Eleventh annual Warren K. Sinclair keynote address-science, radiation protection and NCRP: building on the past, looking to the future.

The many reports and other authoritative documents developed and published by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) have been of great service to the nation and the radiation protection community since its Congressional charter was signed into law 50 y ago. There will be a continuing need for NCRP to identify the principles upon which radiation protection is to be based and to provide guidance on best practices for the practical application of those principles for the many beneficial uses of radiation in society. The unique and invaluable resource that is NCRP is in large part due to the selfless dedication and numerous contributions of its Council and scientific committee members. The multidisciplinary composition of these leading experts and their collective input on complex questions provide a unique synergy that results in a comprehensive and well-balanced approach to addressing current and future radiation protection challenges. Subsequent articles in these proceedings covering a broad range of relevant topics will review sentinel accomplishments of the past as well as current work and future challenges that are in keeping with NCRP's mission to advance the science of radiation protection in the public interest.