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Press Releases

Paula Rosen appointed Fellow of the UK Institute of Physics

We are delighted to announce that Paula Rosen has been awarded Fellow status by the UK Institute of Physics (IOP). This is their highest category of membership and is awarded following a rigorous application process involving an external sponsor and an independent review panel. Paula is a Team Leader in Material Physics where she manages […]

Community News

Supporting Katy’s development

Our charity partner Thrive is one of the leading gardening for health charities in the UK. Over the last three years AWE and its staff have provided funds to support its use of social and therapeutic horticulture to supports client gardeners like Katy – who attends Thrive’s general sessions: Katy is autistic and can be […]

Community News

AWE supports charities for Christmas 

AWE’s annual Christmas charity collection saw AWE staff generously donate food, essentials, toys and clothing to a number of deserving charities. COVID-safe collection points were staffed by volunteers at the two sites, allowing staff to drop off charitable donations. Altogether an impressive 1.5 tonnes of food, one van full of essentials and clothes, along with many […]

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Fellowship delivers real benefits

Since 2016 AWE, in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the University of Bristol, has supported a fellowship at the University of Bristol, led by Professor Tom Scott. Prof. Scott’s research and eminence in materials science has contributed to AWE’s work, in particular the development of radiation detection and mapping technologies. The relationship […]

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AWE triumphs at Employee Benefits Awards

AWE is celebrating a hat-trick with success in all of its shortlisted categories at the recent Employee Benefits Awards 2021. These industry awards recognise excellence and celebrate those who have made a significant difference through their reward and benefits strategies. AWE had success in all of the three categories that it was shortlisted for – […]

Community News

Helping Hannah grow

AWE is proud of its relationship with charity partner Thrive and its amazing work it does. The Reading-based charity uses gardening and plants to improve the health and wellbeing of its clients who have a wide range of disabilities, health conditions and support needs. Over the last three years AWE and its staff have raised […]

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AWE welcomes the Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Annual Report 2020/21

AWE welcomes the Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Annual Report 2020/21 published today (19 October 2021) by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). We are pleased that the ONR acknowledges continued safety improvements in many areas at our Aldermaston and Burghfield sites over the reporting period (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2021). A decision will be […]

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Gender Pay Gap Report

AWE has published its latest Gender Pay Gap Report. The report covers data for this year and last year in line with Government publications guidance during the COVID 19 pandemic. Read more here

Alison Atkinson

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AWE CEO becomes a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

AWE‘s Chief Executive Officer, Alison Atkinson, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She is one of 69 academics, business leaders and innovators elected to the Fellowship, for their outstanding contributions to engineering and technology.

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AWE welcomes significant achievement

On 17 August, the United States’ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announced that it had obtained a 1.3 MegaJoule (MJ) yield of neutron energy at its National Ignition Facility (NIF). AWE welcomes this very significant achievement, a scientific first. Such high energy ignited plasmas are a very valuable tool in the process of underwriting nuclear […]

Community News

AWE helping gardeners to thrive

As part of its ongoing commitment to support local charities, AWE’s charity partner Thrive has received an AWE Charity Fund donation to help its client gardeners flourish at the weekly sessions. This is the third year that Thrive, one of the leading gardening for health charities, has been AWE’s charity partner. Throughout this time, AWE […]

Community News

Summer Issue of Connect out now!

The summer edition of AWE’s community newsletter is out now. This latest issue throws the spotlight on our Local Liaison Committee and how it serves as an important link between AWE and the local community. There’s also a round-up of AWE news plus our work with education and charity partners. Click here for the latest […]

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Fostering Innovation at AWE

 A legacy of innovation Since its beginnings, AWE has been synonymous with innovation in defence. We have pioneered advanced capabilities, facilities, and cutting-edge research for UK’s nuclear deterrence programme. Recently, we commissioned a new supercomputer called Damson, capable of performing 4.3 million billion calculations per second. Orion, one of the largest lasers in the world, […]

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Celebrating 60 years of Forensic Seismology at AWE Blacknest

AWE Blacknest is home to AWE’s Forensic Seismology team. Here, techniques are developed to distinguish seismic signals generated by underground nuclear explosions from those generated by earthquakes. This work is pivotal to the UK’s verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans any nuclear weapons test explosion or any other nuclear explosion. This year, […]

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AWE scientist recognised by Society for Radiological Protection

AWE is proud to announce that scientist John Bradshaw has been made an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP). The SRP is the principal independent professional body for radiation protection in the UK and a learned focus for both understanding radiation hazards and solutions, and providing information to government, industry and the public […]

Community News

Primary Science Challenge winners announced

This year’s Primary Science Challenge has seen local students create some amazing micro-habitats to reflect the 2021 theme of ‘biodiversity’. Regional winners have now been announced with both displaying great imagination and creativity. As part of AWE’s school outreach work and in partnership with Education Business Partnership (EBP) West Berkshire and EBP South, biodiversity workshops […]

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AWE’s Dave Castle is the new Chair of IED

AWE’s Dave Castle IEng RCADMan FIED MBCS CITP is the new Chair of the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) the professional membership body for designers working in the fields of engineering and product design. Dave was elected vice-Chair in 2018, Chair-Elect in early 2021 and officially took up his new role following the IED’s AGM […]

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Time critical: STEM Futures supports quantum tech collaboration during the pandemic

The last year may have put much site-based working on hold but it has not put an end to scientific collaboration, which has continued to flourish despite the restrictions caused by Covid-19. One such example is a recent project bringing together AWE and NPL, the UK’s National Metrology Institute, to support resilient timing in the […]

Community News

AWE donation supports robot challenge

Lego enthusiasts at the Vyne School in Basingstoke have used a donation from AWE to help them compete in a world-wide robot competition. The school’s Lego club is taking part in the First Lego League Challenge which sees young people design, build and program an autonomous robot to solve a series of missions. The Vyne […]

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AWE becomes a Non-Departmental Public Body

Today (1 July 2021), AWE plc, the company operating the Atomic Weapons Establishments (AWE), becomes a Non-Departmental Public Body, wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This change in operating model, announced last year in November, will further strengthen the relationship between the MOD and AWE plc, enhancing the management of the UK’s nuclear […]

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