The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is developing a decision-making framework and tools to support long-term strategic planning for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) and evaluation of advanced nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) technologies. The current readiness of a technology relative to deployment, along with the effort needed to mature the technology to the point of deployment, are potentially important factors in prioritizing R&D investments for NFC technologies. A Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is a systematic, metric-based process that evaluates the maturity of the technologies used in systems; it uses the nine-point Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). EPRI and Vanderbilt University hosted a Fuel Cycle Assessment Workshop on July 24 - 25, 2013, with breakout sessions addressing NFC technology readiness metrics, information/knowledge management, and NFC simulation. The application of technology readiness assessment to NFC assessment was addressed by ten (10) experts from industry, DOE national laboratories, and academia. This paper describes the answers from the experts to five questions and the key points distilled from exploring these five questions. The results are expected to be useful to organizations that are screening NFC options for the purpose of prioritizing future RD&D investment.
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