Working group 4: Technical Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Safeguards

Working Group 4 consists of multiple members from the Division for Applied Nuclear Physics at UU, with competences and experiences relevant for technical non-proliferation, safeguards and nuclear disarmament. The focus of the working group is on the development of technical measures that support the non-proliferation and disarmament community, through development of approaches, methodologies and measurement techniques targeting existing needs and challenges. We are also interested in jointly with the other AMC working groups and experts in the field tackling issues of an interdisciplinary nature.

Current activities span over both research and education, with ongoing research topics targeting assessments and control of sensitive and nuclear materials, fuel cycle analyses and verification of existing and future treaties on non-proliferation and disarmament. We are also involved in the development of courses on both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Dr Sophie Grape received her PhD in nuclear physics in 2009. She then entered into the field of technical nuclear safeguards as a postdoc at Uppsala University, and continued during a 7-year period as a researcher in the same field. Since 2018, Sophie Grape is working as an Associate Professor at the Division of Applied Nuclear Physics, leading the research group in technical nuclear safeguards comprising PhD-students, postdocs and researchers. Her field of expertise concerns primarily measurement and analysis techniques intended to verify nuclear material such as nuclear fuel, with an emphasis on non-destructive assay techniques. She also has experience of evaluations and assessments aiming to support non-proliferation and safeguards aspects of future nuclear energy systems.

Sophie Grape is since many years an active member the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA) and a previous chair of the working group on Training and Knowledge Management. Sophie Grape is a member of the Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste, which gives advice to the Swedish government on nuclear waste issues. Since 2021, Sophie Grape is also on the board for research issues at the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, SSM, and since 2022 on the program council for the new competence center on nuclear technology ANItA (“Academic-Industrial Nuclear Technology Initiative to Achieve a Future Sustainable Energy Supply”)  hosted by Uppsala University.

A selection of the working groups publications are listed below, in order of publication year. 

2022

• Sophie Grape, Peter Andersson, Erik Branger, Fedchenko, Vitaly. 2022. State-of-the-Art Report: Prepared by Working Group 4: Technical nuclear non-proliferation and safeguards under the Alva Myrdal Centre for nuclear disarmament

• Robert Kelley, Sophie grape (Contributor), Erik Branger, (Contributor), Cecilia Gustavsson (Contributor). 2022. OPCW as a Model for a TPNW Structure