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Co-Chairs Appointed to Lead New National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable

Maria T. Zuber, John C. Gannon, and Richard A. Meserve will serve as co-chairs of a newly launched National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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This Medical Student Wants to Start an AmeriCorps for Elder Care

Many high school seniors are rethinking their plans after they graduate because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are hesitant to commit to colleges if it means e-learning instead of the traditional classroom and on-campus experience.




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Fishing for Answers - Genomes of Some Ocean Creatures May Reveal How We Could Live to Be 100

What Can Lobsters, Clams, and Rockfish Tell Us About Human Aging? Some species of rockfish only live to age 7. Others live over 200 years while maintaining the necessary functions to find food, mate, resist disease, and evade predators.




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To Adhere to Public Health Guidelines and Mitigate COVID-19, Officials Should Use Their Discretion to Minimize Incarceration, Says New Report

Where needed to adhere to public health guidelines and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, authorities should use their discretion to minimize incarceration in prisons and jails — and facilitate testing, quarantine, social supports, and individualized reentry plans for those released, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Report Calls for More Comprehensive Data on LGBTQI+ Well-Being

More Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or other non-binary identities (LGBTQI+) than ever before, but significant gaps remain in data collection and understanding of their well-being, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academy of Sciences Enlists Gaming Community to Boost Public Understanding of COVID-19

LabX, a creative engagement outreach program of the National Academy of Sciences, announced the winners of a competition to create games designed to help build public understanding of COVID-19.




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Airborne Transmission of COVID-19 - Q&A with Jonathan Samet

This summer, as COVID-19 continued its spread across the U.S., the National Academies brought together engineers, virologists, public health experts, and others for a meeting to dive into the rapidly evolving science of COVID-19 airborne transmission.




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How an Implantable Dialysis Device May Extend Life for People with Kidney Failure

A few years ago, Nikhil Shah and Hiep Nguyen were touring the German Aerospace Center after giving a presentation about the future of surgery. One of the in-house researchers showed off a model of an implantable heart, and they thought — Why can’t we do that with a kidney?




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - November 2020

“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Putting Games to Work in the Battle Against COVID-19

While video games often give us a way to explore other worlds, they can also help us learn more about our own — including how to navigate a pandemic. That was the premise underlying “Jamming the Curve,” a competition that enlisted over 400 independent video game developers around the world to develop concepts for games that reflect the real-world dynamics of COVID-19.




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Taking Flight -The Mars Helicopter Ingenuity and the Future of Mars Exploration

Creating an aircraft that will fly in the Martian atmosphere is an engineering tour de force.




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Can Manipulating the Gut Microbiome Slow Age-Related Inflammation?

There are the telltale signs of aging — a few more wrinkles, graying hair, and changes in posture. Other changes are less obvious. Aging-related changes also occur within the gut microbiome — a collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in your digestive tract.




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Advantages and Trade-offs of COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests, National Testing Strategies Examined in New Rapid Response to Government

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines four topics related to the use and interpretation of COVID-19 diagnostic tests.




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National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Awards $5.27 Million to Enhance Understanding of Gulf 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 grant awards totaling $5.27 million for six new projects. These projects, planned to span two to three years, aim to improve understanding of how natural processes and human activities interact to affect coastal ecosystems in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.




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National Academies Launch New COVID-19 Strategic Science Initiative

To help decision-makers navigate through this ongoing crisis and take actions toward a strong and sustained recovery, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have launched a new strategic science initiative to provide rapid, scenario-based analyses aimed at protecting critical societal functions, avoiding worst outcomes, and building upon potential opportunities.




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More Strategic Approach Needed for Coast Guard to Exploit Advancements in Unmanned Systems Technology

As unmanned systems (UxS) continue to develop and be used by military services and federal agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard should proceed more aggressively and deliberately in taking advantage of UxS advancements, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Planting the Seeds for Natural Habitat and Ecosystem Restoration

In the wake of this year’s record-breaking wildfire and hurricane season, efforts are ramping up to rebuild communities and natural ecosystems in places devastated by fire and storms. Restoring natural ecosystems requires replacing the trees, grasses, flowers, herbs, shrubs, and other plants that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region.




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This Toilet Seat Could Transform Home Health Care for Seniors — One Vital Sign at a Time

Imagine if just by sitting on the toilet, you could collect actionable information about your health. Although health and fitness wearables can help do that job, people tend to lose interest after a few months. Fitbits are forgotten at home or put in a drawer when the battery dies. Even stepping on a scale or using a Bluetooth blood pressure monitor can be difficult tasks to remember, if they’re not part of your routine. This can be especially true for seniors, who are generally less likely to use wearable gadgets.




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Reflections on Commercial Crew and Cargo Missions

Reflections on Commercial Crew and Cargo Missions from Charles F. Bolden Jr., former NASA administrator (2009–17).




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Returning Human Spaceflight to the United States

In my nearly 20 years at SpaceX, I have experienced hundreds of Falcon launches and test firings. As such, my level of anxiety prior to these events had been waning until, of course, Saturday, May 30, 2020. On that day, and for days leading up to it, my heart was in my throat.




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Can Community Health Workers Make Hearing Health Care More Accessible for Older Adults?

Age-related hearing loss is common in the United States, with two-thirds of adults over age 70 experiencing a clinically significant hearing loss. However, that doesn’t mean that hearing loss should be something we learn to live with.




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COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores Importance of Investment in Public Health - 2012 National Academies Report Has Lasting Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a harsh light on the consequences of chronic underinvestment in public health, and the limited recognition of its role. Unless there is a crisis, it is not always obvious that public health is “always on,” working quietly in the background on chronic disease prevention, vital statistics, sanitation, safe water, safe food, occupational diseases and injury, and infection control.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - December 2020

“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Offer Guidance on Student Behavior and COVID-19 Testing for College Administrators Ahead of 2021 Spring Semester

Two new rapid expert consultations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offer lessons learned from the 2020 fall semester regarding COVID-19 testing and guidance on student behavior, as college administrators plan for the 2021 spring semester.




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How Disasters Can Spur Resiliency in the Gulf - A Conversation with Roy Wright

Communities in the Gulf of Mexico are especially familiar with the whims of nature and power of the sea. This year’s hurricane season has already brought power outages, heavy rain, downed trees, and death and injury. Roy Wright talks about the compounding effects and lasting impacts of disasters on shaping resiliency in the Gulf.




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The Far-Reaching Impacts of Racism and Bias

In 2010 a group of researchers conducted an experiment in which they pretended to be students, emailing 6,500 professors in nearly 90 academic fields at 259 universities with a request to discuss research before applying for a doctoral program. The text of the messages was identical, but the sender’s name was varied to signal race and gender, such as Brad Anderson, Latoya Brown, and Mei Chen.




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Although Childhood Cancer Survival Rates Have Improved, Survivors Face Disability-Related Challenges Throughout Adulthood

Survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk of experiencing disabling conditions, both from the cancer itself and from the effects of treatment, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Methods to Track Health Care Worker Deaths, Burnout from COVID-19 Examined in New Rapid Response to Government

A new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines methods to better track and evaluate deaths and mental health consequences among health care workers (HCWs) due to COVID-19.




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Gulf Research Program’s 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship Program Introduces New Track on Health Equity

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced it has redesigned its Early-Career Research Fellowship (ECRF) to include three tracks - Human Health and Community Resilience, Environmental Protection and Stewardship, and Offshore Energy Safety.




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National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Opens Applications for 2021 Science Policy Fellowship

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced it is accepting applications for the 2021-2022 Science Policy Fellowship.




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Future of U.S. Science Policy, Legacy of Science - The Endless Frontier Discussed in New Publication

The National Academy of Sciences today released a new proceedings of a symposium that explored whether the modern research architecture that fuels U.S. innovation needs to be reconfigured to meet the challenges of our time.




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National Academy of Medicine Joins Several Organizations in Calling for Action to Implement Crisis Standards of Care During COVID-19 Surge

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today joined eight other national organizations to call for governors, health departments, hospitals, and other health care sector partners to take immediate action to save lives and fairly allocate limited resources by implementing crisis standards of care (CSC) during the current COVID-19 surge.




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Continuing to Innovate - Engineers Come Together to Help Address COVID-19

While the world awaits the distribution of newly developed vaccines to prevent COVID-19 infection, international and multigenerational teams of engineers have again come together through the National Academy of Engineering’s COVID-19 Call for Engineering Action to find creative solutions to the many pandemic-related problems.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - January 2021

“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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World’s Largest Gathering of Transportation Research Professionals - Transportation Research Board Celebrates Centennial

Industry leaders, policymakers, administrators, and researchers from government, industry, and academia will gather online for the Transportation Research Board’s 100th Annual Meeting, taking place virtually throughout January 2021.




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Statement about January 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol

We are humbled and grateful for the messages of support we have received from our friends and colleagues across the country and around the world following the violence at the U.S. Capitol.




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Designing Learning Experiences with Attention to Students’ Backgrounds Can Attract Underrepresented Groups to Computing

Learning experiences in computing that are designed with attention to K-12 students’ interests, identities, and backgrounds may attract underrepresented groups to computing better than learning experiences that mimic current professional computing practices and culture do, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Eliminating Lead Emissions From Small Aircraft Will Require Concerted Efforts Across the Aviation Sector, Says New Report

Significantly reducing lead emissions from gasoline-powered aircraft will require the leadership and strategic guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a broad-based and sustained commitment by other government agencies and the nation’s pilots, airport managers, aviation fuel and service suppliers, and aircraft manufacturers, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Colleges and Universities Need Campuswide Culture Change to Better Support Students’ Well-Being and Address Mental Health Problems

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls on U.S. colleges and universities to take comprehensive, campuswide approaches to more effectively address mental health and substance use problems among students and to develop cultures that support well-being.




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Veterinarians Should Perform Exams to Detect Soreness in Tennessee Walking Horses, Using New Methods and Revised Scar Rule, Says New Report

To detect soreness in Tennessee walking horses, only veterinarians should administer inspections at shows, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends.




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Cities, Transit Agencies, and Shared Mobility Providers Should Collaborate to Fully Realize Transportation Potential Across Metropolitan Areas

If combined with public transit and increased in scale, shared modes of transportation, such as ride-hailing, scooter sharing, and bike sharing, can enhance mobility, equity, and sustainability in metropolitan areas, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Incoming Administration Names Academy Members to Key Posts

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced their nomination of several members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine to serve in key science positions.




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NAS, NAE, and NAM Presidents Congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris on Their Inauguration

We congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on this historic day, and we are grateful for their lifelong dedication to serving the American people.




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Building a Stronger, More Sustainable U.S. Economy

Alongside its devastating effects on human health, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a catastrophic toll on the U.S. economy. Approximately 12 million Americans are unemployed, thousands of businesses have shut down — many permanently — and hunger and homelessness are on the rise. The economic fallout is disproportionately affecting low-income adults and families and minority communities, greatly impacting these vulnerable members of our society the most.




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Advancing Racial Equity in America

Last summer’s widespread protests against police brutality — taking place in the midst of a pandemic that has exacted a heavy toll on communities of color — sparked a national awakening to the toxic effects of centuries of systemic racism, and put issues related to racial equity and justice front and center.




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Advising the Nation on Climate Change

As the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly engulfed the nation and the world, a slower-moving crisis — but potentially even more damaging — has been unfolding for decades. The effects of climate change are already being felt by millions.




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Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Path to Recovery

As the new year begins, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the United States and in other parts of the world.  Scientists have worked at record speed to develop new vaccines, and the nation is now embarking on an unprecedented effort to scale up vaccine manufacturing, production, allocation, and distribution.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - February 2021

“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Strategies to Allocate Scarce COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatments to Eligible Patients Examined in New Rapid Response to Government

Despite a scarce supply, a substantial amount of COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment courses remain unused, says a new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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What Does a Changing Climate Mean for the Fish on Your Plate?

Research by Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellow Amina Schartup Explores How Mercury Levels in Fish May Rise with Climate Change