Lessons learned on stakeholder engagement in radiation protection, and communication and dissemination of results from the radonorm project

Effectively addressing radon and NORM exposure requires not just scientific progress but a strategic, transdisciplinary approach to transferring knowledge into practice through stakeholder engagement and policy integration. Therefore, to maximise the impact and sustainability of the radiation protection outputs created in the RadoNorm project, an integrated and participatory communication framework was designed. The framework enabled the flow of knowledge across scientific, policy, and public domains through the tailored outreach tools, while wide visibility was ensured through digital platforms, and meaningful public involvement through initiatives such as the Citizen Science Incubator and the European Radon Behavioural Atlas. The RadoNorm project also elevated engagement of stakeholders in the research process from end-users to contributors by shifting the paradigm from one-way dissemination to co-creation, leading to enhanced trust, relevance, and long-term usability of results. RadoNorm's replicable model for "how complex research can be translated into societal value", i.e., fostering inclusion, transparency, and ethically responsible science communication, should be an integral part of future projects. Namely, by full-scale incorporation of communication and engagement activities developed in the RadoNorm project, by ensuring that all data are openly available in repositories, like the STORE database, and by utilisation of the interdisciplinary teams that incorporate social and behavioural expertise, the usability and sustainability of the created results in any future projects are ensured.