of basic, curiosity-based, sciences are not well appreciated. They are nonetheless at the basis of major technological advances that stimulate innovation, as well as essential for training future professionals and for developing capacity of populations who can take part in decisions that affect their future. UNESCO is well aware of this: its Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers, revised in 2017, recalls the importance of bringing together politicians, scientists, diplomats, international organizations, entrepreneurs and every goodwill person.

The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development, that we organize in 2022 and 2023, focuses on these links between basic sciences and the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a unique opportunity to convince all stakeholders that through a basic understanding of nature, actions taken will be more effective, for the common good.

ITER Head of Communication Laban Coblentz will be delivering a talk on "The ITER Project: collaborating on basic science for a new energy future" at 18:30 Paris time (CET).

Click here for the livestream. See all information about the IYBSSD event here.

Episode 4 of The ITER World, ITER's second podcast miniseries, is now available.

What do a 14 year old in the south of France, a robot competition, and a scientist at a pioneering nuclear fusion experiment have in common? The love for coding and human collaboration!

In "ITER Robots: Connecting as Humans," host Kruti Mawani Fayot joins middle and high school students at the annual ITER Robots event, where they compete with Lego-based robots that have been designed and programmed to complete ITER-like handling tasks.

Listen to the latest episode directly on the ITER website or through the following channels: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Spotify, and Tune In.  

Visit the podcast page of the ITER website for all Season 1 and Season 2 episodes.

Join fellow fusion PhD candidates from all over Europe in August in Lausanne, Switzerland!

The annual PhD Event organized by the European Fusion Education Network, FuseNet, will take place this year at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

From 23 to 25 August, meet and greet fellow fusion researchers. The event will feature high-profile keynote speakers, a top-notch scientific program and the much anticipate PechaKucha contest, where students present their research in 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide.

See all information here. Register before 14 June 2023.

Listen to physicist Hartmut Zohm from Germany's Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) as he addresses what in his view are the five most common misconceptions about fusion research: 1) Fusion energy is always 30 years away; 2) With the money flowing into fusion research right now, a fusion power plant can be built in 10 years; 3) Using alternative fuels circumvents all the challenges; 4) Your Q values are not correct; 5) In fusion research, every success is a breakthrough.

The 20-minute talk""5 Myths About Nuclear Fusion" is available in English and German.

Episode 3 of The ITER World, ITER's second podcast miniseries, is now available.

"Falling for Fusion" features interviews with two young fusion enthusiasts who explain how they came to find out about fusion science and technology, how they joined the effort to increase the visibility of this very active field of research, and where they think fusion fits into the future.

Listen to the latest episode with host Kruti Mawani Fayot directly on the ITER website or through the following channels: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Spotify, and Tune In.  

Visit the podcast page of the ITER website for all episodes.

The European Consortium for the Development of Fusion Energy, EUROfusion, has launched a call for 2024 EUROfusion Engineering Grants. These grants provide funding for up to twenty outstanding early-career engineers to conduct research projects starting in the first half of 2024. The EUROfusion grant will cover their salaries under the EUROfusion funding rules as well as contribute to their research activities and missions for the duration of two years.

EUROfusion encourages young engineers who are passionate about fusion research to apply for this opportunity. To be eligible, candidates must currently hold a Master's degree in engineering and have finished their degree within six years preceding the submission deadline. Interested candidates should jointly prepare their application with a EUROfusion consortium member or affiliated entity, who will submit the application and offer to employ the candidate for the proposed duration of the project.

Interested candidates are invited to attend the EUROfusion Training and Education Office's Q&A Information Session on Wednesday, 24 May 2023, at 14.00 CEST (connection details can be found on the EUROfusion wiki pages or requested by emailing EEG24application@euro-fusion.org).

The submission deadline is 5 June 2023. For all information, see these pages.

During the weeks of 5 to 15 June 2023, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) will host a intensive virtual course on plasma physics and fusion energy sciences, taught by world-renowned scientists from various US and international institutions. The course is targeted at undergraduate students interested in plasma physics and fusion energy science and is open to the public at large.

Registration is free and participants who attend the full course will receive a certificate of completion.

The introductory course will be fully conducted via Zoom, and in half-day sessions (12PM-5PM EST) in order to accomodate various time zones.

The content will reflect the broad research under the fusion energy sciences and plasma physics umbrella, including discovery plasma sciences, magnetic fusion energy, fusion materials and technology, and high energy density plasmas.

See all information here.

The third edition of "Education Boot Camp," organized by the Indian Youth Nuclear Society (IYNS) and Shiv Nadar School, Noida, attracted 2,000 participants from the Delhi region, from grade 5 through university. The goal? To raise awareness about sustainable development and climate change.

Over one month, participating students were asked to develop ideas to tackle the environmental challenge of their choice, and present them at the two-day culminating event on 20-21 April. Team Swachh Bin from the Shiv Nadar School won first prize with a project on waste management. 

Nintendra Singh, founder and president of the IYNS, founding board member of Women in Nuclear India (WiN-India), and current ITER Project Associate in the Tritium Breeding Blanket Section, was satisfied with the dedication and enthusiasm of the students. "The event was an excellent opportunity for students to learn and connect with industry experts and academia, and to connect with peers. The idea that it is necessary to find local—and innovative—solutions to global issues was very well assimilated."

Shira Tabachnikoff, Internal & Stakeholder Relations Manager at ITER and co-chair of the Women in Fusion network, participated in panels on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and shared the status of the ITER Project with students in high school and university.

The INFUSED pages of the ITER Organization website are the place to go for students and teachers interested in educational resources in fusion science and technology. The resources have been developed all over the world, and are offered in many languages and formats.

At this time of year, it is also good to keep an eye on the INFUSED event calendar, where deadlines are fast approaching for summer training opportunities, specialized courses, and postdoctoral research grants.  

At the top of this page, click on "View all upcoming events" to see a list of opportunities through November. Click on the titles to find out more about application procedures and deadlines.

And for organizers, you can contact ITERCommunications@iter.org if you don't see your training opportunity listed in INFUSED.

Join fellow fusion PhD candidates from all over Europe in August in Lausanne, Switzerland!

The annual PhD Event organized by the European Fusion Education Network, FuseNet, will take place this year at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

From 23 to 25 August, meet and greet fellow fusion researchers. The event will feature high-profile keynote speakers, a top-notch scientific program and the much anticipate PechaKucha contest, where students present their research in 20 slides, 20 seconds per slide.

See all information here. Register before 18 June 2023.

Episode 2 of The ITER World, ITER's second podcast miniseries, is now available.

"Visiting Planet ITER" takes the listener into the heart of ITER's assembly activities, where visitors from France, Thailand and the Netherlands are discovering the project and sharing their views about ITER's goals and nuclear fusion energy overall. Kirsten Haupt, from the ITER visits team, lifts the veil on the popular ITER visitor program that attracted approximately 20,000 people last year, and nearly 200,000 since it started in 2007.

Listen to "Visiting Planet ITER" with host Kruti Mawani Fayot directly on the ITER website or through the following channels: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Spotify, Tune In and World Radio Paris.  

Visit the podcast page of the ITER website.

The new JT-60SA International Fusion School (JIFS), jointly funded and organized by Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and EUROfusion, aims to prepare the next generation of fusion physicists and engineers from Japan and Europe by focusing on the main aspects of fusion research, from plasma physics to engineering, with special attention to their combination into tokamak operation.

School attendance is limited to 20 students—10 from Japan and 10 from Europe. The two-week program in Japan will include lectures, visits to JT-60SA, and practical exercises using JT-60SA laboratories and JT-60SA data, analysis and computational tools.

The first JT-60SA International Fusion School will take place from 4 to 15 September 2023. Registration ends 15 April 2023. For all information see this page.

The European Consortium for the Development of Fusion Energy, EUROfusion, has launched a call for applications for the next round of EUROfusion Bernard Bigot Researcher Grants, which will fund up to ten outstanding early-career researchers for research projects starting in the first half of 2024. The grants will cover their salaries and part of the cost of their research activities and missions for up to two years.

To be eligible, candidates must currently hold a PhD and have defended their doctoral thesis within the two years preceding the submission deadline. Interested candidates should jointly prepare their application with a EUROfusion consortium member, who will submit the application and offer to employ the candidate for the proposed duration of the project.

Interested candidates can join the EUROfusion Training and Education Office's Q&A Information Session on Wednesday, 19 April 2023, at 14.00 CET.

Further details on the overall procedure and the information session are provided on this website. The submission deadline is 28 April 2023.

--The Researcher Grants are named after Dr Bernard Bigot, Director-General of the ITER Organization from 2015 to 2022.