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Dr. Kirk Atkinson, Associate Professor, Industrial Research Chair, and Director of the Centre for Small Modular Reactors, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Ontario Tech University. Dr. Atkinson was a witness before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (Ottawa, Ontario, June 2, 2022).
Dr. Kirk Atkinson, Associate Professor, Industrial Research Chair, and Director of the Centre for Small Modular Reactors, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Ontario Tech University. Dr. Atkinson was a witness before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (Ottawa, Ontario, June 2, 2022).

It’s not every day that university researchers get to appear before a House of Commons standing committee to provide context and recommendations for discussions on public policy. But on June 2, Ontario Tech University nuclear engineering researcher Dr. Kirk Atkinson was asked to share his knowledge on the latest developments pertaining to the new and emerging area of small modular reactors (SMRs) before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research.

Dr. Atkinson appeared as a witness to the Committee studying the future of the nuclear industry, and the promise that SMRs offer for the future of clean energy production in Canada. He was selected to provide testimony and recommendations among a group of nuclear industry leaders that included CEOs. As the Director of the Centre for Small Modular Reactors at Ontario Tech, his appearance in Ottawa underscores the depth, reputation and research capacity of the university’s radiation science and nuclear engineering experts.

The Standing Committee on Science and Research is chaired by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, former federal Minister of Science. The Committee is tasked with preparing a formal study on SMRs that will be tabled in the House of Commons. The Government of Canada then formally responds to the study, and that response constitutes government policy.

Ontario Tech is a leading Canadian university research hub in the area of clean and sustainable energy. The university’s strong ties to the nuclear industry includes a legacy partnership with Ontario Power Generation (OPG). OPG has announced plans to bring its first SMR into operation at Darlington by 2028, which makes Dr. Atkinson’s Committee appearance particularly timely and relevant.