The underground research facilities (URF) network - illustrating the IAEA's concept and use of professional networks - 15382
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna (Austria)
Since 2001, the IAEA has championed the concept and use of professional networks (Communities of Practice) to advance best practices and to provide a platform for cooperation in radioactive waste management, decommissioning and environmental remediation across the globe. The Underground Research Facilities (URF) Network was the first in a series of networks implemented under the auspices of the IAEA to share experiences, elicit best practices, and transfer knowledge on topics relevant to the development and implementation of geological disposal of long lived and high level radioactive waste - i.e. intermediate level waste (ILW), high-level waste (HLW) and/or spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Special emphasis is placed on the role and use of URFs to support such geological disposal developments. In addition to the direct benefits provided to Member States through its programme of work, the URF Network also delivers less tangible, yet equally valuable benefits through the informal exchange of information, the development of peer-to-peer professional networks, and seeding of multi-lateral cooperation between Member States. Network members represent a range of nuclear programme sizes and advancements in their respective repository programmes. After a decade of fruitful cooperation, delivering more than 30 training courses on topics relevant to geological disposal, the URF Network is gradually reassessing its mode of operation and focus of work. Emphasizing selected strategic goals - focused in part on more systematic training of URF Network members human resources and in part on select key technical issues - would benefit all network members, while remaining cautious in the commitment of scarce resources. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22824300
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-19-WM-15382; TRN: US19V0872069346
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM2015: Annual Waste Management Symposium, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 15-19 Mar 2015; Other Information: Country of input: France; 10 refs.; available online at: http://archive.wmsym.org/2015/index.html
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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