The Radiation Protection Qualification Network is a network that aims to strengthen radiation protection expertise in Germany. The office of the qualification network is located at the “Future of Radiation Protection” staff unit which was set up at the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) in January 2023.

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The members of the network exchange ideas and jointly develop ways to strengthen expertise in radiation protection. For example, by opening up internal programmes (e.g. colloquia) to network participants, knowledge could be exchanged and made accessible within the network. Work shadowing and internships at other network participants could broaden the horizons of employees.

The office of the qualification network compiles information on existing qualification programmes in radiation protection in order to provide those involved in the network with a better overview of the opportunities available. These include for example summer schools, digital academies, courses for European research projects, and seminars for public authorities. The statutory radiation protection courses are already listed on the BfS website on Aus- und Weiterbildung im Strahlenschutz (german only)

Providers of qualification formats can also join the network in order to promote dialogue between the supply and demand sides. However, the network is not intended as an advertising platform but rather as a discussion platform. What do the job profiles in radiation protection look like? What qualifications are needed for this? How and with which further training programmes can the job profiles be further developed or made more attractive for young talent? What role do new technologies such as artificial intelligence or personalised medicine play?

The qualification network has the overarching goal of strengthening radiation protection expertise in Germany. The following goals are important:

Qualification in order to make employees fit for the demands of a constantly changing world of work

Recruitment of junior staff in order to inspire enough people to work in radiation protection and to provide them with additional knowledge and skills

Knowledge transfer and leveraging of synergies in order to make existing qualification services better known and to share knowledge and experience

• Collection of information material on training, further education
• Promotion of the active exchange of network participants
• Bundling of qualification requirements

  

• Identification of qualification gaps beyond the legal requirements
• A contact point for passing on gaps in services
• Networking and exchange between interested parties and providers of qualification formats
• Exchange of experience through internal programmes such as colloquia, workshops, seminars, work shadowing, and internships
• Compilation and forwarding of job offers for junior researchers

The qualification network is not an advertising platform. If you are interested in statutory radiation protection courses, you can find more information on Aus- und Weiterbildung im Strahlenschutz (german only).

National perspective – maintenance and expansion of radiation protection expertise in Germany

The coalition agreement of the German government of 14 March 2018 stipulated the importance of the societal task of maintaining a safety-oriented development of expertise and young talent in nuclear safety and continuing to actively feed the German understanding of safety into international discussions.

The completed phase-out of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the Federal Republic of Germany entails new tasks and challenges. The societal importance of nuclear safety and radiation protection was recognised under the joint leadership of the Federal Ministry for Environment and the then Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in a Strategy for Competence Building and the Development of Future Talent for Nuclear Safety (August 2020). Among other things, it was emphasised that the "research and development of innovative processes that involve the utilisation and generation of ionising radiation produce a constant demand for oversight by radiation protection experts both in industry (…) and in medicine".

In this context, the BfS, in cooperation with other institutions, has analysed the needs for radiation protection in Germany independently of the use of nuclear power in order to identify measures with the aim of maintaining and expanding radiation protection expertise in Germany: (german only) Needs analysis for maintaining and developing expertise in radiation protection in Germany (June 2021). Among other things, it called for the creation of a nationwide institution for further education and training. In total, 17 areas of expertise for which qualification requirements were compiled were identified.

With regard to radiation research in Germany, the German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) published a statement in June 2021: Long-term maintaining expertise in the field of radiation research and application in Germany – Key scientific disciplines and main actors in research. Among other things, it stated that that in some research areas “efforts need to be made to maintain existing expertise”. In other areas, the SSK saw "signs of worrying shortfalls".

In September 2023, the SSK published the recommendation Long-term maintaining and expanding expertise in the field of radiation research and application in Germany – Measures in a second step. According to the SSK, radiation research in Germany still has an excellent international reputation. However, the maintenance and expansion of expertise in radiation research is essential in order to ensure German participation in international discussions on the further development of radiation protection. The SSK emphasised that "knowledge … should be disseminated to the widest possible range of target groups” and that “appropriate activities should be offered via a central facility, with the addition of services that are currently lacking". Including the viewpoints of other institutions in Germany, the SSK reports, that “the analysis found general agreement that there is a need for long-term, sustainable efforts to promote research into the health effects of radiation”.

Initiative of the Ministry for Environment

In July 2023, at the instigation of the Federal Ministry for Environment, the office of the "Radiation Protection" Qualification Network was set up in the "Future of Radiation Protection" staff unit of the BfS. In parallel, the office of the "Nuclear Safety" Qualification Network was established at the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE).

By setting up the two qualification networks with their respective specialist focuses on radiation protection and nuclear safety, the BfS and BASE aim to make a decisive contribution to maintaining and developing expertise. One of the core concerns of the networks is to bring together needs and services. The character of the networks is intended to bring together the various resources and expertise of organisations, companies, and educational institutions in order to enable needs-based, comprehensive, and high-quality qualification in Germany across the entire professional spectrum in the long term.

International perspective

In its 2023 Vancouver Call for Action to Strengthen Expertise in Radiological Protection Worldwide , the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) identified a lack of support for research, education, and training in radiation protection worldwide. From this, the ICRP defined five priorities for action to strengthen the maintenance of expertise in radiation protection. One of these concerns education and training in order to promote awareness of the existence of ionising radiation and the associated radiation exposure as well as radiation protection.

The Vancouver Call of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) was widely supported worldwide. For example, those responsible for a US study on expertise in occupational fields in which radiation plays a role expressly welcomed the call of the ICRP: In support of ICRP's call to action to strengthen expertise in radiological protection worldwide. In addition, representatives of 19 international organisations recently made it clear in a joint action that the strengthening of expertise in radiation protection advocated for in the Vancouver Call is a priority of all participating organisations.