The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) was formed in 1954 under the Atomic Energy Authority Act when the British Government set up a new body to oversee the nation’s nuclear research programme. The role was to provide Britain’s atomic weapons deterrent and develop reactor technologies for the nuclear power stations of the future. The UKAEA are a public government organisation.

The UKAEA was responsible for the development of fusion energy and took part in the JET (Joint European Torus) project, developing the world's most powerful fusion device.

The UKAEA has several research programs and facilities, such as the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), the Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) facility, the Materials Research Facility, Oxfordshire Advanced Skills, and Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP).

UKAEA is currently headquartered at Culham Science Centre in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, UK.