GIF Organisation and Governance
The general framework for GIF activities and its organisational structure have been outlined in the founding agreements of the GIF and are then detailed in the policy statements by the GIF Policy Group.
Legal Structure of GIF
GIF is governed through a Framework Agreement, System and Project Arrangements, a suite of committees, policies, and contracts. The Framework Agreement governs the System Arrangements, which governs the Project Arrangements.
The figure on the right provides an overview of the legal structure of GIF. To visualise GIF's membership and its evolution follow this link.
GIF Framework Agreement
At the highest level, GIF has a Framework Agreement, an international agreement that establishes a framework for international collaboration to foster and facilitate achievement of the purpose and vision of the GIF.
The GIF Framework Agreement was the world's first agreement aimed at the international development of advanced nuclear energy systems: it was signed in Washington, on February 28, 2005, and was extended in 2015 for another period of 10 years.
Eleven countries and one state organization are current Parties to the GIF Framework Agreement: Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as Euratom.
The annex to the Framework Agreement lists the implementing agents as last updated in January 2019. Signatories for which the Framework Agreement is in force are referred to as Parties.
System Arrangements (SAs), Project Arrangements (PAs) and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)
Under the Framework Agreement are a series of System Arrangements (SAs) that are each implemented through one or more Project Arrangements (PAs) for R&D projects.
System Arrangements and Project Arrangement are agreements governing intellectual property rights and other matters between participants to work co-operatively on the concepts. System Arrangements can only be signed by Implementing Agents while Project Arrangements can be signed by Implementing Agents or other entities from the public or private sector.
Four System Arrangements have been signed for the Very-high-temperature reactor system (VHTR), Sodium-cooled fast reactor system (SFR), Gas-cooled fast reactor system (GFR) and Supercritical-water-cooled reactor system (SCWR). For the last two systems, the Lead-cooled fast reactor system (LFR) and the Molten Salt reactor system (MSR), Memoranda of Understanding have been signed to allow for collaboration until System Arrangements are put in place.
Governing Bodies of GIF
Policy Group
The GIF is led by the Policy Group (PG), the highest-level Committee of the GIF responsible for governing its overall framework and policies, for the overall steering of GIF co-operative efforts and for interactions with third parties. As of 2024, the GIF Policy Group is led by the GIF Chair, with support from 4 Vice Chairs, a Policy Director and a Technical Director (See Leadership).
Experts Group
The Experts Group (EG), which reports to the Policy Group, oversees the progress of collaborative projects, and makes recommendations to the Policy Group on required actions. It is an advisory and consultative body that offers guidance on R&D strategy, priorities, and methodology, and on the assessment of research plans. The Experts Group may take other actions at the request of the Policy Group.
System Steering Committees & Project Management Boards
Signatories of each System Arrangement have formed a System Steering Committee (SSC) to plan and oversee the R&D required for the corresponding system.
R&D activities for each GIF system, implemented through a set of Project Arrangements (PA), are signed by interested bodies that have each formed Project Management Boards (PMBs). The PMB addresses the R&D needs of the corresponding system in a broad technical area (e.g., fuel technology, advanced materials and components, energy conversion technology, plant safety). The main goal of a PMB is to establish the viability and performance of the relevant Generation IV system in a specific technical area.
Methodology Working Groups
a working group is a group that is established to respond to specific challenges of the GIF (e.g., Education & Training, Economics & Modelling, Risk & Safety, Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection). Only GIF member countries that are signatories to the GIF Framework Agreement can join a Working Group.
Senior Industry Advisory Panel
The GIF Senior Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP) is a group tasked to provide advice on long-term strategic issues, including regulatory, commercial, or technical issues. The SIAP is comprised of senior industry executives sought from nuclear system vendors, including Small Modular Reactor vendors, architect/engineering companies, fuel vendors, waste management firms, other nuclear energy technology companies, as well as electric and non-electric process heat industries where nuclear energy could be applied.
Policy Secretariat
The Policy Secretariat supports the Policy Group and its Chair as well as the Experts Group (EG) in the implementation of their mandates. The Policy Secretariat is comprised of a Policy Director to assist with the conduct of the GIF Policy Group, as well as a Technical Director to act as Chair of the Experts Group, and to assist the Policy Group as required to coordinate the R&D collaboration and other matters addressed by the Experts Group.
Technical Secretariat
The Technical Secretariat provides secretariat support for the work of the System Steering Committees (SSCs), Project Management Boards (PMBs), Working Groups (WGs), Task Forces (TFs), Senior Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP) and other GIF groups that may become active in the future. As decided by the Policy Group, the GIF Technical Secretariat is held by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). The NEA is entirely resourced for this purpose through voluntary financial and /or personnel contributions made by GIF Member countries that are Parties to the Framework Agreement.