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U.S. Should Make Monitoring and Detecting Nuclear Threats a Higher National Priority by Ensuring Coordination Across Federal Agencies and Expanding Research Efforts

To address enduring and evolving nuclear threats, the U.S. needs a higher prioritized and more integrated program for monitoring, detecting, and verifying nuclear test explosions, nuclear weapon stockpiles, and the production of fissile material, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Dr. Laura Castillo-Page Named National Academies’ Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today that Laura Castillo-Page will become its first chief diversity and inclusion officer, effective June 1.




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National Academy of Medicine Names 10 Inaugural Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence for 2021

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected 10 professionals for the inaugural class of the NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence program.




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High-Quality Primary Care Should Be Available to Every Individual in the U.S., Says New Report - Payment Reform, Telehealth Expansion, State and Federal Policy Changes Recommended

Ensuring access to high-quality primary care for all people in the United States will require reforming payment models, expanding telehealth services, and supporting integrated, team-based care, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Lory Mitchell Wingate Named National Academies’ Chief Operating Officer

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today that Lory Mitchell Wingate will join the organization as its new chief operating officer, effective July 6. Wingate comes to the National Academies from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), where she currently serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer.




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Lessons from the Leading Edge

Early studies on COVID-19 hold lessons for any new area of science - approach with caution and stay open to change.




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‘Our Planet, Our Future’ Statement Signed by 126 Nobel Laureates Delivered to World Leaders Ahead of G-7 Summit

Organizers of the recent Nobel Prize Summit shared a statement titled “Our Planet, Our Future - An Urgent Call for Action” — issued by the summit’s steering committee and co-signed by 126 Nobel laureates — with leaders of the G-7 countries and the U.N. secretary general, as well as other groups.




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Should Solar Geoengineering Be Considered in the Fight Against Climate Change?

A recent discussion explored the possible risks and benefits and the need for more research




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Use of Radioactive Materials in Commercial Applications Has Increased by 30 Percent - Government Should Improve Security and Support Development of Alternatives, Says New Report

The use of high-risk radioactive materials in medical, research, and commercial applications has increased by about 30 percent in the U.S. in the last 12 years, and the government should improve security, tracking, and accountability to reduce health and security risks — while also supporting the development of nonradioactive alternatives to replace them — says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Winners Selected for the 2020-2021 TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs

The Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) has selected winners for its annual University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs.




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Panel Says Creating White House Task Force, Expanding Housing Programs, and Improving Access to Social Supports Could Avert Rental Eviction Crisis Triggered by Pandemic

The Executive Office of the President should consider establishing a task force to prevent renter evictions and mitigate housing instability caused by the pandemic, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Cato T. Laurencin Receives Prestigious Springarn Medal from NAACP

Cato T. Laurencin — a member of the National Academy of Sciences (2021), National Academy of Engineering (2011), and National Academy of Medicine (2004) — is being awarded the Springarn Medal from the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization.




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COVID-19 Pandemic and Racial Trauma Have Caused Unprecedented Disruption Among Youth - School-Based Supports Can Help Address Mental Health Concerns

The COVID-19 pandemic and heightened racial trauma have caused unprecedented disruptions in the lives of young people — bringing increased stress, anxiety, and depression. A new rapid expert consultation offers strategies for schools to support youth mental health as students return to the classroom.




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WHO Panel Recommends Global Standards for Oversight and Governance of Human Genome Editing

Two new companion reports from a World Health Organization expert panel provide recommendations to the scientific community on the use of human genome editing. The panel’s work was informed by a 2020 report written by an international commission under the auspices of NAS, NAM, and the U.K.’s Royal Society.




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New Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust Established by National Academy of Sciences to Support the Health of the Research Enterprise

The National Academy of Sciences has established a new Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust, which will convene stakeholders across the research enterprise to develop ways to promote high-quality research practices and to address challenges to research ethics and integrity.




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Science Education Should Be National Priority - New Report Calls on Federal Government to Encourage Focusing Resources on High-Quality Science for All Students

Scientific thinking and knowledge are essential to democracy and the workforce, but science education is not the national priority it needs to be. The White House, with leadership from OSTP, should encourage federal agencies, state and local governments, and others to focus resources on increasing the quality and accessibility of science education.




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As Surgeon General Urges ‘Whole-of-Society’ Effort to Fight Health Misinformation, the Work of the National Academies Helps Foster an Evidence-Based Information Environment

The U.S. surgeon general has released a public advisory calling misinformation a “serious threat to public health.” The National Academies have been addressing misinformation in health and science on multiple fronts and are taking steps to help cultivate a fact- and evidence-based information environment.




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National Academies Summit Explores Persistent Lack of Diversity in STEMM and Approaches Needed to Drive Change

A National Academies summit explored the structural inequalities and biases that lead to a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in STEMM fields, and examined approaches that can increase diversity, equity, and inclusion.​




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Environmental Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Should Be Assessed for All Federally Funded Projects, Says New Report

Congress should consider requiring all projects that are candidates for federal funding undergo resilience assessments to account for natural hazards and the changing risks stemming from climate change.




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Direct Financial Support, Access to Male-Dominated Jobs, and Investing in Child Care Can Increase Women’s Participation in Post-COVID Workforce, Says New Expert Consultation

Since the start of the pandemic, 2.5 million women have departed from the job market. A new rapid expert consultation says direct financial support, greater access to male-dominated jobs, and investing in child care can encourage women to return to the post-COVID workforce.




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‘An Unprecedented Disruption’ — How Adolescents Are Coping With the Pandemic

As millions of adolescents head back to school, what can science tell us about how the isolation and upheaval of the past year-and-a-half have affected their mental health and development?




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Predicting, Managing, and Preparing for Disasters Like Hurricane Ida

Sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina, communities across the Southeast are recovering from the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Learn more about advice that the National Academies have developed on managing evacuations during COVID, predicting storms and flooding, and preparing infrastructure for disasters.




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Nine Winners Selected for the TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program Graduate Research Awards

The Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) today announced nine winners of its annual Graduate Research Awards.




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Most Airplanes Could Accommodate People to Travel Seated in a Personal Wheelchair, But Follow-on Safety, Feasibility Assessments Needed

For people who use wheelchairs, air travel comes with many hardships. A new report assesses the feasibility of securing travelers’ personal motorized wheelchairs in the cabin of an airplane as well as the safety and other considerations that must be analyzed.




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National Academies Appoints New Executive Director of Health and Medicine Division

Monica Feit has been named executive director of the National Academies’ Health and Medicine Division, effective Nov. 1, 2021. She brings to the position a wealth of leadership experience in health policy, international health, and cross-Academies collaboration.




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National Academies Release New Videos and Illustrated Stories to Help Kids and Teens Manage Mental Health and Emotions During COVID-19

Social distancing, disrupted routines, and a lost sense of security and safety have made some kids and teens vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic. A new set of tools from the National Academies helps kids and adults build skills to cope with stress.




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How College and University Leaders Are Getting Their Campuses Vaccinated

For the first time since the pandemic struck, many colleges and universities are bringing students back to campus at full capacity. Their administrators are turning to new strategies and incentives to get students vaccinated against COVID-19.




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Gulf Research Program Launches Gulf Scholars — Its First Initiative Focused on Undergraduate Education

The Gulf Research Program has launched its first undergraduate education initiative, the Gulf Scholars Program. The five-year, $12.7 million pilot program will prepare undergraduates to address the Gulf of Mexico’s most pressing environmental, health, resilience, and infrastructure challenges.




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Science and Engineering Education Needs to Be Prioritized Through Fifth Grade, Says New Report

State policymakers should prioritize science and engineering education from preschool through fifth grade, and ensure it is taught comprehensively, frequently, and consistently.




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Report Identifies New Approach for Some NASA Missions to Prevent Contaminating Mars with Earth-Based Microbes

Some of NASA’s robotic missions to Mars could be subject to less stringent bioburden requirements, which are designed to prevent the unintentional transport of Earth-based microbes, without interfering with searches for indigenous life on the planet.




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Confronting a ‘Triple Existential Threat’ — NAM President Victor Dzau Discusses How Health and Medicine Can Respond to Current Crises

In advance of the National Academy of Medicine’s annual meeting on Oct. 17-18, NAM President Victor Dzau sat down to talk about the compounding crises of COVID-19, climate change, and systemic racism — and how health and medicine can help respond to these threats.




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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Globally Requires Maintaining Safety of Available Antibiotics and a Robust Pipeline - Animal and Environmental Health Strategies Also Needed

Safe, effective antimicrobial medicines are essential to modern medical procedures and pandemic preparedness. A new National Academies report recommends a range of policy, regulatory, and financial actions to tackle antimicrobial resistance, spanning human, animal, and environmental health.




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Planning Committee Named for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing

A multidisciplinary committee representing 11 nations will plan the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, to be held in London March 7-9, 2022. The NAS and NAM join other international partners in organizing the summit, which will build upon previous events held in Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong.




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Evolutionary Medicine Needs Engineering Expertise

Projects that bring engineering expertise to bear on the questions addressed by evolutionary medicine promise major advances. In a new NAE Perspective, Randolph M. Nesse discusses how applications of evolutionary biology to medicine are giving rise to new opportunities for engineering to enhance understanding of disease.




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HHS’s Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Should Be Re-envisioned Post-COVID-19

Using lessons learned from COVID-19, a new report outlines recommendations to strengthen the U.S. Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) to better protect the nation from future threats, and ensure it can deliver the vaccines, medicines, and personal protective equipment needed during a public health emergency.




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Preparing for the Next Influenza Pandemic by Leveraging Lessons from COVID-19 Is Focus of Four New Reports from the National Academy of Medicine

Seasonal influenza and the next influenza pandemic could emerge at any time. Four new reports examine lessons learned from COVID-19 that can improve preparedness for an influenza pandemic, including vaccine R&D, supply chain resilience, and non-vaccine public health measures.




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Transparency in Federal Agency Statistics — New Report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine makes recommendations for how federal agencies can improve the transparency and reproducibility of federal statistics — such as education, labor, health, income, and justice statistics.




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New Report Recommends Changes to Handbook for EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System Assessments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should make changes to its integrated risk information system (IRIS) assessments handbook to ensure it provides clear operational instructions for those conducting assessments, and transparency regarding the assessment process, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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U.S. Should Create National Strategy by End of 2022 to Reduce Its Increasing Contribution to Global Ocean Plastic Waste, Says New Report

The United States should create a national strategy by end of 2022 to reduce its outsized and increasing contribution to plastic waste in the world’s oceans.




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New Report Assesses the Feasibility, Cost, and Potential Impacts of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Approaches - Recommends U.S. Research Program

The U.S. should undertake a new research program to better understand the potential risks and benefits of ocean-based interventions to remove or sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and learn how these methods could be used to mitigate the impacts of climate change.




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Actions Needed by Higher Education Institutions, Technology Companies, Federal Agencies to Increase Representation of Women of Color in Tech

A range of organizations across the tech ecosystem — tech companies, colleges and universities, professional societies, and government agencies — should take steps to improve the representation of women of color in tech fields and careers.




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U.S. Nobel Prize Laureates Receive Medals at NAS Ceremonies

The National Academy of Sciences is hosting celebrations for the winners of 2021 Nobel Prizes who are based in the United States, joining in ceremonies and events being held around the world this week to celebrate laureates unable to travel to Stockholm this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.




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U.S. Coast Guard Should Issue Guidance for Improving Safety of ‘Duck Boats’ Used for Commercial Passenger Service, Says New Report

The U.S. Coast Guard should issue a range of new guidelines and requirements to ensure the safety of passengers and crew on DUKWs or “duck boats”— those familiar amphibious vehicles often used for touring the streets and waters of many cities.




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Mitigating the Effects of Pandemic on Early Child Care and Education Providers — New Consultation

A new National Academies consultation outlines strategies that decision-makers could use to address long-standing challenges and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in the early child care and education sector.




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Dr. Carlotta Arthur Named New Executive Director of Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education at National Academies

Following a national search, Carlotta M. Arthur will join the National Academies as the new executive director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education on Feb. 14.




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National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Announces Six Early-Career Research Fellows Focused on Offshore Energy Safety

Six scientists have been selected for the Offshore Energy Safety track of the Early-Career Research Fellowship (ECRF), announced the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Partner with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative on New Grant Program to Recognize and Further Leadership by Biomedical Researchers Who Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The National Academies are partnering with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to administer a new funding opportunity that aims to recognize and further the leadership and scientific accomplishments of excellent biomedical researchers who — through outreach, mentoring, and teaching — have a record of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their fields.




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Traumatic Brain Injury Categories Should Be Updated and Personalized to Better Guide Patient Care, Says New Report

Every year, nearly 5 million Americans are evaluated for traumatic brain injury (TBI). But many individuals and their caregivers don’t get needed follow-up support after initial injury. A new report recommends structural changes to improve TBI research and care over the next decade.




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New Report Recommends Renewed Us-federal Investment in Chemical Engineering Directed to the Energy Transition Medical Advances and Other Challenges

To maintain U.S. global leadership and meet societal challenges — including generating medical advances, furthering the energy transition, and making food and water safer and more sustainable — new investments, collaborations, and educational practices in the chemical engineering field are needed.




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‘You Need a Yes on All of Those Levels’ — Experts Discuss the Future of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal Research

Experts discuss the future of ocean-based approaches to carbon dioxide removal — including the ethics of investigating proposed strategies, how research can respond to public concerns, and what we need to know to make informed climate decisions.