The origins of SUERC

Between 1956 and 1963, the foundations for what would become SUERC were laid through a decade of collaboration and planning. In 1956, the UK acquired the Argonaut Reactor design from Argonne and developed the Hawker Siddeley “Jason” reactor, humorously dubbed “Just Another Source of Neutrons?”. Following a 1959 paper by Dr. Littler of Harwell, the Atomic Energy Authority proposed supplying Jason-type reactors and low-cost uranium fuel to selected universities. Interest quickly spread among leading institutions, including Queen Mary College, Imperial College, Birmingham, Durham, Southampton, a Manchester–Liverpool consortium, and a consortium of Scottish universities.