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How to participate
Participating as a Member State
All IAEA Member States can participate in the TC programme. The biennial programme is developed jointly with Member States through a consultative process, using a results-based management approach. The process involves the National Liaison Officer, national project counterparts and IAEA staff, as well as appropriate thematic institutions in Member States and other partners.
Technical cooperation projects can run for between two to four years. National TC programmes address priority areas identified in Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs)—which defines mutually agreed priority development needs and interests to be supported through technical cooperation activities—or in national development plans.
Member States submit their national programme through their National Liaison Officer to the IAEA. The draft national programme includes a programme overview, details of the consultation process and the regulatory infrastructure, and project concepts. If requested by Member States, the IAEA carries out pre-planning missions to support the preparation of project concepts—National nuclear safety and regulatory needs are also assessed during these missions. Each national technical cooperation programme identifies counterparts, end users and partners to ensure that the programme takes all possible stakeholders into account.
Once submitted, project concepts are checked for technical feasibility and any safety issues are identified and addressed. Projects are also checked for proliferation risk by the Department of Safeguards, in accordance with the Statute, INFCIRC/267, and all other relevant decisions.
The draft technical cooperation programme is released to Member States in advance of the annual November meeting of the Technical Assistance and Cooperation Committee (TACC). The TACC reviews the proposed programme and submits it to the IAEA Board of Governorsfor approval. Implementation of the TC programme cycle starts in the January of the year following approval.
Fellowships and scientific visits
The IAEA’s technical cooperation programme supports fellowships and scientific visits, which are awarded as part of a technical cooperation project. Scientific visits are of short duration and aimed at senior staff and specialists, while fellowships are of longer duration and aimed at younger staff with less work experience.
Fellowships support the development of the human resources needed at the national level for the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology. They are normally awarded for periods of up to one year and are available to university graduates or their equivalent and to individuals at technician level in the requested field, mainly through project-oriented on-the-job training.
Scientific visits are awarded to senior staff so they can study the development of nuclear science and technology, organizational aspects and functioning of special services, training programmes and schools in nuclear science, or observe research activities. They broaden the scientific or managerial qualifications of specialists in developing countries and do not exceed two weeks’ duration.
Participating in meetings
The IAEA regularly holds meetings related to its technical cooperation programme. Their purpose is typically to analyse particular aspects of individual projects or specific programme areas, or to work out a set of recommendations and advice on those. Participation is by invitation only.
All potential applicants for meetings are encouraged to apply online. Potential applicants with a lower bandwidth connection can also download the nomination form.
Nomination form:
English: Word version | pdf version
French: Word version | pdf version
Spanish: Word version | pdf version
Participating in a training course
The Agency organizes interregional and regional training courses and supports national training courses in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. Applications for events carried out under the technical cooperation programme must be submitted through the usual channels.
All potential applicants for training courses are encouraged to apply online. Potential applicants with a lower bandwidth connection can also download the nomination form.
Nomination form:
English: Word version | pdf version
French: Word version | pdf version
Spanish: Word version | pdf version
Participating as a resource institution
The IAEA maintains a roster of institutions in developing countries and countries in transition that can provide quality services such as expertise, training via fellowships, courses and scientific visits, and analytical services. Institutions interested in being included in the roster should have available capacities and be interested in contributing to the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, and in collaborating with institutions of other Member States.
Providing expert services
Specialists in nuclear science, engineering and related subjects play a key role in the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, helping developing Member States to achieve self-reliance in numerous topic areas. Typically, expert services include advising project counterparts in the field, lecturing at training courses and contributing to meetings.
Under this programme, experts are recruited for a limited period only and must be ready to travel abroad. Their specific tasks are defined by the scope and objectives of the individual technical cooperation projects. The principal areas of activity are: food and agriculture; health and nutrition; water and the environment; industrial applications; radiation safety; and nuclear knowledge management.
Supplying goods or services
The IAEA procures goods and services with a total value of more than €200 million every year. All equipment, supplies and contracted services required for the Agency's technical cooperation projects and research contracts are purchased through the IAEA’s procurement services.