IRSN scientific strategy

The expertise capacity of an organisation such as IRSN is based on a foundation of state-of-the-art scientific and technical knowledge, targeted at the most sensitive areas and those that offer the greatest potential for progress. The long-term development of this capacity requires the implementation of an appropriate scientific strategy, which the Institute decided to formalise and make public in January 2016.

This scientific strategy complements the Institute's management system (in particular the Contract of Objectives and Performance and the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct), and is the result of broad consultation with IRSN's governance bodies (in particular the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Research Policy Committee and the Scientific council).

IRSN's scientific strategy sets out the main requirements to be met by its scientific programmes, with a view to enhancing nuclear safety and protection against ionising radiation.

It also lists the major scientific issues that are priorities for the next 10 years, focusing on two areas: firstly, avoiding a major accident at a nuclear facility, and secondly, focusing efforts in the field of radiation protection on the real issues involved in risk prevention.

The aim of safety-related issues is therefore to revisit existing standards and ensure that they evolve over time on a scientific basis. Similarly, questions relating to radiation protection aim to reduce the uncertainties still associated with the scientific foundations of the radiation protection system in order to better adapt the management of radiological risks to public health issues.

These questions concern both upstream research, such as that carried out on nanoparticles or the impact of radiation-induced effects on the cell, and targeted research, such as the safety of the ITER fusion reactor or innovative therapeutic responses for the treatment of pathologies associated with high doses of radiation.