Summary: Workshop Recommendations—Argonne National Laboratory Specialists’ Workshop on Basic Research Needs for Nuclear Waste Management

1980 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-202
Author(s):  
A. M. Friedman ◽  
D. J. Lam ◽  
M. G. Seitz
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Nuclear Waste Management ◽  
Research Needs

scholarly journals Application-oriented transdisciplinary basic research on nuclear waste management: hollow phrase or sensible concept?

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 203-204
Author(s):  
Klaus-Jürgen Röhlig ◽  
Peter Hocke ◽  
Pius Krütli ◽  
René Martin ◽  
Ulrich Smeddinck
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Transdisciplinary Research ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Nuclear Waste Management ◽  
Application Process

Abstract. In relation to the discourse and controversy surrounding the problem of nuclear waste disposal, an increasing interest in the form and design of research on the subject can be observed among stakeholders and the interested public, as is evident in the final report of the Repository Commission (2016) and in the discussions during the Sub-Areas Conference. In the authors' opinion, this is partly due to the fact that the actions of different scientific institutes and scientists varied widely during the conflicts of past decades. An attribution as “issue advocacy”, i.e., as an actor serving a particular political agenda (Pielke, 2007), appeared obvious in many cases, and led to controversy and fundamental criticism of the role of “science” (Repository Commission 2016, Chap. 4.1.1 on the Asse II mine and particularly the two “parallel representations” of the Gorleben site in Chap. 4.1.4). For these reasons, the Repository Commission recommended the creation of transdisciplinary research collaborations (ibid., Chap. 6.9). With the joint TRANSENS project (http://www.transens.de, last access: 21 October 2021), a transdisciplinary collaboration has been created to pursue application-oriented basic research into four “theme corridors” of nuclear waste management. The term theme corridor was introduced in light of the limitations of the “co-design” approach, i.e., the cooperative formulation of research questions, within the constraints stipulated by application and funding processes. The term describes the fact that the selection and width of topics are still subject to change even during the transdisciplinary research. The conception and implementation of this innovative approach led to a series of conceptional and theoretical but also practical questions. Due to different and sometimes divergent definitions (cf., e.g., Klein, 2013), within the project, the term “transdisciplinarity” is understood as a reflexive, integrative, and methodology-guided scientific principle geared towards solving a societal problem and related scientific challenges, i.e., nuclear waste management. A central element is the inclusion of non-specialists and actors from the realm of practice in the field in the research processes, in order to incorporate their (non-specialist) knowledge, values, and expectations. According to Maasen's typology (2010), the application-oriented basic research performed in the project is “interventional” (in other publications: “transformative”) to only a limited extent, but, in contrast, primarily “methodological” and “distributed.” There thus exists a distance to the site-selection process and other nuclear waste management projects in Germany. The actors or groups of actors to be included and the transdisciplinary formats are selected on a stepwise case-by-case basis, depending on the type and subject of the research (cf. the examples from TRANSENS subprojects presented in other papers submitted to the symposium). This presentation reflects findings and experiences in view of a complex conception and application process and currently 2 years of research experience from the perspective of the participants (the standing working group and other scientists) using case studies from the theme corridors. It thus provides a discussion basis for the session “Challenges & Solutions of disposal research and transdisciplinarity”.

scholarly journals Transdisciplinary research on repository safety: challenges and opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 205-207
Author(s):  
Klaus-Jürgen Röhlig ◽  
Marcel Ebeling ◽  
Anne Eckhardt ◽  
Peter Hocke ◽  
Pius Krütli
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Transdisciplinary Research ◽  
Nuclear Waste Management ◽  
Group Format ◽  
Safety Case

Abstract. Since 2019, transdisciplinary research on the scientifically challenging and often controversially debated topic of nuclear waste management on a larger scale has been carried out for the first time in Germany within the co-operative project “TRANSENS” (http://www.transens.de, last access: 21 October 2021). While various and sometimes diverging definitions and understandings of the term “transdisciplinarity” can be found in the literature (e.g., Klein, 2013), we understand it as a specific type of “problem-orientated” basic research integrating a variety of knowledge bodies, values and expectations coming not only from academia but also from the dialogue with society. We consider transdisciplinarity a reflexive, integrative, methodology-guided scientific principle directed at the solution of a societal problem and related scientific challenges by involving non-specialists and actors from practise. Obviously, the safety of nuclear waste management and particularly of waste disposal is an important concern of stakeholders. For specialists, the Safety Case is an established and well-developed instrument supporting safety-informed decisions in a stepwise disposal programme (OECD/NEA, 2013). The idea of Sicherheitsuntersuchungen (safety evaluations) informing decisions in the German siting process is based on the Safety Case concept. However, different stakeholders and interested persons have different notions and views about safety and different values behind these notions (Röhlig and Eckhardt, 2017). The idea behind the TRANSENS Working Package SAFE is to elicit such views and, if possible, to derive conclusions on optimisation potential for the Safety Case. Specifics and potential challenges of this research and ways to address them include: While transdisciplinary research in many cases involves directly affected individuals and groups, TRANSENS is an application-orientated basic research project which does not aim at interfering with the site selection procedure in Germany. Therefore, our research partners from civil society include permanent groups of interested individuals – but not of stakeholders – recruited in a well-defined process. Transdisciplinary research often starts by performing “co-design”, i.e. by jointly formulating the research question(s), but project “funding logic” requires problem definitions already in the application phase of a project. We attempt to overcome this by working in “theme corridors”, which define overarching research questions but leave leeway for later adjustment within these corridors. Being a complex concept, the Safety Case as such might not be well amenable to non-specialists. We address the problem by (i) taking a stepwise approach starting with a preparatory focus group format involving individuals with “Safety Case experience”; (ii) aiming at continuous involvement of one of the permanent groups mentioned above, allowing focussed and in-depth discussions; (iii) being flexible concerning additional transdisciplinary formats and partnerships. The SAFE Working Package team has successfully completed the focus group format under pandemic conditions and is currently preparing the next steps. Preliminary findings include those related to the tool “Safety Case”, to the feasibility of the focus group format in a transdisciplinary context, to observations concerning social interactions within the focus group, and to the way forward. The SAFE team sees opportunities particularly in discussing aspiration and philosophy of safety demonstration, in reflecting potential disciplinary biases influencing both production and criticism of the Safety Case, and for developing new concepts for the interplay between civil society and experts on this complex and elaborated analytical tools in various transdisciplinary formats.

Preface

2003 ◽  
Vol 807 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Nuclear Waste Management ◽  
Scientific Program ◽  
The World ◽  
Excellent Work

The symposium “Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XVII” was held in June 15 – 19, 2003, in Kalmar, Sweden. The symposium, which was officially opened by the County Govenor of Kalmar County, Sven Lindgren, attracted 222 participants from 21 countries. Nearly 200 papers were presented during the three days of scientific sessions.Organizing a symposium this size requires the assistance of a large number of people involved both in establishing the scientific program and in planning and executing the practical organizational arrangements. Our window to the world, the symposium's homepage, was continuously kept up to date through the excellent work of Jonny Rönnfjord.

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