ISU / NuCube Advanced Research and Test Reactor Partnership
Idaho State University (ISU) and NuCube Energy, Inc. (NuCube) are partnering to design and build the Advanced Research and Test reactor (ART) on ISU’s Pocatello campus. The project is intended to expand hands-on nuclear education, strengthen Idaho’s advanced energy workforce, and create a university-based platform for research, testing, operator training, and technology demonstration.
In 2026, the ISU / NuCube partnership was selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Launch Pad USA program, managed by the National Reactor Innovation Center. Selection into the program provides access to federal infrastructure, technical expertise, and regulatory support as ISU and NuCube evaluate siting, testing, licensing, and deployment of NuCube’s advanced microreactor technology.
About The Partnership
What is Being Proposed?
The proposed ART is a compact microreactor being developed through ISU’s partnership with NuCube. This compact system produces 0.1% of the power of a large grid- scale commercial nuclear power plant but is not intended to generate electricity for ISU. It is comprised of the same technology and components as the future commercial NuSun platform and will produce heat for education, research, operator training, testing, and technology demonstration. This approach gives ISU students, faculty, and research partners flexible access to advanced reactor capabilities as a tool for student training, advanced research, and testing next generation energy technologies.
How the Reactor Works
The microreactor relies entirely on natural physical processes for its operation and safety. It uses TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel (TRISO fuel) made of tiny fuel particles protected by multiple ceramic and carbon layers designed to retain radioactive material under demanding conditions and extreme temperatures. To regulate temperature, the system utilizes heat pipes, which function like technology that cools laptops or cell phones. These pipes move heat away from the reactor using natural circulation inside sealed tubes, without pumps or any moving parts and eliminates the need for water in the primary system. These features support a simple, passive approach to operation and safety while providing a research platform for high-temperature heat applications.
Building on ISU's Nuclear Research Legacy
Hosting nuclear research on campus is not new for Idaho State University. ISU has operated an instructional research reactor for decades, giving students hands-on experience with reactor operations and nuclear engineering. The ART would build on that foundation by providing a next- generation platform for education, research, workforce development, and technology demonstration.
December 2024. Memorandum of Understanding and Partnership between Idaho State University and NuCube Energy, Inc.
November 2025. ISU and NuCube Energy submitted the Advanced Research and Test Reactor proposal for federal program consideration.
March 2026. ISU and NuCube Energy were selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Launch Pad USA program.
April 2026. ISU and NuCube Energy announced the partnership’s Launch Pad USA selection and intent to advance planning for the ART Reactor on ISU’s Pocatello campus.