Nuclear Futures - a seminar series to re-make sociotechnical research agendas

放射性废物的地质处置(GD)，即在地下深处的储存库，最早是在20世纪50年代在美国提出的，但最终处置废物很少是政府和行业关注的前沿问题。几十年来，许多废物一直处于“临时储存”状态。与此同时，通过持续的能源生产产生了更多的能源。在2011年欧盟指令和欧盟技术平台决定2025年之前应在欧洲某个地方开始第一批处理作业后，GD处理民用垃圾的方法已悄悄上升到国家政策议程。欧盟成员国正在以不同的速度开展进一步的科学研究，推进在哪里选址GD的决定，并开展各种形式的公众参与。许多国家的进展有限或推迟了执行决定，而芬兰在实现指令目标方面取得了“大多数”进展，现在已获准开始建设处置设施。2014年7月出版的英国政府白皮书《实施地质处置》(IGD2014)规定了决定英国设施选址和建设的程序。从早先的政策失误中吸取教训，新政策承诺为英国现有的和计划中的高活度放射性废物“提供永久解决方案”。地质处置的实施--就像许多关于核问题的话题一样--引发了许多社会、技术、政治和伦理性质的问题。该系列的主要关注点是核废料及其管理和拟议的最终处置。然而，放射性废物与许多其他问题交织在一起，包括：政府关于建造新核电站的政策，作为能源组合和低碳未来的一部分；以及正在进行的和未来的退役项目。对一些人来说，这些讨论不能脱离军事事务，进一步将争论的问题纠缠在一起。社会科学学者过去曾在不同的政策条件下就核问题撰写文章。然而，现在是时候质疑这些早期的作品，扩大辩论的舞台，扩大社会视角，包括技术上的。其目标是转变思维，将放射性废物作为一种社会技术问题来解决，并振兴我们的研究能力。拟议的系列将建立在ESRC在2013年资助的多学科研究培训方面的倡议的基础上。该计划使与白玫瑰直接技术中心有关的社会科学家和来自EPSRC资助的第一核技术中心的工程师之间进行了一次实验合作。我们现在寻求将这一研究潜力扩展到提供培训之外，并扩展到包括政策执行方面的问题。在两年半的7次会议中，该系列将把来自不同学科的社会科学家以及学术工程社区、政策和行业团体聚集在一起。每次会议都将包括学术和非学术合作伙伴的演讲、小组讨论、全体会议和活动。这些研讨会将为社会科学学者提供直接联系技术研究社区和参与减贫政策的非学术机构的机会。政策机构和工程研究人员将体验社会科学辩论的过程，并接触到对其技术问题的批判性思考。因此，这些会议将使不定期互动的群体之间能够交流知识，包括与技术政策执行机构合作的社会科学研究人员。会议将与IGD2014政策进程的具体方面同时举行：为正在进行的执行工作提供信息的可能性使该丛书特别及时。主要非学术团体的支持信和提案的大量共同资助证明了该丛书的重要性和重要性。产出将包括学术讲座和论文；政策简报；参与活动的报告和设计

Geological disposal (GD) of radioactive waste, in deep underground repositories, was first proposed in the US in the '50s yet rarely has final disposal of waste been at the forefront of government and industry concerns. Much waste has been in 'interim storage' for decades. Meanwhile, more is produced through ongoing energy production. The GD approach to civil waste has crept up national policy agendas following an EU Directive in 2011 and the EU's Technology Platform determination that first disposal operations should begin somewhere in Europe by 2025. At various speeds, EU Member States are conducting further scientific research, progressing decisions on where to site GD and undertaking various forms of public engagement. Many countries have made limited headway or have deferred implementation decisions, while Finland has made 'most' progress against the Directive targets and now holds permission to start construction of disposal facilities. The publication of the UK Government White Paper 'Implementing Geological Disposal' in July 2014 (IGD2014) sets out a process to decide on the siting and building of a UK facility. Learning from earlier policy breakdowns the new policy promises to "provide a permanent solution" for the UK's existing and planned higher activity radioactive waste.The implementation of geological disposal - like many topics on nuclear matters - prompts numerous questions of social, technical, political and ethical character. The Series' primary focus is on nuclear waste, its management and proposed final disposal. However, radioactive waste is interwoven with multiple other concerns including: government policy on building new nuclear plants as part of an energy mix and a low carbon future; and ongoing and future decommissioning projects. For some, these discussions cannot be separated from military affairs, further entangling issues up for debate.Social science academics have written on nuclear topics in the past and under different policy conditions. However, it is timely to question these earlier works and to enlarge the arena of debate, expanding the social perspectives and including the technical. The goal is to transform thinking to address radioactive waste as a sociotechnical matter and to vitalise our research capacity. The proposed Series will build on an ESRC initiative in multi-disciplinary research training funded in 2013. That scheme enabled an experimental collaboration between social scientists associated with the White Rose DTC and engineers from the EPSRC-funded Nuclear First CDT. We now seek to expand this research potential beyond training provision and expand to include policy implementation concerns.In 7 meetings, over two and half years, the Series will bring social scientists from different disciplines together, alongside academic engineering communities, policy and industry bodies.Each meeting will involve talks from academic and non-academic partners, small group discussions, plenary sessions and activities. The seminars will provide opportunities for social science academics to connect directly to technical research communities and to non-academic bodies involved in GD policy. Policy bodies and engineering researchers will experience the process of social science debate and be exposed to critical thinking on their technical concerns. The meetings will thus enable knowledge exchange between groups that do not regularly interact, including social science researchers with technical policy implementation bodies. Meetings will be concurrent with specific aspects of the IGD2014 policy process: the possibility to inform ongoing implementation work makes the Series particularly timely.The significance and importance of the Series is evidenced by letters of support from key non-academic bodies and the substantial co-funding of the proposal.Output will include academic talks and papers; policy briefings; reports and designs for engagement activities