Guidance from the SAC

2015 Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting

 

Each year, the SAC provides feedback for the USTUR’s faculty and staff. This feedback comes in the form of general comments on the work that the USTUR is conducting, and recommendations as to what the USTUR should focus on in the coming year.

Comments

1. Significant progress has been made on designing and populating the databases.
2. The display of the information contained in the health physics and radionuclide databases is beneficial in encouraging research opportunities.
3. Amplification for the presentations would be helpful.
4. The strong use of students to support the program is encouraging.
5. The increased level of participation in a broad range of conferences is encouraging.
6. The level of communication with DOE HQ is encouraging.
7. We are pleased by an effort to prioritize the prospective value of the analysis of tissues.

Recommendations

1. Strengthen ties with WSU Tri-Cities Campus and Teaching Programs
2. The staff is technically skilled and proficient in their area of work. We recommend that they continue to broaden their skills in development and promotion of scientific research in use of the data.
• More participation in society meetings and committees.
• More involvement in university programs and teaching.
3. The research data needs and uses should be articulated in a formal document in order to match up with data gaps in the database and prioritization of future analyses. This could be done in a Data Quality Objectives document.
4. We recommend that the use of the data collected in the Registries to support dosimetric research be captured formally in the goals and purposes of the USTUR. This could go a long way toward fundraising.
5. Make use of WSU’s public affairs office to publicize USTUR accomplishments and human interest stories relative to advancing the mission to improve radiation protection.
6. Collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge is recommended for developing data use priorities.
7. We recommend a status report on National Death Index information request.
8. It is recommended that the research topics presented in the “USTUR in 2016 and Beyond” discussion be put in the form of hypotheses and in a way to demonstrate progress toward the mission.
9. Booths at conferences that display inventories of tissues is recommended to spur data use for research purposes.
10. Provide information about the process for gaining access to tissues on the website.