European Partnership for research in radiation protection and detection of ionising radiation

Expected Outcome:

this topic is a continuation of the co-funded European partnership for research into radiation protection and detection of ionising radiation (PIANOFORTE) and constitutes the EU’s contribution for 2026-2027. The establishment of the partnership will contribute to the expected outcomes specified in topic HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-09.

The partnership is expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• establishing improved risk estimates for the justification of practices and optimisation of radiological protection of members of the public, patients, workers and the environment in all exposure situations (medical, natural, occupational and accidental – including co‑exposure and overlapping risks) to support the implementation of the Basic Safety Standards Directive;
• advancing state-of-the-art understanding of the link between exposure characteristics (radiation quality, dose, dose-rate and dose effects versus gravity) and cancer and non-cancer effects (including optimised detection and dosimetry);
• developing a knowledge base and analytical tools for the major features of variability in radiation response (including tissue reactions, cancers and cellular aging, and radio-induced immunoresponse) in humans and ecosystems;
• advancing integrative radiobiology, from basic mechanisms to clinic and epidemiology (including human and social sciences) to further characterise and evaluate ionising radiation effects;
• providing a scientific basis for, and establishment of, priorities for medical applications of ionising radiation (taking a broad approach to the public health impact) in order to address knowledge gaps that are relevant for decision-making; reinforce the risk/benefit analysis; advance individual patient dosimetry by using radiobiology research results; develop recommendations, procedures and tools for improving radiation protection of patients; and supporting the effective transfer of new and optimised medical procedures into clinical practice;
• providing a scientific basis for recommendations, procedures and tools for improving radiation protection of workers and the public in line with the Basic Safety Standards Directive;
• providing a scientific basis for recommendations, procedures and tools for assuring and improving preparedness for nuclear and radiological emergency response and recovery (including improved knowledge of which values need to be accounted for in stakeholder involvement); direct monitoring of the radiological population and indirect monitoring through environment sampling and measurement (also based on computational techniques that use big data and AI); and improving hospital capabilities in emergency support;
• providing quality assurance for all measurements. This includes traceability and the assignment of uncertainties to results;
• reinforcing training through research in the field of radiation protection and encouraging continuous training and career upgrades;
• facilitating access to research infrastructure and promoting the integration of data and FAIRisation processes (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable);
• improving public engagement and the understanding of public perception of radiation risks; identifying different target groups among stakeholders; and communicating to and involving the general public on radiation risks and protection measures in order to promote public acceptance.

Scope:

the Commission invites proposals for the establishment of the European Partnership for research into radiation protection and detection of ionising radiation. Proposed partnerships should fulfil the requirements set out in this topic as well as meet the criteria for the selection and implementation of European partnerships and their monitoring, evaluation, phase-out or renewal as set in the Horizon Europe Regulation.

Radiation protection research funded under this Partnership should provide solutions and recommendations for protecting people and the environment from the potentially harmful effects of ionising radiation (as required by the Basic Safety Standards Directive). A reinforced multidisciplinary approach to research, innovation and citizen involvement is needed in order to further develop the knowledge base and enable implementation of innovations regarding risks from different exposures to radiation, thereby enabling the application of that knowledge to direct gains in radiation protection culture and practice. The influence of individual’s characteristics (e.g. their sex and age) and interaction with other risk factors will have to be addressed as part of research into individual sensitivity, susceptibility and degenerative fragility. This is a significant concern in medical applications, which are to be justified and optimised on the basis of sound evidence and scientific outcomes.

Implementation of this Partnership would require the cooperation of the entire European research community in order to exploit synergies between different scientific disciplines. This implies the potential involvement of all research institutions and universities – encompassing both fundamental and applied research as well as the human and social sciences. The Partnership would need to take account of the present state of knowledge and priorities identified in the Strategic Research Agenda of MELODI (low dose radiation), ALLIANCE (radioecology), the European Metrology Network for Radiation Protection (EMN RP), EURADOS (dosimetry), NERIS (nuclear emergency preparedness), EURAMED (medical exposures), SHARE (social sciences and humanities) and SNETP (the sustainable nuclear energy technology platform).

Furthermore, citizens should continue to be involved by supporting open and participatory approaches to research and innovation in the field of radiation protection. Good decisions require societal issues and citizen involvement to be taken into consideration in the options and assessment of risks associated with radiation exposure.

To deliver the expected outcomes, the Partnership would build on and further develop its strategic research and innovation agenda (SRIA). The Partnership would also need to consider the Euratom Scientific and Technical Committee’s opinion on the research roadmap, the SAMIRA initiative and the roadmap^[1] for medical applications of ionising radiation, developed in the EURAMED rocc-n-roll ^[2] project funded under Euratom.

The Partnership should address the identified research and innovation priorities through at least one open call. Call priorities should be determined in close connection with stakeholders. The governance structure within the Partnership should ensure transparent, open calls, project proposal evaluation and selection.

Links with other partnerships and international cooperation beyond Euratom (particularly with international organisations) are encouraged. Other synergies across programmes (e.g. the Horizon Europe Health cluster and the proposed cancer mission) will continue to be explored through dedicated working groups. There should also be collaboration with industry on technological developments and on bringing scientific and technological breakthroughs a step closer to the market for the benefit of citizens and society.

The Partnership should ensure the availability of, and facilitate access to, state-of-the-art research infrastructures required to implement the SRIA. This should be done consistently with action HORIZON-EURATOM-2026-01-04 (European Facility in Nuclear Research).

The Partnership should also develop competences in radiological protection, with a special focus on radiological protection culture. Solutions should be proposed to the challenge of communicating results in radiological protection to, and engaging with, non-specialist audiences (such as policymakers and the general public).

The consortium partners are expected to make financial commitments and in-kind contributions to support the governance structure, joint calls, and other dedicated implementation actions and efforts for national coordination.

Proponents could pool the necessary financial resources from participating national (or regional) research programmes with a view to implementing joint calls for transnational proposals, resulting in grants to third parties.

The Commission also invites consortia to propose innovative solutions and research approaches (in addition to those already listed above) in order to achieve the expected outcomes.

The award of a grant to continue the Partnership in accordance with this call should be based on a proposal submitted by the coordinator of the consortium funded under GA. 101061037. The additional activities, which may include additional partners, to be funded by the grant should be evaluated. This evaluation should consider the existing context and the scope of the initial evaluation (as relevant) as well as related obligations enshrined in the grant agreement.

The present action is a continuation of the HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-09 topic and foresees an amendment to an existing grant agreement. The proposal should therefore present the additional activities (including additional partners) to be covered by the award primarily in terms of grant agreement revisions.

The Commission recommends that consortia should use the JRC’s services where appropriate. The JRC may participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. The JRC would bear the operational costs for its own staff and research infrastructure operational costs. The JRC facilities and expertise are listed in General Annex H to this work programme.

[1] Roadmap for medical applications of ionising radiation for better patients’ lives. The roadmap is a result of the European Commission’s Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications (SAMIRA), established as a contribution to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

[2] EURAMED Rocc-N-Roll – European Medical Application and Radiation Protection Concept, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/89999