The Saclay Nuclear Research Centre is one of 9 laboratories belonging to the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (CEA), which hosts the administrative headquarters of the CEA and a major national laboratory. It is the heart of French nuclear research since Frederic Joliot-Curie founded it after the Second World War. Its campus has been built by famous architect Perret.
It is now part of the confederal University of Paris-Saclay, along with CentraleSupélec, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, HEC Paris, IHES, etc.
The complex employs 5000 scientists and is located in the Essonne department of northern France, south of Paris on the Saclay plateau.
The research carried out ranges from fundamental research to applied research and, thanks to the Orpheus research reactor, lasers and magnetic resonance research into the State of Matter.
Research at Saclay is focussed on different topics:
The centre also houses the Institut national des sciences et techniques nucléaires (National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology) which is dedicated to the academic and professional training in the field of atomic energy.
Coordinates: 48°43′29″N 2°08′56″E / 48.72470°N 2.14876°E