Research and test reactors, critical assemblies and prototypes at this site, as listed in the IAEA Research Reactor Database: type, thermal power, first criticality, shutdown date, current status and what each is used for.
Active nuclear industry job listings in MD from the NukeWorker job board. Click a job title for full details, or click the header to search all jobs in this state.
Per diem covers lodging and meals & incidental expenses (M&IE) for government and contractor travel near this facility. Rates are from GSA for FY 2027. Lodging rates vary by month — click "Show Monthly" to see the breakdown.
$287
Lodging/Night
$192–$295 range
$92
M&IE/Day
$379
Total/Day
District of Columbia, Washington DC (also the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax, and the counties of Arlington and Fairfax, in Virginia; and the counties of Montgomery and Prince George's in Maryland) County, MD
Maximum state unemployment insurance benefits for MD. Actual benefits depend on your earnings history and may be lower than the maximum. Data as of Jan 2026.
Interactive satellite map showing the facility's geographic location. Marker color indicates current status: green for online, red for offline, orange for reduced power. Click the header to open in Google Maps satellite view.
39.1266, -77.2184
Location & Contact
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Physical address, phone number, and website for this facility. Use the directions link to get driving directions via Google Maps.
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: NIST: NCNR history; NIST: How neutrons are produced.
The NIST Center for Neutron Research is built around the NBSR, a heavy-water cooled and moderated research reactor on the campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The reactor was built by the National Bureau of Standards, NIST's predecessor, as a source of neutrons for measurement science.
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Construction began in 1961, and the reactor reached initial criticality on December 7, 1967. It reached its design power of 10 megawatts in 1969, and a 1985 upgrade doubled the thermal power to 20 megawatts. A cold neutron source was installed in 1987, and the facility took the name NIST Center for Neutron Research in 1994. A fuel failure during startup on February 3, 2021 paused operations, and the NRC authorized restart on March 9, 2023.
