Annual report of National Institute for Fusion Science. April 2017 - March 2018

In order to promote the scientific and engineering research towards the realization of fusion energy, National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) conducts three major projects, the Large Helical Device (LHD) Project, the Numerical Simulation Reactor Research Project and the Fusion Engineering Research Project. These three pillars collaborate and stimulate each other to contribute the progress of the comprehensive fusion science. In addition to the above mentioned three major projects, NIFS also supports interdisciplinary and basic research, and promotes the coordinated research for ITER-BA cooperation, laser cooperation and academic-industrial cooperation. This annual report summarizes achievements of research activities concerning the fusion research at NIFS from April 2017 to March 2018. NIFS is an inter-university research organization, which conducts collaboration research programs under three frameworks, i.e., General Collaboration Research, LHD Collaboration Research and Bilateral Collaboration Research. More than 500 collaborating research topics were proposed by collaborators in universities or institutes across the country. Proposals from abroad were also included. (J.P.N.)