The application period will open on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 and will close on, Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (11:59 PM CET).**聽**
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IAEA Lise Meitner Visiting Professional Programme in France and at the IAEA HQ (hosted by Orano and the IAEA)
Dates: 4-17 October 2026 (including travel days)
**Focus: **Nuclear fuel cycle (U ranium exploration and mining, uranium conversion and enrichment, fuel fabrication, spent fuel storage, reprocessing and recycling, nuclear materials transport and radioactive waste management and disposal).
This application call is open to nationals of the following IAEA Member States: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland ,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, T眉rkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.
The Lise Meitner Programme (LMP) visiting professional programme will consist of:聽
- One-week at Orano鈥檚 nuclear fuel cycle facilities, in France, (5 to 9 October 2026), and one-week at the IAEA Headquarters, in Vienna (12 to16 October, 2026), in conjunction with the IAEA International Conference on Fuel Supply Chain for Sustainable Nuclear Power Development (link here: International Conference on Fuel Supply Chain for Sustainable Nuclear Power Development | IAEA).聽
The programme is open to women professionals in the nuclear sector, who are currently employed with 3-10 years of relevant experience, or are final year PhD candidates with prior relevant work experience.
Participants will have a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and an insider鈥檚 view of the nuclear fuel cycle, visiting Orano鈥檚 state-of-art facilities across France, including uranium conversion and enrichment plants, spent fuel storage and transport sites, and reprocessing and recycling facilities. Participants will also engage directly with international experts, learning about real-world operations, best practices, and cutting-edge developments in the nuclear fuel sector.
The visit will showcase the key steps of the nuclear fuel cycle and highlight the critical role of the nuclear fuel supply chain and circular economy in supporting sustainable nuclear power. Participants will gain insight into the complexity and scale of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities, as well as understand the importance of addressing societal expectations for reducing the burden of generated wastes and preserving natural resources. In addition, the programme will provide the opportunity to attend an international forum of information exchange on achievements, challenges, lessons learned and prospects concerning the nuclear fuel supply chain and the application of circular economy principles at the different steps of the nuclear fuel cycle. Participants will also explore how these aspects could be adapted in existing and future nuclear power programmes in their own countries, with a focus on enhancing sustainability, circular economy, natural resources preservation, and industrial developments. They will also benefit from participation in sessions and activities that focus on leadership development.
Note: Submission of an application does not guarantee selection.
Who can apply
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Women professionals with a nuclear-related background relevant to the focus area of the visits; examples can be found聽 here
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Currently employed with between 3-10 years of relevant work experience in a nuclear related field; OR final year PhD students in the nuclear field with relevant聽prior work experience
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Completed relevant bachelor's degree, master's degree聽or PhD
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Nationals of eligible IAEA Member States listed above.
All applicants are required to
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Complete the 聽online application form
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Provide the requested documents as noted in the application form:
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Copy of passport
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Diplomas (bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and/or PhD)
For applicants who are employed, additional required documents:
For applicants in their last year of PhD studies, additional required documents:
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Relevant publication(s) and/or brief description of PhD thesis (max 2000 words) signed by the PhD supervisor
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Completed PhD supervisor release and recommendation form sent directly to聽 LMP Team 聽by the PhD supervisor (download聽 form )
Applicants may apply in their own capacity, or be nominated by their national authorities, in which case, the聽 Participation Form 聽should be completed by the participant and sent to the competent national authority for transmission to the IAEA. Please refer to additional instructions in the Form. All applicants are reviewed against the IAEA LMP established selection criteria. National endorsement is not mandatory and does not guarantee selection.
Selection
Participants can only attend one LMP professional visit. Previous participants are not eligible.
Selected participants will be notified in advance and provided with full participant details.