2009 Report to Government on National Research and

3.135 RWMC and its working parties provide the overall forum for exchange of
information, which is achieved through meetings and the production of reports.
Detailed technical work is carried out by means of working groups, <strong>to</strong>pical
sessions, workshops, symposia and technical reviews. NEA also organises
international peer reviews of national studies and projects. For example, it
organised a peer review of the Dossier Argile 2005 (para. 3.131) by a team of
independent specialists from various countries. The review covered research and
safety assessment. Two of the aims of the review were <strong>to</strong> determine whether the
future research needs identified in the Dossier were consistent with the existing
knowledge base and whether the stated research priorities were appropriate.
3.136 RWMC is currently carrying out a project on reversibility and retrievability in
geological disposal. Current IGSC activities include:
• a working group on the characterisation, understanding and performance
of argillaceous rocks for geological disposal (the “Clay Club”)
• a project on approaches and methods for integrating geological
information in GDF safety cases
• a project on sorption of radionuclides on geological media
• a project on engineered barrier systems
• maintaining a database of features, events and processes (FEPs) that
need <strong>to</strong> be considered in GDF post-closure safety cases
• a thermodynamic database project.
3.137 IAEA’s work on radioactive waste management is carried out by its Department
of Nuclear Safety and Security. It includes establishing safety standards,
producing guidance on the application of safety standards and sending teams of
experts <strong>to</strong> developing countries <strong>to</strong> assist them in policy, regula<strong>to</strong>ry and practical
aspects of waste management.
3.138 IAEA also organises Co-ordinated Research Projects (CRPs) that are designed
<strong>to</strong> encourage the acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge. 18 CRPs
involve developed countries, which pay for their own research and participation,
and developing countries, which are funded by IAEA. The results of CRPs are
published by IAEA. A CRP on the use of numerical models in support of site
characterisation and performance assessment studies for GDFs has been
running since 2005 and is due <strong>to</strong> end in 2010.
3.139 In addition, IAEA runs knowledge transfer networks. There is a “Network of
Centres of Excellence” in training and demonstration of radioactive waste
underground research facilities, the “URF Network”. 19 This has been running
since 2001. Its “members” are countries that have URFs and associated
labora<strong>to</strong>ries that they offer for training, demonstration and research activities by
“participants”, that is countries that do not have such facilities. The URF Network
has 9 members and 21 participants. The UK is a member and the
Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff University, is its centre of
excellence. The objectives of the URF Network are <strong>to</strong>:
18 http://www-crp.iaea.org/
19 http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/wts_URF_homepage.html
CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 58 of 151