PNRI Director Co-Chairs International Experts` Meeting in Vienna, Austria
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Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Director Dr. Alumanda M. dela Rosa co-chaired the International Experts` Meeting on Enhancing Transparency and Communication Effectiveness in the event of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency upon the invitation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The international experts` meeting (IEM), which was chaired by Claude Birraux, First Vice President of the French Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices, was held at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on June 18-20, 2012. The other co-chair during the three-day event was Gordon White, Vice President of the Regulatory Affairs Branch at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
The objective of this IEM was to analyze relevant aspects for enhancing transparency and effectiveness in communications during a nuclear or radiological emergency, in the light of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, and to identify lessons learned and best practices for improving information dissemination.
Dr. dela Rosa made a keynote presentation entitled “The Philippine Experience in Communicating with the Public During the Fukushima Nuclear Emergency: Challenges and Lessons Learned” during Working Session II which she chaired on June 19.
The international experts` meeting was participated in by more than 180 communication experts and government officials from 63 countries and 13 international organizations.
Coordinated Research Activities
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced its readiness to receive proposals for research contracts under its Coordinated Research Activities in 2012. The objective of this programme is to encourage and assist research on, and the development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses throughout the world. Research fields identified for this year include nuclear power, food and agriculture, human health, environment, industry, and nuclear safety and security.
The IAEA’s financial support of a project normally comes in the form of a lump-sum cost-sharing contract where the contractor (scientific investigator) is usually expected to bear part of the cost of the project while the IAEA contributes an appropriate percentage of the total estimated cost. Awards for support average €6,000 per annum per contract and contractors can avail of the opportunity to attend funded periodic research coordination meetings to meet and discuss with other experts/collaborators.
To obtain further details about the programme, you may visit http://cra.iaea.org.
PNRI Celebrates 39th Atomic Energy Week on December 5 to 9
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The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST- PNRI), the national authority on nuclear energy matters, will spearhead the celebration of the 39th Atomic Energy Week (AEW) on December 5 to 9, 2011 at the PNRI compound along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.
DOST-PNRI Director Dr. Alumanda M. dela Rosa said that this year’s AEW celebration will focus on the theme Nuclear Energy: Challenges and Opportunities. The annual AEW celebration, as mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 1211 in 1973, aims to generate awareness of the Filipino people on the beneficial uses of nuclear science and technology in food and agriculture, health and medicine, industry, energy, and the environment.
The activities slated for the week-long celebration are: opening of AEW exhibits and a press conference on December 5, technical sessions on Challenges of Nuclear Energy on December 6 and Opportunities in Nuclear Energy on December 7, technical demonstrations on December 8 for engineering and science college students and high school students on x-ray and gamma-ray radiography, radiation shielding materials, nondestructive testing in concrete, among others, nuclear science quiz finals on December 9 and guided tours, viewing of exhibits and film showing on December 5 to 9. The nuclear science quiz will be participated in by high school students from public and private schools in the National Capital Region. The topics that will be presented at the technical session on December 6 include: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident, The Fukushima Radiation Plume: Did it Reach the Philippines?, Assessing the Radioactivity in the Philippine Environment After the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident, and Food Analysis.
For the technical session on December 7, the topics that will be discussed are: Gamma Irradiation Services, Radiation Protection Services, Gamma Column Scanning, Technetium-99 Generator Production Facility, Nuclear Analytical Techniques and Applications Services, and Nondestructive Testing.
For more information about the activities for the 39th Atomic Energy Week celebration, please call Dr. Christina A. Petrache, Chief of PNRI’s Nuclear Services Division and 2011 AEW Executive Committee Chairperson, at 920 8784 or 929 6010 to 19 local 229.
PNRI RESEARCH SPECIALISTS WIN SILVER AND GOLD AWARDS IN AGRI RESEARCH
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Agricultural research specialists from the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) won two awards for their research paper entitled “Irradiation as a Quarantine Treatment for Mango Pulp Weevil, Sternochetus frigidus (Fabr.) in Philippine Super Mango” during the recent 23rd National Research Symposium organized by the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).
Glenda B. Obra, Head of the Agricultural Research Section (ARS) and Sotero S. Resilva, Senior Science Research Specialist, Entomology Unit, ARS, together with Dr. Louella DJ Lorenzana, of DA’s Regional Field Office in Region IV-B earned the silver award in the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) Best R& D Paper Competition for the Applied Research - Technology Generation/Information Generation (TG/IG) - Agriculture Category , and the gold award as AFMA Best R and D Poster.
The authors received PhP 1M (senior author) in research grant, a plaque and PhP 75,000 as cash prize for their research paper’s silver award; and a plaque and PhP 50,000 cash prize for the Best R and D poster.
The adjudged winning research of Ms. Obra and Mr. Resilva explores how irradiation of the Philippine Super Mango can be utilized as a post-harvest control of the mango pulp weevil, Sternochetus frigidus (Fabr.), a pest which prevents the export of mangoes from the Philippines to the United States and other countries with strict quarantine regulations.
To date, only mangoes obtained from Guimaras province, which are certified as seed weevil- and pulp weevil-free, can be exported by the Philippines. A nuclear technique, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), was one of the factors that facilitated the export of Guimaras mangoes to the United States. SIT has been a long-standing program of the PNRI in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
