October 1, 2026- NUMARK Associates has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for a continuation of services focused on building the capacity of overseas nuclear regulatory authorities for the safe and secure licensing and oversight of U.S. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
Over the period October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, NUMARK will support the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction’s (ACN/CTR) Global Threat Reduction Programs in these efforts, including the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technologies (FIRST) program and other programs funded by ACN/CTR Global Threat Reduction programs.
NUMARK will provide U.S. SMR technical consultancy support to overseas nuclear regulatory agencies and other relevant stakeholders, including in-person consultancies or trainings, to assess needs, build capacity, and provide tailored advisory services on regulatory and operational topics. These activities will strengthen the institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks of partner countries based on U.S.-aligned best practices in regulating and operating safe and secure commercial nuclear power plants, enabling partner countries to safely and securely license and deploy U.S. SMRs.
Technical consultancy and training topics under this award may include regulatory agency organizational structure and staffing, personnel competency profiles, integrated management system processes, preapplication review for U.S. SMRs, draft regulations for a new nuclear power plant, and training for regulators on probabilistic risk assessment, license application review, and licensee inspections and performance assessment. The topics will be tailored to the level of experience and needs of each partner country’s regulatory agency, and selected in consultation with ACN/CTR.
With the support of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) in select countries, NUMARK will arrange translation of materials and simultaneous interpretation for the engagements and will be responsible for logistics associated with the in-person and virtual engagements. NUMARK will also conduct pre- and post-engagement evaluation of participants to measure capacity, knowledge, awareness, strengths, weaknesses, and likelihood of implementation success.
NUMARK, founded in 1991, has provided technical support services to nuclear regulatory authorities in the United States and abroad since 2007. NUMARK supports public and private sector clients in the United States and around the world in the areas of nuclear safety, international development, environmental protection, and sustainable energy strategies.
The ISTC is an intergovernmental implementation partner bridging science, policy and real-world impact. Headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan, and governed by ten member governments across North America, Europe and Asia, it delivers international programmes engaging researchers and professionals across several fields, with a core focus on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) safety and security.
