Policy recommendations

2023

Attend CIRMS 2023 on April 17-19, 2023 to learn, participate, suggest and propose.

2021

Attend CIRMS 2020 on April 26-27, 2021 to learn, participate, suggest and propose.

2020

Attend CIRMS 2020 on April 20, 2020 to learn, participate, suggest and propose.

2016

CIRMS highlights current deficiencies and suggests informed dialogue to address these 2016 Needs in Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards:

1. Secure the nation’s electronic infrastructure: There exists a critical need for a traceable measurement standard for low alpha particle emissions to improve reliability of semiconductors and computer systems to support defense, aerospace, global banking, advanced manufacturing and the Internet of Things.

2. Ensure the safety of patients, food and manufactured products: Now that Co-60 source suppliers no longer provide reloading of Gamma Cell irradiators to support traceability to the US national standard for for industrial and manufacturing applications, and medical device sterilization, there exists a critical need to assure the availability of national measurement standards for high dose rate gamma irradiation.

3. Maintain US leadership in our future technological workforce: There exists a need for targeted funding for students to engage with scientific leaders in academia, federal labs, agencies and leading industry to sustain global leadership through an educated workforce which ensures stability of expertise in ionizing radiation measurements and standards.

2011

CIRMS highlights current deficiencies and suggests informed dialogue to address these 2011 Needs in Ionizing Radiation Measurements and Standards:

1. US Congress must find ways to better inform the public perception of radiation or risk reducing scientific advantage, economic advantage and domestic job creation.

2. The Federal Government and associated Regulatory Agencies should immediately prioritize developing 21st century rules and regulations, informed by the scientific community, to enable progress toward elimination of food-borne pathogens/pests, increase shelf life and inhibit sprouting and maturation, while increasing food safety.

3. A virtual national laboratory consortium is needed that can support regulatory, research and development uses and measurement of ionizing radiation to leverage national brick and mortar assets at universities, DoE laboratories and government laboratories.

4. An independent review panel should be established to evaluate all requests for isotopes that are not now currently available from commercial sources, based on recommendations from CIRMS, the National Academies Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NAS NRSB) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

5. National dialogue among NIH, NIST, university, and DoE laboratories is needed to better control the supply of the molybdenum-99 isotope.

6. A coherent long-term funding mechanism must be found to support maintenance of the mathematical modelling codes implementing the effects of ionizing radiation on materials.