ICRP Announces Marie Claire Cantone Fund to Open Doors for the Next Generation of Radiological Protection Professionals
2026-10-08
From L-R, Werner Rühm (ICRP Chair), Augusto Giussani (Commitee 2), Beatrice Mussinelli, Gianluigi Mussinelli, Thierry Schneider (Committee 4 Chair), Photo by A. Degenhardt (BfS)
Berlin, Germany – 8 October 2026 — The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) today announced the Marie Claire Cantone Fund, a new initiative honouring the life and legacy of Professor Marie Claire Cantone and dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging radiological protection scientists and professionals around the world.
Announced to the international radiological protection community during European Radiation Protection Week (ERPW 2026) in Berlin, the Fund will help emerging professionals participate in ICRP-related activities, connect with the international community, build meaningful professional relationships, and contribute their perspectives to the future of radiological protection.
The Fund has been established through ICRP with the extraordinary generosity of the Mussinelli family, who have provided an initial contribution of €100,000, creating a strong foundation from which the Fund can grow.
Honouring Marie Claire
Marie Claire Cantone was a scientist, educator, mentor, colleague, and friend whose impact on radiological protection reached far beyond her own scientific work.
As Professor of Applied Physics in Medicine at the University of Milan, and through her longstanding involvement with ICRP and the wider international radiological protection community, Marie Claire inspired generations of scientists through her knowledge, generosity, and commitment to others.
She believed deeply in bringing people together. She championed mentorship, encouraged emerging professionals to step forward, and worked tirelessly to promote gender balance and inclusion within the field. Her warmth, integrity, and belief in people left a lasting impression on those who had the opportunity to know and work alongside her.
The Marie Claire Cantone Fund has been created to ensure that those values continue to have an impact for generations to come. It not only bears Marie Claire's name, but reflects the way she lived: opening doors, building bridges, and helping people grow.
The Fund was announced in Berlin by Marie Claire's husband, Gianluigi Mussinelli, who was joined in person by their daughter Beatrice, with the support of their daughter Roberta, who was unable to attend.
“Marie Claire wanted the culture of radiological protection to grow everywhere, and especially in those countries that too often remain at the margins in this field — not for a lack of talent, but for a lack of means. For her, protection from radiation was also a matter of fairness, and the chance to contribute to it should not be reserved for those who could afford it.”
- The Mussinelli Family
Joining the family for the announcement were ICRP Chair Werner Rühm, ICRP Committee 4 Chair Thierry Schneider, and ICRP Committee 2 member Augusto Giussani, for whom Marie Claire was both a mentor and a friend.
“From our very first conversations with Marie Claire’s family, their wish was clear: to create opportunities for emerging professionals and, through them, carry forward Marie Claire’s commitment to ICRP and the wider radiological protection community.”
- Thierry Schneider
ICRP extends its deepest gratitude to Gianluigi, Beatrice and Roberta, and the entire Mussinelli family, for their extraordinary generosity and for entrusting ICRP with helping to carry Marie Claire's legacy forward.
Opening Doors to the Global Community
Participation in international meetings, symposia, and workshops can play an important role in the development of a career in radiological protection. These opportunities allow emerging experts to learn from experienced leaders, contribute their own perspectives, establish mentoring relationships, and build professional networks that can last throughout their careers.
For many, however, these opportunities remain difficult to access. The costs of travel, accommodation, and registration can be significant barriers, particularly for professionals from underserved regions.
The Marie Claire Cantone Fund exists to help change that.
The Fund is being designed to support emerging scientists and professionals at the early-to-mid stages of their careers, scientists from underserved regions, women in radiological protection, and ICRP Mentees, amongst others.
Support from the Fund will be about much more than simply attending an event. By enabling participation in the international community, the Fund will help emerging professionals contribute to discussions, build confidence and professional identity, establish mentoring relationships and long-term collaborations, and bring new knowledge and experiences back to their home institutions and communities.
From Abu Dhabi to Berlin – and Next to Beijing
The Main Commission formally established the Marie Claire Cantone Fund at ICRP 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, setting the foundation for the announcement to the wider international community at ERPW 2026 in Berlin.
In addition to the €100,000 initial contribution from the Mussinelli family, the Fund is receiving support from the following Italian organisations; the Associazione italiana Radioprotezione Medica (AIRM), the Associazione Italiana di Radioprotezione (AIRP), and the Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica e Sanitaria (AIFM).
The first emerging professionals supported by the Fund are expected to participate in ICRP 2027, the 9th International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection, taking place in Beijing, China, from 20–24 September 2027, hosted by the Chinese Society of Radiation Protection (CSRP).
The application process and eligibility requirements for support will be finalised by the end of 2026, with applications opening in early 2027.
“Marie Claire has inspired and supported many students and young professionals during her teaching and research career, and this fund will continue to keep her legacy alive.”
- Augusto Giussani
Advancing the Vancouver Call for Action
The Marie Claire Cantone Fund also directly supports the ambitions of the Vancouver Call for Action, including strengthening opportunities for the next generation to become meaningfully involved in the future of radiological protection.
The Fund turns that commitment into tangible action: reducing financial barriers to participation, widening access to international forums, strengthening mentorship and professional networks, and creating opportunities for emerging voices from different parts of the world to be heard.
For ICRP, investing in emerging professionals is also an investment in the future of the System of Radiological Protection. As the international community looks ahead to the next General Recommendations, ensuring that the next generation can participate, contribute, and build meaningful relationships within the global community will be increasingly important.
An Invitation to the International Radiological Protection Community
The extraordinary €100,000 contribution from the Mussinelli family has provided the foundation for the Marie Claire Cantone Fund. The ambition now is to build upon it.
ICRP invites individuals and organisations throughout the international radiological protection community to join the family and the Fund's early supporters in helping Marie Claire's legacy continue to empower others.
Contributions of all sizes can help create opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach. Individuals wishing to contribute to the Marie Claire Cantone Fund can make a donation directly here.
Organisations interested in contributing to the Fund are encouraged to contact Kelsey Cloutier, ICRP Head of Stakeholder Engagement & Communications, at kelsey.cloutier@icrp.org.
Organisational support could include direct financial contributions to the Fund, sponsoring the participation of emerging professionals at ICRP Symposia and related meetings, or directing registration fees or proceeds from events towards the Fund.
ICRP will continue to raise awareness of the Marie Claire Cantone Fund, and opportunities to support it, through events and activities around the world. Selected ICRP event and registration proceeds will also be directed to the Fund, helping it grow and support new opportunities year-after-year.
The Fund will be held separately from ICRP's general resources, managed by ICRP staff and volunteers, and reported on annually to ensure transparency and accountability.
The goal is not simply to enable attendance at individual events. It is to build a lasting resource capable of opening doors, connecting emerging professionals with the international community, and allowing Marie Claire's commitment to mentorship, inclusion, and opportunity to continue making an impact.
With Thanks to the European Radiation Protection Community
ICRP sincerely thanks to MELODI, NERIS, EURAMED, SHARE, EURADOS, and the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) for providing the opportunity to make this important announcement during European Radiation Protection Week 2026. There could be few more fitting settings in which to introduce the Marie Claire Cantone Fund than an event bringing together colleagues from across Europe and around the world, reflecting Marie Claire's own belief in collaboration, community, and bringing people together.
Marie Claire believed in people, in their ability to learn, to contribute, and to lead with integrity.
Through the Marie Claire Cantone Fund, that belief will continue to open doors, amplify voices, and shape the next generation of radiological protection professionals.