Scientific and Technical Information
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) integrates the best available science with its decision making. The CNSC maintains research initiatives and programs to ensure it keeps abreast of new scientific information, develops its own knowledge base and shares its research findings with stakeholders and scientists in Canada and abroad.
Research is carried out on a wide range of topics, from health studies on nuclear workers and host communities to research on the long-term management of nuclear waste in geological repositories.
Directed by CNSC staff, research initiatives and programs are often completed with the support of independent third parties and/or in collaboration with national and international partners, providing access to valuable expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and the best available data. The outcome of these research activities helps us understand and address new or emerging safety issues; gain third-party perspectives on nuclear science; and share scientific knowledge with the nuclear industry and the public at large. This research helps support the CNSC’s mandate to disseminate objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public about the activities of the Commission and the industry it regulates.
Search by topic
This Web section was developed to offer the public a way of viewing a comprehensive list of all relevant scientific and technical information currently available on our website. It offers you the opportunity to search topics according to our safety and control areas (SCA). SCAs are the technical topics the CNSC uses across all regulated facilities and activities to assess, evaluate, review, verify and report on regulatory requirements and performance. The SCAs are presented in a comprehensive framework consisting of 14 safety and control areas which are grouped into three primary “functional” areas (Management, Facility and Equipment, and Core Control Processes).
- Management system
- Human performance management
- Operating performance
- Safety analysis
- Physical design
- Fitness for service
- Radiation protection
- Conventional health and safety
- Environmental protection
- Emergency management and fire protection
- Waste management
- Security
- Safeguards and non-proliferation
- Packaging and transport
Research reports and abstracts
The Science of Safety research reports share some of the key research activities facilitated and supported by the CNSC on a yearly basis. These reports are part of the CNSC’s ongoing effort to ensure that Canadians have access to the science that informs our work.
- The Science of Safety – CNSC Research Report 2017–18
- The Science of Safety – CNSC Research Report 2016–17
- The Science of Safety – CNSC Research Report 2015–16 (PDF)
- The Science of Safety – CNSC Research Report 2014–15 (PDF)
The CNSC funds an extramural research program called the Research and Support Program. This program provides the CNSC with access to independent advice, expertise, experience, information and other resources via contracts, grants and contributions placed in the private sector, and with other agencies and organizations in Canada and elsewhere. Reports completed through the research program are not published as CNSC reports; abstracts of the reports are available instead.
Research projects and collaborations
We work in partnership with leading research bodies in Canada and around the world. Some of our research collaborations are listed below.
Canadian Organization on Health Effects from Radiation Exposure (COHERE)
COHERE aims to improve understanding of the potential health impacts from exposure to low doses of radiation.
Technical papers and articles
The CNSC values the use of independent peer reviews and encourages technical staff to submit articles for publication in scientific journals and make presentations about the nuclear industry.
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