In order to perform its legal tasks the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has to clarify technical-scientific questions of fundamental importance for the protection of man against the hazards of ionising and non-ionising radiation. To elaborate the scientific-technical and legal bases for this, the BMU has budgetary funds for the Departmental radiation protection research programme. With these funds investigations, reports and studies related to specific questions in radiation protection are carried out by universities, research institutions, expert organisations or commercial companies.

The BfS supports the BMU in planning and implementing the research programme both at technical and scientific level. – In the area of radiation protection the BfS is responsible for the planning, scientific preparation and supervision as well as for the evaluation of the research projects.

What does "Departmental radiation protection research programme" mean?

Research funded by the BMU means external support that serves to cover the need of consultation, investigation and research arising from the scientific tasks of the BMU. This is an important distinguishing feature compared to general research funding, which falls under the competence of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

The research results must provide the BMU with decision-making bases and scientific support so that the BMU can prepare, implement and revise or further develop regulatory requirements and fulfil its responsibility within the scope of federal supervision.

• Planning of Research
  The R&D projects in the field of radiation protection are laid down on an annual basis in the Environmental Research Plan (Umweltforschungsplan UFOPLAN) of the BMU. As a general rule, the scientific units of the BfS or of the BMU initiate theresearch projects but this may also be done by third parties (e. g. university institutions). You will find a list of all new projects under Ufoplan 2009.
• Scientific supervision of Projects
  The allocation of funds for research projects is usually done by invitation to tender. The scientific part of tendering procedures and the scientific supervision during all phases of a project up to its successful completion is an important task of the scientific staff of the BfS.
• Evaluation of Results
  The most important findings are summarised and evaluated by the scientific staff of the BfS with regard to preparation, revision, further development or implementation of regulatory requirements, so that the results can soon be taken into consideration in the legislative work of the BMU.
• Documentation
  The results achieved are published in the BfS series "Ressortforschungsberichte zur kerntechnischen Sicherheit und zum Strahlenschutz" or in the BMU series "Reaktorsicherheit und Strahlenschutz" (Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection). An overview is periodically given in BfS publications Strahlenschutzforschung Programmreport.