RISK ASSET'S-Risk Assessment and Management - European Training Programme

Duration

2009-2011

Coordinator

Health Protection Agency, UK

Funded by

European Comission

Educational Project

The overall objective of this project is to promote and facilitate risk training initiatives and provide a comprehensive Risk Assessment and Management - European Training Progamme (Risk ASSETs) to ensure the availability of highly qualified assessors throughout the EU to perform consistent and high quality assessments of health risks in support of EU policies and legislation and to serve on EU risk assessment committees.

The research will bring added value to existing public health knowledge by providing a structured training format and mechanism to promote risk assessment training and addresses the "Training of Risk Assessors" priority under the workplan.

The project proposes to undertake an extensive review of existing training schemes and the needs of stakeholders and course participants and develop core competencies and a harmonised curricula for risk assessment training throughout the EU. This will involved contacting stakeholders, a workshop and reviews of relevant material. Course content will be developed, including a comprehensive foundation risk assessment training scheme, and intermediate and advance training (up to Masters' level).

Specific attention will be paid to: toxicology, exposure assessment to chemicals, environmental and biomonitoring, epidemiology, substances in cosmetics and electromagnetic fields. The foundation level course will be piloted and fully evaluated. Finally, a proposed administrative structure for operating a harmonised risk assessment training scheme in Europe will be developed.

The outcome of the project is expected to be a proposed comprehensive risk assessment training programme for the EU. This will act to promote and facilitate risk assessment training by: providing a harmonised training scheme that meets the needs of the EU and individual public health and other scientists risk assessment training that is recognized throughout the EU and better career prospects for scientists wishing to specialize in risk assessment.