Abstract Accurate dose rate models for UO2 based materials in contact with water are important in the modeling of the radiolytically promoted dissolution of spent fuel. Dose rates of α-doped UO2 and un-irradiated MOX fuel were modelled using the ASTAR and SRIM stopping power databases. Dose rates were calculated as a function of distance from the active surface. Comparisons with common dose rate calculation models and the combined Bethe-Bloch and Lindhard–Scharff (LS) equation were performed. It was shown that the ASTAR and SRIM databases could more accurately simulate an α-spectrum compared to the Bethe-Bloch-LS equation. A comparison between the continuous slowing down approximation (CSDA) and the radial projection algorithm in the SRIM program was performed, and it was shown that CSDA overestimates the range of the α-particles by a few percent. This leads to an overestimation of the α-dose rate at distances close to the maximum range of the α-particle in water. A relationship between the average dose rate to specific α-activity ratio as a function of α-energy was obtained from the calculations, which can easily be implemented in alpha dose rate calculations of a UO2 based materials.