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Gulf Research Program Announces Inaugural Early-Career Research Fellows for New Human Health and Community Resilience Track

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies today announced the first seven recipients of its 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowships.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - June 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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Disrupting the Impacts of Implicit Bias

Research continues to reveal more about the nature and impacts of implicit bias — something hidden from our direct awareness that causes tangible damage in many spheres of life, even for the very young.




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Supporting Science in Africa’s Pandemic Response - The National Academies join partnerships to spur the use of evidence in policy

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a relatively rare situation in which the entire globe is grappling with the same crisis at the same time, albeit with widely varying approaches, resource levels, and political structures.




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U.S. Army Should Continue to Use Hydrocarbon Fuel as Primary Source of Energy on the Battlefield, Says New Report

In addition to jet propellant 8 (JP8), the U.S. Army should incorporate the use of diesel and renewable biodiesel as the primary sources of energy brought to the battlefield through 2035 to maximize warfighting capabilities, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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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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Let Scientific Evidence Determine Origin of SARS-CoV-2, Urge Presidents of the National Academies

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.




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Bridging Ghana and the Gulf - How One ECRF Fellow Is Tackling Urban Flooding

Communities must move from coping with floods to adapting for them. Kwame Owusu-Daaku, a former Gulf Research Program fellow, explains why living through floods in his native Ghana led him to Florida to help address the link between flooding and injustice.




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Drought and Record Heat in the West - The Climate Change Connection

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.




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New Report Charts Path Forward for FAA’s Cybersecurity Workforce

Looking Ahead at the Cybersecurity Workforce at the Federal Aviation Administration, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, charts a path forward for creating and maintaining a cybersecurity workforce at FAA that can meet the challenges of a highly competitive cybersecurity labor market and a wave of future retirements.




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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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NASA Should Update Astronaut Radiation Exposure Limits, Improve Communication of Cancer Risks

As NASA prepares to send astronauts to the moon and Mars, it is revisiting the latest research on cancer risk from space radiation. A new report recommends NASA proceed with setting a new radiation exposure limit, and improve how it communicates cancer risk to astronauts.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - July 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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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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Fighting Vaccine Hesitancy - What Can We Learn From Social Science

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.




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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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Variants, Misinformation, and ‘Brain Drain’ — The COVID-19 Vaccine Experience in Brazil, India, and Africa

As vaccination campaigns begin ramping up around the world, experts discuss how variants, misinformation, and “brain drain” are affecting pandemic-control efforts.




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Infrastructure for a Changing Climate

Climate change and its extremes — higher temperatures, rising sea levels, more intense hurricanes — pose a variety of threats to U.S. infrastructure. In a June discussion, NAE President John Anderson and former USACE Chief Engineer Thomas Bostick explored these hazards and how the nation can respond.




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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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Gulf Research Program Opens Applications for Offshore Energy Safety Track of 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship

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).




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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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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - August 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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New Report Lays Out 10-Year Research Agenda in Social Science for Dementia and Alzheimer’s

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.




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Transportation’s Role in Equity and Justice - Restoring and Revitalizing Neighborhoods and Communities

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.




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TRB Announces 24 Minority Student Fellows for 2022

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




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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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Science Academies from G20 Nations Urge Their Governments to Promote Creation of Global Surveillance Network to Detect Early Signs of Potential Future Pandemics

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.




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How Six Health System Leaders Are Addressing Clinician Burnout During COVID-19 and Beyond

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.




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National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Announces 2021 Cohort of Science Policy Fellows

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.




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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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From Shellfish to Sunny Day Flooding — Why a GRP Fellow Is Dissecting Water Quality in North Carolina

When shellfish farmers are deciding where to grow clams and oysters, they’re often acting on outdated water quality data — which can interrupt harvesting and cost them income. Gulf Research Program Fellow Natalie Nelson is working to predict water quality trends, so shellfish farmers can make better informed decisions.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - September 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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‘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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The Resilience of Ritual

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.




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‘It Shouldn’t Take a Pandemic’ — Supporting Kids and Teens as School Resumes

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.




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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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Broadening the Reach of Mental Health Care

Yesenia Aguilar Silvan, a Ford Fellow and a doctoral student in clinical psychology, studies the barriers that keep young people from getting mental health care and what can be done to overcome these obstacles.




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Charting A Path Forward In Environmental Justice

Using data science and maps to visualize historical inequities and climate change, GRP Science Policy Fellow, Simone Chapman is working to make strides in environmental justice.




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National Academies Mark 20th Anniversary of 9/11

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.




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National Academies Presidents Commemorate 20th Anniversary of 9/11

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




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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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Biden Names 20 National Academies Members to PCAST

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.




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National Science Foundation Should Create Next-Generation Earth Systems Science Initiative, New Report Says

To explore the complex interactions between the natural world and society and enhance our understanding of Earth’s systems, the National Science Foundation should create a next-generation Earth systems science initiative.