Future role of the NCRP in radiation health protection.

The predecessor organizations of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) were established in 1929 (the U.S. Advisory Committee on X-Ray and Radium Protection) and in 1946 (the National Committee on Radiation Protection and Measurements). In 1964, the NCRP was formally chartered by the U.S. Congress as a national resource for scientific guidance on issues related to radiation measurements and health protection. In this paper the history and scientific contributions of NCRP are reviewed, followed by a discussion of its evolving mission and future scientific goals.