The Pinkerton Prize, awarded in memory of JB Pinkerton, recognises authors and co-authors of articles of significant technical or scientific merit published in the Nuclear Institute’s bi-monthly Nuclear Future journal.
JB (John Brownlie) Pinkerton was the founder of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers (INucE). The INucE was one of the predecessor organisations that eventually formed the Nuclear Institute.
Previous Winners
- 2022 – Alastair Baker, Andrea De Santis, Alex Fells, Timothy N. Hunter, Bruce C. Hanson, Chris Maher, Rob Taylor: 'The development of centrifugal contractors'
- 2021 – Paul Nevitt, Meridith Sherock, Emma Vernon – ‘Fuelling Net Zero’
- 2020 – Clara Lloyd, Robbie Lyons, Tony Roulstone FNucI: ‘Expanding Nuclear’s Contribution to Climate Change with SMRs’
- 2019 – Robin Taylor and Gemma Mathers:'Innovation in the aqueous recycling of spent nuclear fuels’
- 2018 – Mike Davies – ‘The qualification of candidate graphites for future high-temperature gas-cooled reactors’
- 2017 - Harry Edwards, Andrew Jackson, Adam Locke: ‘Modular Civils for Modular Reactors’
- 2016 - Reuben Holmes, Massimiliano Materazzi, and Brandon Gallagher: ‘Magnox Reprocessing TDN Reactors: Utilising 3D Printing to Re-Design and Test Fluidising Air Nozzles’
- 2015 - Richard Crawford - ‘Lessons from the Graphite Core Project’
- 2014 - Michelle Nuttall: ‘Criticality aspects of the transport of legacy spent fuels’
- 2013 - Jim Thomson FNucI: ‘Fukushima and its consequences’
The European Nuclear Society (ENS) organises an annual Award to recognize an outstanding PhD thesis work. The ENS High Scientific Council (HSC) acts as the Selection Committee, and the Nuclear Institute, as the UK Member of the ENS, nominates the UK candidate for this prestigious award.
UK candidates will be assessed by an NI team headed by Professor Laurence G Williams OBE FREng FNucI, a member of the ENS High Scientific Council.
The successful candidate will become the UK Nominee for the HSC PhD award.
Previous UK Winners
- 2024 - Dr Elizabeth Sharp, NNL "Development of an NDT method for pressure monitoring of special nuclear material containment”
- 2023 - Dr Matthew Lukacs, UKAEA. "Development of a Regulatory Framework for the Licensing of a Fusion Power Plant."
- 2022 - Dr Liberato Volpe. “High Temperature Oxidation Studies of Ni-base Alloys: Understanding the Role of the “Precursor Events” during the Early Stages of Stress Corrosion Cracking”
- 2020 - Dr Steph Thornber, NNL “The development of high fraction zirconolite glass-ceramics for the immobilisation of actinides in plutonium residues for long-term geological disposal” - Steph went on to be named winner of the overall ENS PhD Award.
The NI Young Generation Network awards two prizes annually, presented at the YGN Annual Dinner and the NI Annual Dinner respectively.