Towards a strategic research agenda for social sciences and humanities in radiological protection

peer reviewedReflecting a change in funding strategies for European research projects, and a commitment to the idea of responsible research and innovation in radiological protection (RP), a collective of research institutes and universities have developed a prospective Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in radiological protection. This is the first time such a research agenda has been proposed. This paper identifies six research lines of interest and concern: 1) Effects of social, psychological and economic aspects on RP behaviour; 2) Holistic approaches to the governance of radiological risks; 3) Responsible research and innovation in RP; 4) Stakeholder engagement and participatory processes in RP research, development, policy and practice; 5) Risk communication; and 6) RP cultures. These topics were developed through broad stakeholder consultation, in conjunction with activities carried out in the framework of various projects and initiatives (EU H2020 CONCERT programme, the EU FP7 projects OPERRA, PREPARE and EAGLE, the 2015-2018 RICOMET series of conferences, and the 2014 and 2016 International Symposia on Ethics of Environmental Health); as well as through dialogues with members of the European radiation protection research communities. The six research lines open opportunities to integrate a range of key social and ethical considerations into RP, thereby expanding research opportunities and programmes and fostering collaborative approaches to research and innovation

Towards a strategic research agenda for social sciences and humanities in radiological protection

Reflecting a change in funding strategies for European research projects, and a commitment to the idea of responsible research and innovation in radiological protection (RP), a collective of research institutes and universities have developed a prospective Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in radiological protection. This is the first time such a research agenda has been proposed. This paper identifies six research lines of interest and concern: 1) Effects of social, psychological and economic aspects on RP behaviour; 2) Holistic approaches to the governance of radiological risks; 3) Responsible research and innovation in RP; 4) Stakeholder engagement and participatory processes in RP research, development, policy and practice; 5) Risk communication; and 6) RP cultures. These topics were developed through broad stakeholder consultation, in conjunction with activities carried out in the framework of various projects and initiatives (EU H2020 CONCERT programme, the EU FP7 projects OPERRA, PREPARE and EAGLE, the 2015-2018 RICOMET series of conferences, and the 2014 and 2016 International Symposia on Ethics of Environmental Health); as well as through dialogues with members of the European radiation protection research communities. The six research lines open opportunities to integrate a range of key social and ethical considerations into RP, thereby expanding research opportunities and programmes and fostering collaborative approaches to research and innovation

Revised Strategic Research Agenda for Social Sciences and Humanities in Radiation Protection

This document describes the research priorities and the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in radiation protection for the next 20 years. It also reports on the results of a first gap analysis. The SSH SRA is a living document, under constant development through the engagement of the SSH community in radiation protection field and other stakeholders, especially technical and research platforms. To this end, the SSH community in radiation protection field will structure and enhance dialogue at the European level among the different stakeholders, fostering the sharing of knowledge and information among various disciplines working on aspects of radiation protection and identify the SSH research needs in the field of radiation protection. The objective of Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in radiation protection is to contribute towards improvement of the Radiation Protection (RP) system by coordinating European SSH research in the field of radiation protection; supporting education and training; knowledge management and sharing; and identifying SSH state of the art across domains. It is only by enabling SSH research to play a fuller and stronger role through a coordinated SRA mechanism that societal perspectives on research relating to radiation protection will be realised. The SSH SRA has been developed through a broad stakeholder engagement process. The research topics to be included in the SSH SRA have been collected through various activities carried out in the H2020 projects CONCERT and the FP7 projects OPERRA, PREPARE and EAGLE, notably the RICOMET 2015, 2016 an RICOMET 2017 conferences and Symposium on Ethics of Environmental Health, as well as in dialogues with members of the radiation protection platforms, carried out in a context of the CONCERT 2.6 task group. These research topics have been prioritised for the first time at the Radiation Protection Week in Oxford (19-23 September 2016) with task 2.6 members, SSH community and platforms, and further debated upon at the RICOMET Conference 2017 (June 27th to 29th, Vienna) with a large audience. The version summarised in this report is the most recent revision on of the SSH SRA (D2.8 and D2.10)

Economics of Radiation Protection: Equity Considerations

Radiation protection, equity, economics of uncertainty, optimisation,

When citizen science meets radon building diagnosis: Synthesis of a French pilot project developed in the framework of the European RadoNorm research project

As part of the European RadoNorm research project, citizen science pilot projects focusing on the management of radon risk in houses have been implemented in four countries. This article describes the methodological basis, the development and the results of the French pilot project. Building on an initial review of existing literature, the pilot project aims to frame a 'participatory approach' aligned with the standards and recognized practices of citizen science. Particular attention was given to the management of data and the inclusion of ethical considerations. The focal point of the project was the process of radon building diagnosis which is supposed to be carried out whenever (high) radon concentrations are measured and should be prerequisite to mitigation works. As experience shows, however, this diagnosis is hardly implemented in France. To help remedy this situation, the pilot project recruited citizens already aware about radon from Pays Vesoul Val-de-Saône (East of France) to test an existing online self-evaluation guide for radon diagnosis, report on their operational experience and meet with radon/building experts. This enabled citizens to contribute to improvements in form and content to the guide and to ensure that it would be better fit for purpose. Comparison of the guide with experts' practices offered additional perspectives on what building diagnosis should entail. The pilot project produced rich and high-quality data that will nurture the evolution of the guide. The project demonstrated both the viability and the utility of applying the citizen science approach to radon post-measurement phases, with measurable benefits in bridging knowledge gaps and in encouraging behavioural changes. The results of using a citizen science approach in the field of radon management and research are encouraging, and they far outweigh the challenges involved in the implementation

When citizen science meets radon building diagnosis: Synthesis of a French pilot project developed in the framework of the European RadoNorm research project

As part of the European RadoNorm research project, citizen science pilot projects focusing on the management of radon risk in houses have been implemented in four countries. This article describes the methodological basis, the development and the results of the French pilot project. Building on an initial review of existing literature, the pilot project aims to frame a 'participatory approach' aligned with the standards and recognized practices of citizen science. Particular attention was given to the management of data and the inclusion of ethical considerations. The focal point of the project was the process of radon building diagnosis which is supposed to be carried out whenever (high) radon concentrations are measured and should be prerequisite to mitigation works. As experience shows, however, this diagnosis is hardly implemented in France. To help remedy this situation, the pilot project recruited citizens already aware about radon from Pays Vesoul Val-de-Saône (East of France) to test an existing online self-evaluation guide for radon diagnosis, report on their operational experience and meet with radon/building experts. This enabled citizens to contribute to improvements in form and content to the guide and to ensure that it would be better fit for purpose. Comparison of the guide with experts' practices offered additional perspectives on what building diagnosis should entail. The pilot project produced rich and high-quality data that will nurture the evolution of the guide. The project demonstrated both the viability and the utility of applying the citizen science approach to radon post-measurement phases, with measurable benefits in bridging knowledge gaps and in encouraging behavioural changes. The results of using a citizen science approach in the field of radon management and research are encouraging, and they far outweigh the challenges involved in the implementation

Short-term Habitat Use and Vertical Movements of the Pelagic Stingray Pteroplatytrygon Violacea in the Western North Atlantic Ocean Determined by Pop-up Archival Satellite Tags

.—The pelagic stingray,Pteroplatytrygon violacea, is commonly encountered as bycatch in pelagic longline fisheries targeting swordfish,Xiphias gladius, and tunas; however, very little is known about its habitat use. To better assess the utility of the technology and attachment method, four pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) with short, 13-d durations were deployed on pelagic stingrays in 2010 and 2011 in the South Atlantic Bight (n = 2) and the northern Gulf of Mexico (n = 2). Analysis of the minimum straight-line distances from the first transmission locations compared to release locations showed that pelagic stingrays moved from 151.0 to 258.0 km [mean (SD) = 190.8 (46.6) km] or between 11.6 and 19.8 km d –1 . Data also indicates pelagic stingrays undergo small diel vertical migrations with stingrays inhabiting slightly warmer [20.95 (3.4) °C], shallower [128.6 (99.8) m] waters at night, compared to cooler [19.7 (3.0) °C], deeper [167.0 (112.4) m] waters during the day. Understanding habitat use and behavior of less economically important species, particularly those that compose a substantial portion of bycatch like pelagic stingrays, will help fisheries managers account for these interactions with more economically valuable target species, as well as advance the overall understanding of pelagic ecosystems and aid in conservation efforts

Summary of SFRP-IRPA workshops on the reasonableness in the practical implementation of the ALARA principle

The practical implementation of the principle of optimisation of radiological protection (i.e., ALARA principle) was the subject of two workshops organised in Paris (France) in February 2017 and October 2018 at the initiative of SFRP within the framework of IRPA. The article summarizes the discussions and conclusions of these two workshops. The search for reasonableness was examined in three sectors: nuclear industry, medical practices and existing exposure situations. In all sectors, the optimisation remains a challenge and experience shows that this is implemented through a deliberative process to achieve a reasonable compromise with all informed parties. This issue was further investigated by three working groups − one for each sector – on the basis of cases studies. It emerges that, in complement to the use of classical tools such as cost-benefit analysis, the implementation of the optimisation principle implies a clear identification of the challenges to be met in order to achieve the best protection in the prevailing circumstances. These challenges may be specific to a type of exposure situation and in some cases to a given situation. The process should also well identify the relevant stakeholders and decision-makers to be involved and determine how they will be involved. A proactive process including development of awareness, empowerment and/or training may be needed. This reflexion deserves to be further developed

Protective Eyewear Promotion: Applying Principles of Behaviour Change in the Design of a Squash Injury Prevention Programme

Eye injuries in squash have the potential to be severe. Although these injuries can be prevented through the use of protective eyewear, few players wear such eyewear. The aim of this paper is, to outline the behavioural principles guiding the design of a squash eyewear promotion initiative, the Protective Eyewear Promotion (PEP). Ecological principles of behaviour change were used to provide a comprehensive perspective on intrapersonal factors, policies and physical environmental influences of protective eyewear use. Results of baseline player surveys and venue manager inter-views were used to provide relevant and specific intervention content. At baseline, protective eyewear was not found to be readily available, and players' behaviours, knowledge and attitudes did not favour its use. The main components of PEP involved informing and educating both players and squash venue operators of the risk of eye injury and of appropriate protective eyewear, as well as assisting with the availability of the eyewear and offering incentives for players to use it. A structural strength of PEP was the strong collaborative links with the researchers of different disciplines, the squash governing body, eyewear manufacturers, squash venue personnel, as well as players. Attempts were made within the project structure to make provision for the future dissemination and sustainability of more widespread eye injury prevention measures in the sport of squash