COGER is the Co-ordinating Group on Environmental Radioactivity
formed originally by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in the United Kingdom.
The Group was first formed in 1976 as an internal NERC group
with a view to coordinating expertise and research activities in the general
area of environmental radioactivity. In 1981, the decision to open up COGER to
outside scientists was made in order to provide a wider dialogue amongst the
environmental radioactivity research community and thus the first Open meeting
was held. NERC funded the activities of COGER until March 2003. COGER's
activities are now being sponsored by different organisations.
COGER's principle role is to bring
together specialists from the nuclear and related industries, academics from
Universities and NERC institutes, nuclear industry regulators and interested
parties including non-government organisations (NGOs) whose interests are in the
broad area of environmental radioactivity (from both natural and anthropogenic
sources) and is highly multi-disciplinary in nature with scientists from botany,
zoology, chemistry, soil science, ecology, geochemistry, geology and oceanography
to name but a few disciplines.
COGER’s Terms of Reference are:
To ensure effective coordination
of information exchange between research groups involved in basic scientific
research and those involved in programmes of directed research in the field
of environmental radioactivity
To organise an annual Open
Meeting involving all those concerned with research on environmental
radioactivity
To ensure effective coordination
of basic research and applied research for environmental radiological impact
assessment
To provide advice and support in
general to those carrying out environmental radioactivity research
To advise on the adequacy
of research on radioactivity in the environment and in particular to
highlight any deficiencies/gaps in the research programmes
To provide links between COGER
and the activities of other groups with responsibility for matters related to environmental radioactivity
These aims are addressed through the organisation of an annual Open meeting involving all those concerned with research on environmental
radioactivity, the provision of electronic services such as this website and an
email discussion list, maintenance of a database of interested researchers
(mainly from the UK) and facilitation of direct communication between interested
parties.
The annual Open meeting is usually held over three days
in April with oral and poster presentations by those engaged in
active research. The meeting includes the COGER lecture which is given by an invited
prominent scientist from the field of environmental radioactivity. Full details of past and present
conferences can be obtained from the Annual Meetings section. The annual Open meeting
is effectively the only regular forum in the UK where scientists working on environmental
radioactivity issues can meet to give papers and interact informally. Particular
emphasis is placed on providing research students with the opportunity to
present their results in a friendly open atmosphere.
For problems or questions regarding this Website please contact the COGER Webmaster.