The US National Academy of Sciences, chartered as a private institution established in 1863 during President Lincoln’s administration, was created to “investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art” whenever called upon to do so by the US government, thereby serving as an independent, expert advisor to the federal government in scientific and technical matters. The National Research Council, chartered in 1916, is the operating agency that carries out studies on behalf of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The National Academy of Sciences provides oversight for the US support and the scientific program at RERF through the National Research Council’s Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB), Division on Earth and Life Studies.