1.) The UWMRRC trains and employs medical physics graduate students to perform a variety of calibrations and research projects. Students receive a unique and invaluable educational experience in all aspects of ionizing radiation measurement and instrumentation. The UWMRRC routinely supports 7 to 12 graduate students and trains IAEA Fellows from the international medical physics community upon request. In addition, UWMRRC facilities are utilized for training and research by the medical physics faculty and laboratory classes in the medical physics curriculum.

2.) UWMRRC research projects have included: development of the interim national standard for high dose rate Iridium-192 brachytherapy calibration; establishment of the national air kerma standard for molybdenum anode mammographic calibrations; measurement of x-ray kVp as applied in diagnostic radiology; x-ray and brachytherapy source spectral measurements, backscatter functions and pulse shape effects; prototype testing of various new clinical instrument designs; development of techniques utilizing TLD’s and radiochromic film for a variety of clinical dosimetry applications; and determination of small field dosimetry and calibration effects on current dosimetry techniques. Current and future research areas include: primary measurement of dose to water using calorimetric techniques; calibration of electronic brachytherapy sources; and development of free-air extrapolation devices to perform primary characterization of new brachytherapy sources for which no national standard exists.

3.) UWMRRC calibration services are formalized within the University of Wisconsin Radiation Calibration Laboratory (UWRCL). The UWRCL also encompasses the Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory (UWADCL), which is accredited by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). The entire scope of RCL services are accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO /IES 17025:2005 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 standards. The RCL is a unique facility established in 1978 in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly NBS) to provide calibration of therapy, diagnostic x-ray, and health physics radiation measurement instrumentation and radioactive sources. The laboratory services the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center and approximately 60% of the clinical radiation therapy centers throughout the USA. Calibration of all therapy instrumentation is required every two years, and RCL calibration certificates are used to satisfy Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Food and Drug Administration regulatory requirements. The RCL also provides unique services utilizing thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) and radiochromic film for quality assurance in radiation therapy and diagnostic radiology. The TLD service can be used to directly measure patient dose during a therapy procedure or mammographic exam. The radiochromic film service provides a complex and highly precise method for determining field uniformity in gamma knife and stereotactic radiosurgery quality assurance, and for the measurement of surface dose from Strontium-90 ophthalmic applicators. The RCL has the widest range of radiation calibration services in the USA and is recognized worldwide for its research in ionizing radiation metrology. Calibration services are the major source of funding for ongoing UWMRRC operations.

4.) The UWMRRC provides radiation worker exposure monitoring solely for the UW campus and hospital through the Personnel Radiation Dosimetry Program (PRDP). Federal law requires all radiation workers to be monitored. Worker exposure records are maintained indefinitely. The PRDP is accredited to ISO 17025 standards by the NIST-sponsored NVLAP program. The NVLAP assigned PRDP laboratory code is 200470-0.

The current space occupied by the UWMRRC within the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) comprises approximately 5000 square feet in the Medical Sciences Center. The facilities include two Cobalt-60 sources, two Cesium-137 sources, various brachytherapy sources, two high dose rate remote afterloaders, two high-frequency constant potential x-ray systems, a three-phase diagnostic x-ray unit, two mammographic x-ray units, a variable aperture free air chamber, a cryogenic radiometric calorimeter, an intrinsic Ge spectrometer, a high performance parallel processing computing cluster, a film processor and high resolution laser scanner system, TLD laboratory including ovens, several reader units, computers, and compressed gas cylinders, staff offices, administration, record retention / storage, graduate student office space, and an area for shipping and receiving of instrumentation and radioactive material. Future plans include a clinical linear accelerator, and a CT machine for use in various research programs. The UWMRRC also oversees the new Treatment Planning System teaching and research laboratory.