Funder
NERC: COMING SOON: Derisking geological disposal of radioactive waste in the UK
Added date
27/10/2022
Closing date
23/03/2023
Call summary
The Natural Environment Research Council and the Nuclear Waste Services invites applications for its call on derisking geological disposal of radioactive waste in the UK. This supports research to understand and predict how lower strength sedimentary host rock environments might be impacted by the introduction of a geological disposal facility for radioactive waste. This includes detailed conceptualisation of the geology and groundwater. The full economic cost of the project can be up to £5 million. NETC will fund 80 per cent of the full economic cost. Projects must start by 2 October 2023 and last no longer than 48 months.
Scientific scope
The successful consortium will jointly integrate new research in geology, hydrogeology, radionuclide behaviour and predictive modelling to understand and predict how potential lower strength sedimentary host rock environments might be impacted by the introduction of a GDF. Teams will address three challenge areas:
•geological isolation;
•contaminant pathways;
•mathematical modelling.
PI eligibility
Applicants must meet the standard NERC eligibility rules. NERC and NWS would like to encourage the formation of an interdisciplinary team of researchers.