Leaders from the University of Missouri, Burns & McDonnell, and the state of Missouri celebrate the signing of a major consulting agreement between the University of Missouri and Burns & McDonnell for NextGen MURR. (Photo: University of Missouri)
The University of Missouri has entered a consulting agreement with construction firm Burns & McDonnell to develop NextGen MURR, a new 20-MW light water research reactor that will produce medical isotopes for cancer treatments and theranostics and will be used to conduct neutron science research.
Burns & McDonnell will review the design and licensing plans developed by the NextGen MURR Consortium, which is composed of Hyundai Engineering America, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Hyundai Engineering Company, and MPR Associates.
Burns & McDonnell will also provide engineering oversight for NextGen MURR, advising on the project schedule and budget performance. The contract, estimated at over $2.3 million, will span more than two years as Burns & McDonnell helps the project team pursue an NRC construction permit application.
BWX Technologies will serve as a supporting subcontractor for Burns & McDonnell.
“This contract is an exciting next step in our progress to build NextGen MURR at Mizzou,” said University of Missouri President Mun Choi. “Burns & McDonnell will help ensure that the new reactor is built on a foundation of technical excellence, regulatory compliance, and world-class project management. This strengthens our team as we advance toward submission of our application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”
Funding: Last June, NextGen MURR secured $50 million in state funding for the design and construction of the facility. It is additionally supported by a $20 million grant through the National Institute of Standards and Technology and $8.4 million in federal funding in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for radioisotope processing equipment and essential reactor safety and reliability systems.
Expanding facilities: The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) has been in operation for 59 years and, according to university, is the largest producer of radioisotopes in the United States. Last year, 500,000 cancer patients were treated with radioisotopes produced at MURR. In 2025, as plans for NextGen MURR were in the early stages of development, the university opened MURR West, a $20 million, three-story, 47,000-square-foot addition to MURR.
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