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.

In a statement, the presidents of the National Academies urge that investigations of the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 be guided by scientific principles.

As intense drought and record heat make their way across the Western U.S., the deep and devastating impacts of this extreme weather are clear — electric utilities are asking consumers to ration power and water, farmers are scrambling to sell or save their produce, and officials are making plans to keep their communities safe and cool.

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

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.

As COVID-19 vaccination programs across the country transition from meeting urgent demand to reaching people who are less eager to get the shot, leaders are looking for new vaccine communications strategies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced it is now accepting applications for the Offshore Energy Safety track of the 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship (ECRF).

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.

By 2060, nearly 14 million people in the U.S. will be living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. A new report charts a course for the next 10 years of research in the behavioral and social sciences that can point to possible pathways for slowing or preventing dementia and easing its social and economic impacts.

Urban freeways and transit infrastructure projects — often paid for in large part by federal transportation funds — have disproportionately displaced and isolated people living in minority neighborhoods, tearing at the fabric of vibrant communities and compounding issues of equity and access to jobs and essential services.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) today announced the 2022 class of Minority Student Fellows.

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.​

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.

To improve global preparedness for future pandemics, the science academies of the G20 nations issued a statement urging their governments to promote the creation of a global surveillance network that could detect the harbingers of a potential new pandemic.

When clinicians are stretched thin, patient health often suffers, too. With COVID-19 cases resurging, clinicians continue to grapple with burnout. Six health system leaders shared how they’re intervening to protect clinicians’ well-being during the pandemic and beyond.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced the eight recipients of its 2021 Science Policy Fellowships.

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.

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?

The pandemic reshaped a range of human rituals, from handshakes to happy hours to weddings. In a recent Science & Entertainment Exchange webinar, psychologist Cristine Legare discussed why rituals matter and how COVID-19 revamped them.

After more than a year of isolation, remote school, and disrupted routines, how can schools support students’ mental health and development? Read what youth have to say about how they’re doing, and what they need as they return to the classroom.

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

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and in the years following, the National Academies mobilized expertise and resources to help inform and advance national security priorities and protect the health and well-being of U.S. veterans who served selflessly to defend the nation from acts of terrorism.

The presidents of the National Academies join the nation in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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.

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.

President Biden announced the members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), 20 of which are also members of NAS, NAE, and NAM. PCAST is the sole body of external advisers that makes science, technology, and innovation policy recommendations to the president and the White House.

How can engineers help the nation mitigate and adapt to climate change? In advance of the National Academy of Engineering’s annual meeting — which will explore that question — NAE President John L. Anderson sat down to discuss the contributions engineering can make.

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.

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.

Eight scientists have been selected for the Gulf Research Program’s Environmental Protection and Stewardship track of the 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship (ECRF), announced the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today.

Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. and Shawn Wilson have been appointed as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the 2022 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee by Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council.

Read a new NAE Perspective by Christopher A. Hart, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and the founder of Hart Solutions LLC, on whether the time is right for driverless motor vehicles.

A recent discussion hosted by the National Academies examined the extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent as the climate changes, and how the nation can better prepare for them.

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.

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.

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.

When communicating with parents about getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19, emphasize the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, encourage them to talk with their family doctor, and leverage parents’ social networks.

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.

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt discusses science and solutions to climate change ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which begins Oct. 31, 2021.

In a new NAE Perspective, Chris Hendrickson says there are opportunities in the next few decades to reshape the landscape of familiar transportation systems, with transformations emerging in vehicle propulsion, automation, and telecommunications.

The presidents of the U.S. National Academies said in a statement that the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) presents a historic global opportunity to agree on emissions reduction targets to avoid the most intolerable impacts of climate change.

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.

A new decadal survey presents a visionary plan for the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, identifying scientific priorities and opportunities, and recommending an ambitious program of investment to strengthen the profession and achieve new capabilities.

In 2019 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, a landmark consensus study report that analyzes various policy solutions to help address child poverty in the United States.

Eleven years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the Gulf Research Program’s Offshore Situation Room event examined how to make sure another offshore oil spill doesn’t happen — and how we can be better prepared if it does.

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.