What’s NEXT?
NEXT, which stands for Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing Laboratory, is experimenting with using molten salts, rather than water, as a coolant for nuclear reactors with the goal of designing and building the first university-based molten salt research reactor.
As students and faculty work together seeking creative solutions to complex problems, the next generation of leaders in nuclear science and engineering are gaining real-world experience. In the process, they are seeing firsthand how their innovation and collaboration can impact the world.
NEXTRA: Working Together for Progress
ACU is leading NEXTRA – the NEXT Research Alliance – among four universities with extensive experience in physics, chemistry and engineering. Launched in Spring 2019, the consortium’s goal is to design, license and commission the first university-based molten salt research reactor, which ACU will host and own. Other members of the consortium are Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin.
