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 computa…