Established in 1956, JINR is an intergovernmental scientific research organization of 18 countries aimed at uniting their scientific and financial resources to study the fundamental principles of matter. These countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, North Korea, Cuba, Czech Republic, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Vietnam. In addition, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Serbia and South Africa have working agreements with the Institute. In all, JINR cooperates with scientific organizations and universities in 64 countries. Among its recent international projects has been the work of its scientists on the Large Hadron Collider.[1]

JINR conducts research and trains researchers from participant countries in the following areas: theoretical physics, elementary particle physics, relativistic nuclear physics, heavy ion physics, low- and intermediate-energy physics, neutron scattering, condensed matter physics, radiation biology, nuclear medicine, and experimental instruments and methods. The Institute has two heavy ion cyclotrons, a light nuclear accelerator, a proton accelerator, and a superconducting synchrotron. An intense resonance neutron source was completed in 2008, and a heavy ion complex, DRIBs-II, is currently under construction. JINR is in the process of implementing a program to renovate its research facilities through 2016.[2]

The Institute also has a pulsed reactor and a neutron multiplier, both fueled by plutonium.[3]

Sources:
[1] "Об ОИЯИ" [About JINR], JINR website, undated, www.jinr.ru (accessed 18 October 2012).
[2] "Об ОИЯИ" [About JINR], JINR website, undated, www.jinr.ru (accessed 18 October 2012).
[3] "Research reactors: Russia," International Panel on Fissile Materials, undated, fissilematerials.org (accessed 18 October 2012).