Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) conduct research to lower the cost of nuclear reactor systems while increasing their levels of safety and security, and (2) develop and publish on the DOE website a schedule outlining a five-year strategy to lower such cost effectively.
Includes among research subjects: (1) modular and small-scale reactors, (2) balance-of-plant issues, (3) cost-efficient manufacturing and construction, (4) licensing issues, and (5) enhanced proliferation controls.