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Russian and U.S. Academies Sign Agreement to Continue Cooperation

The president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the presidents of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) have signed a five-year agreement to continue their cooperation on studies, workshops, and other activities in areas of mutual interest.




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Statement on Call for Moratorium on and International Governance Framework for Clinical Uses of Heritable Genome Editing

A commentary published in Nature calls for a moratorium on clinical uses of heritable human genome editing and the establishment of an international governance framework.




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Medications to Treat Opioid Addiction Are Effective and Save Lives, But Barriers Prevent Broad Access and Use, Says New Report

Medications to Treat Opioid Addiction Are Effective and Save Lives, But Barriers Prevent Broad Access and Use, Says New Report




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New Report Identifies Ways Communities Can More Effectively Measure Progress Toward Resilience

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends steps U.S. communities can take to better measure their progress in building resilience to disasters, including measuring resilience around multiple dimensions of a community, and incentivizing the measurement of resilience.




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International Day for the Right to Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

International Day for the Right to Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims Today, on the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, we are sharing our interview with forensic anthropologist Mercedes Doretti, the Director of North and Central American Programs and Board Member of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF), which she also co-founded. Doretti and her colleagues collect and analyze physical evidence of human rights abuses (which often includes identifying the remains of victims of grave human rights abuses and returning them to their families), and they regularly present their findings to tribunals and legal mechanisms around the world to secure justice for those whose rights to life and personal security have been violated.




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$5 Million in Grants Available to Advance Understanding of U.S. Gulf Coastal Ecosystems and Their Interactions with Natural Processes and Human Activities

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced a new funding opportunity under its Healthy Ecosystems Initiative.




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Current Evidence Supports Classification of Red Wolf as a Distinct Species, Report Says, Mexican Gray Wolf Is a Valid Subspecies of Gray Wolf

Current evidence supports the classification of the contemporary red wolf as a distinct species of wolf, although additional genomic evidence from historic wolf specimens could change that assessment, says Evaluating the Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Calls for Different Approaches to Predict and Understand Urban Flooding

Urban flooding is a complex and distinct kind of flooding, compounded by land use and high population density, and it requires a different approach to assess and manage, says Framing the Challenge of Urban Flooding in the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Dispersants Can Be an Effective Tool for Managing Impacts During a Major Marine Oil Spill, Report Concludes

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines the effects and efficacy of using dispersants in marine oil spill response.




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G-7 Science Academies Release Statements on Science and Trust, Artificial Intelligence, Citizen Science

Today the national science academies of the G-7 countries issued three joint statements to their respective governments, to inform discussions during the G-7 summit to be held in August in France, as well as to inform ongoing policymaking.




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New Report Examines Reproducibility and Replicability in Science, Recommends Ways to Improve Transparency and Rigor in Research

While computational reproducibility in scientific research is generally expected when the original data and code are available, lack of ability to replicate a previous study -- or obtain consistent results looking at the same scientific question but with different data -- is more nuanced and occasionally can aid in the process of scientific discovery, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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NAS Honors 10 U.S. Nobel and Kavli Prize Laureates

From revolutionizing cancer care to modeling the economic impact of climate change, recent winners of Nobel and Kavli Prizes have explored virtually every angle of science.




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VA’s Process for Determining Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans Seeking Disability Compensation Examined in New Report

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should expand the requirement in its disability compensation process regarding who can diagnose traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include any health care professional with pertinent and ongoing brain injury training and experience, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Join Colleges and Universities to Launch Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have joined with over 40 colleges, universities, and research institutions to launch an Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.




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Co-Chairs of Forensic Science Report Honored by Innocence Network




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World Malaria Day

On World Malaria Day, we are highlighting Dr. Peter Agre, Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and former Chair of the CHR, and his work to develop innovative malaria treatments, as well as his efforts to ensure that such treatments are accessible to the communities most in need. Through such work, Dr. Agre is helping to further the right to health.




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More Than 100 Organizations Join the National Academy of Medicine in Countering the Opioid Epidemic

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced today that more than 100 organizations across the U.S. — including community organizations, hospital and medical systems, academia, nonprofits, and health professional societies — have joined NAM in declaring their commitment to reversing national trends in opioid misuse and overdose.




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Assessment of Work-Related Functional Abilities Is Important In Disability Determination

Assessments of a person’s ability to function at work provide important information for disability determinations, and many validated tests are available to assess work-related physical and mental functions.




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National Academies Host Roundtable on Promoting and Protecting American R&D

On May 10, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a roundtable with senior representatives of academia, industry, and the federal government to exchange ideas about how to maximize the benefits of international science and technology collaboration while strengthening U.S. economic and national security.




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Metrics for Successful Supercritical Water Oxidation System Operation at the Blue Grass Plant

The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) system is a secondary waste processing reactor of the Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP). It is perhaps second in importance behind the agent neutralization reactors, which perform base hydrolysis of chemical warfare agents stored at the Blue Grass Army Depot.




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International Day of Families

To celebrate the International Day of Families, we are featuring Dr. Mary-Claire Kings groundbreaking development of mitochondrial DNA sequencing to identify biological connections, which has led to the reunification of more than 100 families separated in Argentina in the mid-1970s and 1980s.




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Organohalogen Flame Retardants Used in Consumer Products Cannot Be Assessed for Hazards as a Single Class, But Can Be Assessed in Subclasses, Says New Report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers guidance to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on how to conduct a hazard assessment of nonpolymeric, additive organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs), which are used in some consumer products.




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New Report Calls for Policies and Practices to Promote Positive Adolescent Development and Close the Opportunity Gap

The changes in brain structure and connectivity that occur between the ages of 10 and 25 present adolescents with unique opportunities for positive, life-shaping development, and for recovering from past adversity, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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NAS and NAM Presidents Give Commencement Addresses

NAS President Marcia McNutt delivered the commencement address to Boston University graduates on May 19, where she discussed trust in science and evidence, and the importance of making informed decisions.




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New International Commission Launched on Clinical Use of Heritable Human Genome Editing

An international commission has been convened by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Society of the U.K., with the participation of science and medical academies around the world, to develop a framework for scientists, clinicians, and regulatory authorities to consider when assessing potential clinical applications of human germline genome editing.




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National Academy of Medicine Announces 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the 2019 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars. These individuals are early- to mid-career professionals from a wide range of health-related fields, from microbiology and surgery to sociology and biomedical engineering.




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Protecting Coral Reefs in a Deteriorating Environment

Coral reefs around the world face growing danger from a changing climate, on top of the historic threats from local pollution and habitat destruction.




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New Report Calls for a National System to Measure Equity in Education, Identify Disparities in Outcomes and Opportunity

A centralized, consistently reported system of indicators of educational equity is needed to bring attention to disparities in the U.S. education system, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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A Research Agenda for Transforming Separation Science

Chemical separations — which are used to divide chemical mixtures into their distinct elements — are critical in providing many of the foods and services needed to maintain our quality of life.




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National Academies Presidents Affirm the Scientific Evidence of Climate Change

Recently, questions have been raised about climate science. The National Academies have addressed many of these questions in our independent, evidence-based reports. We are speaking out to support the cumulative scientific evidence for climate change and the scientists who continue to advance our understanding.




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Academies Call for Global Action to Reduce Air Pollution

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences and U.S. National Academy of Medicine joined the science academies of South Africa, Brazil, and Germany today in issuing a statement calling for urgent worldwide action to reduce air pollution.




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World Refugee Day

It is estimated that 44,000 people are forced each day to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution. In December 2017, the CHR held a symposium, Protecting the Rights of Individuals Fleeing Conflict - The Role of Scientists, Engineers, and Health Professionals, to explore the various challenges faced by displaced individuals and the ways in which the scientific, engineering, and medical communities are working to help address these challenges.




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National Cancer Control Efforts Should Address the System, Not Its Individual Parts, Says New Report

Current cancer control efforts in the United States typically are fragmented and uncoordinated, but taking a systems approach to establish a U.S. National Cancer Control Plan would address the challenge more holistically, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Interview - John L. Anderson Discusses His New Role as the National Academy of Engineerings President

When John L. Anderson, president emeritus and distinguished professor of chemical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was first elected to the National Academy of Engineering almost 30 years ago, he remembers being deeply honored and excited about how the recognition would help his career.




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International Meeting Explores How to Fund Science for Sustainability

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development lays out a range of ambitious goals for global development, from achieving food security to combating climate change to making the world’s cities sustainable.




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Federal Investments Are Imperative for Continued Success in Highway Innovation, Says New Report

The nation’s highways and roads connect almost 330 million Americans and are important to both commerce and national security. Two-thirds of total passenger travel in the country moves along this vast network of roads, as does 60 percent of the weight and almost three-quarters of the value of total U.S. freight transported.




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Nelson Mandela Day

July 18 marks Nelson Mandela Day, which honors the legacy of the late President of South Africa and recognizes the nearly three decades that he spent in prison during apartheid. In accordance with the Nelson Mandela Rules (revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners), adopted by the UN in 2015, this internationally recognized day is to be used to promote humane conditions of imprisonment and to raise awareness of prisoners as a continuous part of society.




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Military Families Require More Coordinated Support, Says New Report

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Family Readiness System (MFRS) — a network of agencies, programs, services, and individuals that promotes the well-being and quality of life of military service members and their families — lacks a comprehensive, coordinated framework to support well-being, resilience, and readiness, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Global Grand Challenges Summit 2019 Will Bring Over 900 Engineers to London to Address Engineering in an Unpredictable World

International thought leaders will join the next generation of engineers in London from Sept. 16 to 18 for the Global Grand Challenges Summit 2019. The summit aims to help inspire and equip future engineering leaders to address the rapidly evolving challenges of an unpredictable world.




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Paid Parental Leave, Increased Support for Caregivers, Improved Food and Economic Security Among Recommendations in New Report on Achieving Health Equity for All Children

The lack of supportive policies for families in the United States, such as paid parental leave, has serious implications for health equity, as it affects families’ overall health and financial stability, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Report Helps Inform Metrics for Healthy People 2030

The National Academies today released Criteria for Selecting the Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2030, the first of two reports that will help inform the development of Healthy People 2030 (HP2030).




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National Academies Gulf Research Program Announces 2019 Science Policy Fellowship Recipients

The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has announced the nine recipients of its 2019 Science Policy Fellowships.




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Self-driving cars meet SNAP - National Academies forum examines role of tech and social innovation in the food system

Rev. Heber Brown III wants people to erase the term “food desert” from their vocabulary.




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Stronger Policies Needed to Protect the Public From Legionnaires’ Disease

The U.S. needs stronger policies and guidance to combat Legionnaires’ disease, a form of pneumonia caused by inhaling air contaminated with Legionella bacteria from water systems, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Review of Report on Supplemental Low-Activity Waste at Hanford Nuclear Site Now Available for Public Comment

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – which reviews a separate report by a federally funded laboratory that examines options for treating low-activity radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation -- is available for public comment until Oct. 31.




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2019 Communication Award Winners Announced

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the recipients of the 2019 Communication Awards. Supported by the W.M. Keck Foundation since 2003 as part of the Keck Futures Initiative, these prestigious awards in four categories -- each of which includes a $20,000 prize -- recognize excellence in reporting and communicating science, engineering, and medicine to the general public.




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World Humanitarian Day

In celebration of World Humanitarian Day, we are highlighting efforts by volunteers with Engineers Without Borders USA to help create and sustain job opportunities in refugee communities. Through such efforts, the organization helps individuals from these communities exercise their right to work.




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International Commission on Heritable Genome Editing Holds First Public Meeting

Last week, the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing held its first public meeting at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C.




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Statement on British Medical Journal Article

The U.S. National Academies recognize the significance of the opioid crisis and have been at the forefront of efforts to advise our nation on how to combat it.




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The Next Decade of Nursing - NAM Town Halls Explore How New Roles, New Tech, and Social Needs Are Transforming the Field

You can find a nurse navigating city streets, on her way to a home visit. Or, maybe he is recording educational videos on preventing ear infections. She might even be running for city council.