Rising global energy demand and the adverse environmental impact of fossil energy sources have led to renewed interest in increasing the share of energy coming from power nuclear reactors. Some of the key materials challenges facing nuclear technology include understanding and predicting material performance in often synergistic, extreme conditions. Novel ceramic materials and approaches help to advance the utilization of nuclear energy in a manner consistent with the goals of proliferation resistance, and energy sustainability, while ensuring waste reduction and thus improving public perception. This symposium will bring together experimentalists, theoreticians, and modelers to discuss the innovations needed to develop the next generation of materials and fuels for nuclear applications and to understand the performance of existing ceramic materials under extreme operating conditions.