European Concerted Programme on Radiation Protection Research

The CONCERT-European Joint Programme for the Integration of Radiation Protection Research under Horizon 2020 was organized as an umbrella structure for the research initiatives by the radiation protection research platforms MELODI, ALLIANCE, NERIS, EURADOS and EURAMED. The main objective of the CONCERT co-fund action was attracting and pooling national research efforts with European ones in order to make better use of public R&D resources and to tackle common European challenges in radiation protection more effectively by joint research efforts in key areas. CONCERT has contributed to integration of the research efforts off all these platforms under one umbrella structure, to jointly address common research needs in radiation protection and to organise funding of research projects. In 2014, several Member States formed the CONCERT consortium. CONCERT was granted a five-year funding from the European Commission to establish this umbrella structure based on the strategic work already done in the fields of low dose risk research (MELODI), radioecology (ALLIANCE), nuclear emergency preparedness (NERIS), dosimetry (EURADOS) and medical radiation protection. In June 2015, CONCERT finally started its work. The Federal Office of Radiation Protection (BfS) in Germany coordinated CONCERT. The Management Board consisted of 36 National Programme Managers and Programme Owners from 23 EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland and five EURATOM Research Platforms being MELODI, ALLIANCE, NERIS, EURADOS and EURAMED. By joint programming, defining joint research priorities and road mapping CONCERT is guiding radiation protection research in Europe. This joint effort is performed with a strategic perspective on supporting excellent science, on building and maintaining high competence in radiation and radiation protection science as well as further promoting integrative and multidisciplinary research on a European level. CONCERT contributed to the sustainable integration of European and national research programmes in the field of radiation protection. A crucial step was to initiate and fund concerted joint research actions. Based on the platform SRAs and joint programming, CONCERT has developed research priorities, aligned them with priorities from participating Member States and with input from society and stakeholders. It succeeded to engage the wider scientific community in its projects, aiming to answer the needs in radiation protection for the public, occupationally exposed people, patients in medicine, and the environment. CONCERT has supported the implementation of the revised European Basic Safety Standards by giving best possible advice based on evidence from research. CONCERT significantly helped in integration of the radiation protection scientific community at the EU level, leading to a better coordination of research efforts and the provision of more consolidated and robust science based policy recommendations to decision makers in this area. In the long-term, these efforts will translate into additional or improved practical measures in view of the effective protection of people and the environment. Within CONCERT two major open RTD calls (2016/2017) have been launched. Universities and research institutes from all over Europe had the opportunity to join in research consortia and submit proposals. CONCERT as a co-fund action (70% EC and 30% national funding) is aiming at integrating national and European research programmes. Next to research, education and training activities closely linked to research will be carried out by CONCERT to build and maintain the high level of competence in radiation sciences and radiation protection in Europe. In addition, CONCERT have contributed to enhance the visibility of infrastructures and facilitating access to them. In 2019 the European Commission did a peer review, which covered all CONCERT activities carried out so until 2019. Review was done by independent external experts. The objective of the review was to assess the work of CONCERT and of the activities funded by CONCERT such as research projects and E&T activities. The review evaluated the proper use of resources, the management procedures and methods of the project, the degree of fulfilment of the project work plan for the relevant period. The result of evaluation was utmost positive. The reviewers concluded that CONCERT is a very successful project despite it is the first of its kind in radiation protection research. The overarching issues of CONCERT, to create an integrated research area is accomplished very well and interdisciplinary integration was well addressed. They also recognised the management challenges and found that CONCERT is really managed successfully and can be seen as a role model for what can be achieved. Regarding the joint programming issue, reviewers placed particular emphasis on the agreed joint roadmaps of the research platforms as positive instruments.

- felles forskningsagenda (Strategic Research Agenda) for strålevern, om strålingseffekter- og risiko, dosimetri, beredskap, radioøkologi og medisinsk strålebruk er identifisert. Et felles, langsiktig veikart for Europeisk strålevern forskning med identifiserte "game-changers" for hvert forskningsområde er utviklet. Videre integrering av europeisk infrastruktur for Strålevernforskning, noe som er høyt prioritert på bakgrunn av at forskningsmidler til slik infrastruktur er redusert i mange EU land. CONCERT har derfor lagt til rette for å gjøre økt bruk av eksisterende infrastruktur gjennom samarbeid og integrering av forskningen. Integreringen av utdanning og fagkompetanse i strålevern er forbedret. Den tette kontakten og integreringen mellom forskningsgrupper i Europa, samarbeidet om forskningsstrategier og prioriteringer, har også vært fruktbart med hensyn på utvikling av nye prosjekter, f.eks RadoNorm, der DSA er en av partnerne i dette prosjektet.

The proposed European Concerted Programme on Radiation Protection Research (acronym: CONCERT) aims to contribute to the sustainable integration of European and national research programmes in radiation protection. It will do so by focusing resources and efforts in five key directions: - Bring together the elements of the European scientific communities in the fields of radiation effects and risks, radioecology, nuclear emergency preparedness, dosimetry and medical radiation protection, whose joint expertise is essential to continue the development of radiation protection knowledge in a multidisciplinary mode to reduce further the uncertainties in radiation protection. - Strengthen integrative activities between the various areas of expertise, in particular biology, biophysics, epidemiology, dosimetry and modelling as well as fostering the use of existing infrastructures and education and training activities in radiation protection. - Stimulate and foster scientific excellence, by setting up and co-funding advanced research programmes with the potential to enhance current knowledge and the scientific evidence base for radiation protection. - Exchange and communicate with all stakeholders, including the professional organizations concerned with radiation protection, the regulatory organizations across Europe, the public and media where necessary, and the international community of scientific, technical, legal and other professional experts in radiation protection. - Foster the harmonious application of available scientific basis for radiation protection practices across Europe, by bringing together scientific and technical expertise in radiation protection issues, standard setting know how, particularly with respect to the implementation of the Euratom Basic Safety Standards (BSS) at the legal, administrative and operational level. To reach its goals, CONCERT will have seven Work Packages each of which will focus on each of the key directions.