Professor Klaus Böning worked at the institute experimental physics E21 and in the central team to design and construct the new research reactor FRM-II of the TUM. In the first part of his scientific career he performed fundamental research at the old reactor FRM to investigate the properties of point defects as produced by reactor irradiation of metals at liquid helium temperature. After his habilitation, in 1978, he founded a working team for reactor physics at E21 and, together with other universities, research centers and the industry, a project team to design and obtain the nuclear license of the new research reactor FRM-II (now called Research Neutron Source Heinz-Maier-Leibnitz FRM II).

Klaus Böning studied physics at the TU Munich where he also got his PhD and finally habilitated about "electronic transport properties of metals with point defects".
In 1979 he became the leader of the FRM-II project and in 1995, just before the real and costly construction of the FRM-II began, its permanent deputy project leader.  From 1996 to 2003 he also was the chairman of the "International Group on Research Reactors IGORR."