Doc. Dr Benjamin Zorko
Senior Professional Research Associate E-mail: Tel: +38614773416 Benjamin Zorko, PhD, is a Senior Professional Research Associate at the J. Stefan Institute since 1995 (ion beam analysis physics, accelerator physics, nuclear physics, vacuum sciences, radiation protection, radioecology, dosimetry) and Assist. prof. at Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School (IPS). His current position is the Head of the Group of Ionizing Radiation Measurements, a project leader (environmental radioactivity monitoring (ERM), dosimetry), and the Head of the Laboratory for TLD. He is the member of the radiological mobile unit (field work (in-situ gamma-ray spectrometry, route-monitoring, legal procedures). As a member of the FAT team from Slovenia he took part at RANET exercise in Fukushima, Japan in November 2014. He managed the "Table-top exercise on monitoring a large-scale cross-border contamination" in the frame of the European project under FP7-Fission entitled "Innovative integrative tools and platforms to be prepared for radiological emergencies and post-accident response and Europe". He is the key person for preparing annual dose assessments in environment (ERM). From 2012 to 2015 he was the member of the Working Group (WG5) “Uncertainty and variability analysis for assessments of the radiological impacts arising from routine discharges of radionuclides" in the framework of the MODARIA IAEA. Since 2015 he's been a member of the WG3 (Environmental dosimetry) established at EURADOS. Since 2016 he's been a member of the WG3 of MODARIA II IAEA. He also works as the POM from Slovenia in the CONCERT platform. He works as an expert in the group CEN/TC 327/WG 6 Animal feeding stuffs - Methods of sampling and analysis - Radioactivity measurements.
Education |  |
- B. Sc., 1995, Physics, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, accelerator physics: ion beam analysis techniques (RBS, ERDA, PIXE, etc.)
- M. Sc., 1998, Material science (Physics), University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, ion beam analysis (interdisciplinary)
- Ph. D., 2001, Material science (Physics), University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, material science: Interaction between hydrogen and titanium (interdisciplinary)
Employment | |
- young researcher at JSI, 1995 – 2001, ion beam analysis techniques, material science (interdisciplinary)
- Assistant with doctorate at JSI, 2001 – 2011
- Research Associate at JSI, 2011 - 2018
- Senior Professional Research Associate at JSI, 2018 – present
- Postdoctoral fellowship, ANSTO, Sydney, Avstralija, 2006 –2008, accelerator physics, nuclear safeguards
Field of work | |
- ion beam analysis physics
- accelerator physics
- nuclear physics
- vacuum sciences
- radiation protection
- radioecology
- dosimetry
- dose assessment
Project list | |
- Maintaining the emergency and preparedness response (EPR) by ELME
- ENRAS (ENsuring Radiation Safety)
- Structure of hadronic systems
- support BSS - Support for a European Metrology Network on reliable radiation protection regulation
- Strengthening the Capacity of Slovenia in Emergency Preparedness and Response Radiation Monitoring
- National Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring in Republic of Slovenia
- Monitoring of radioactivity in drinking water in Republic of Slovenia
- Off-site radiological monitoring of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant
Other projects | |
International
- PREPARE (2019 – 2022): Platform foR European Preparedness Against (Re-)emerging Epidemics https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/602525
- H2020 – CONCERT (2016 – 2020) PR-07633: EJP CONCERT https://www.concert-h2020.eu/
- project ENGAGE within CONCERT https://www.engage-concert.eu/
- project CONFIDENCE within CONCERT https://portal.iket.kit.edu/CONFIDENCE/index.php
- BI-HR/18-19-045 (2017 – 2019) PR-08375; Gamma spectrometric determination of low level activity of low-energetic radionuclides in complex samples
Industrial
- (… - 2021) PR-… ..: Krško NPP off-site radiological monitoring
- (… - 2020) PR-… ..: Monitoring of radioactivity in the living environment in RS
- (… - 2021) PR-… ..: Monitoring of radioactivity in drinking water
- (… - 2021) PR-… ..: Krško NPP off-site radiological monitoring due to the Brežice HPP
- (… - 2021) PR-… ..: Measurements of gaseous effluents - gamma spectrometry
- (… - 2023) PR-… ..: Maintaining emergency preparedness and response
- (… - 2019) PR-… ..: Monitoring of radioactivity in feedstuff
- (… - 2020) PR-… ..: Independent control of Krško NPP off-site radiological monitoring