Exposures at low doses of radiation, generally taken to mean doses below 100 millisieverts, are of primary interest for setting standards for protecting individuals against the adverse effects of ionizing radiation. However, there are considerable uncertainties associated with current best estimates of risks and gaps in knowledge on critical scientific issues that relate to low dose radiation.

The Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the National Academies hosted the symposium on The Future of Low Dose Radiation Research in the United States on May 8 and 9, 2019. The goal of the symposium was to provide an open forum for a national discussion on the need for a long-term strategy to guide a low dose radiation research program in the United States. The symposium featured presentations on low dose radiation programs around the world, panel discussions with representatives from governmental and nongovernmental organizations about the need for a low dose radiation research program, reviews of low dose radiation research in epidemiology and radiation biology including new directions, and lessons to be learned from setting up large research programs in non-radiation research fields. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the symposium.