RSRP supports partner agencies with supplementary physical infrastructure required for day-to-day regulatory oversight. This support varies depending on specific country and includes office space and renovation, transportation, office systems and equipment, and IT support.
RSRP provides support to partner regulators to establish or update information on the disposition of radiation sources, by providing hands on instruction on the methods to successfully obtain and verify information on the radiation sources. RSRP also performs installation and training of RASOD national registry software.
The program develops user licensing guidance and conducts user workshops to facilitate the licensing process. RSRP also helps develop a program and inspection procedures for materials facilities, and provide training in conduct of inspections.
RSRP supports the development and updates to laws and regulations on safe use of nuclear energy and radiation protection. The work is performed by the RSRP partner country regulatory authority and/or their technical support organization with RSRP expertise provided by US and European experts.
On June 9th 2017, the collaboration among UDELAS-MINSA-USNRC welcomed a new group of Master Program students, who begin their studies on June 12th 2017. Sergey Katsenelenbogen, representing the RSRP Program, delivered a commencement speech and encouraged the new group to work hard to successfully complete the program. The group is expected to graduate at the beginning of 2019. This program will allow Panama to meet national demand for Radiation Safety Officers and to improve safety of operating and regulating the use of radiation sources.
A meeting between the Panamanian Regulatory Authority and the RSRP program was held on June 9th, 2017 in Panama City, Panama, to discuss an update to the existing ARIS database for radiation sources & generators. The Regulatory Authority expressed additional interest for support with the radiation sources user outreach to improve licensing and inspection processes. Nadja Benson from the Regulatory Authority and Cecilio Tejeira from the Ministry of Health attended the meeting. Sergey Katsenelenbogen and Mario Rodriguez were present for RSRP.
On June 8th, 2017 UDELAS and AdSTM (representing the USNRC/RSRP program), signed an agreement to implement the Master Program in Radiation Protection during the new academic cycle of 2017-2019. Dr. Juan Bosco Bernal, UDELAS President, and Sergey Katsenelenbogen representing the RSRP program signed the agreement. Dr. Oscar Sitton (UDELAS Postgraduate Studies Dean) and staff and Dr. Eloy Gibbs (academic coordinator of the Master Program) were present at the signing ceremony. Dr. Bernal expressed UDELAS appreciation and thanked USNRC for supporting this important academic program.
From April 24-28, 2017, RSRP conducted a one-week workshop in Montevideo, Uruguay on Design and Shielding Calculation in Medical Radiological Facilities, as part of the undergoing collaboration with the National Regulatory Authority on Radiation Protection (ARNR). The workshop discussed several medical imaging and therapeutic modalities for purposes of shielding calculation and design optimization.
During April 24-28, 2017, RSRP provided technical support to IAEA Project INT9182 9015, Sustaining Cradle-to-Grave Control of Radioactive Sources. Support was provided to a Work Group that consisted of three experts from Member States (Brazil, Montenegro, and Tanzania) plus three international experts (South Africa and the U.S.) in the continued development of a decision-aiding document on end-of-life management options for disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS).