A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies promising strategies for reducing consumer food waste nationwide, including a national campaign to change consumer behavior, federal standardization of food date labeling, and changes to retailer marketing and food service practices, among other measures.

A new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Societal Experts Action Network says strategies such as giving advance notice, partnering with trusted sources, and offering incentives can encourage individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 to respond to health department contact tracing and share information about people they may have exposed to the virus.

Ehsan Hoque, a National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leader, harnesses nonverbal cues to improve health and human connection

To more accurately quantify disaster-related deaths, injuries, and illnesses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies supporting disaster response should adopt a uniform national framework of data collection approaches and methods for distinguishing direct from indirect disaster deaths, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides a blueprint and eight overarching strategies for improving health care for the approximately 100,000 people in the United States living with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Disease surveillance, testing, and contact tracing are among the best public health tools available to protect ourselves and our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, said panelists during a recent COVID-19 Conversations webinar, hosted by the National Academy of Medicine and American Public Health Association.

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.

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.

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?

Last week, millions of Americans made a trip to the grocery store to buy a fuller cart than their usual weekly shopping. Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season, centered on cooking, abundance, and plenty, even as celebration get-togethers are scaled back because of the pandemic.

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.

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.

Although cancer survivors are living longer, cancer and its treatment can result in long-lasting or late-onset impairments that may affect their ability to work, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and private industry should invest now in order to have an operational fusion pilot plant in the 2035-2040 time frame, says Bringing Fusion to the U.S. Grid, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides comprehensive recommendations for improving the U.S. electric power system so that it can adequately provide electricity to the nation in a safe, reliable, clean, resilient, and equitable way, especially as the U.S. pursues decarbonization of the energy supply.

Every year, significant amounts of drugs left over and unused from single-dose vials are discarded, but because of the way drugs are priced and paid for in the United States, the cost of the discarded amount cannot be recouped, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

As it drafts its next decadal strategic plan, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) should shift its focus to providing insights that help society prepare for and avoid the worst potential consequences of climate change, while protecting the most vulnerable, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

As the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) pivots from planning to operations, a strong organizational foundation for science will be essential to inform management and future actions for the ecosystem, which remains vulnerable to continued degradation, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Discussion explores how to speed progress toward net-zero emissions.

Given the urgency of the risks posed by climate change, the U.S. should pursue a research program for solar geoengineering — in coordination with other nations, subject to governance, and alongside a robust portfolio of climate mitigation and adaptation policies, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Increased use of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) presents the greatest opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of light-duty vehicles — i.e., passenger vehicles and light trucks — over the period of 2025-2035, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

New models for studying the human brain — human neural organoids, transplants, and chimeras — show promise for advancing understanding of the brain and laying the groundwork for new therapeutic approaches to brain diseases that have so far proved hard to treat, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

“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.

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.

Nursing in the next 10 years will demand a larger, more diversified workforce prepared to provide care in different settings, to address the lasting effects of COVID-19, to break down structural racism and the root causes of poor health, and to respond to future public health emergencies, says a new report from the National Academy of Medicine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The COVID-19 pandemic and more frequent wildfires have highlighted the need for respiratory protection for the public and all types of workers, including essential and gig economy workers. A new report recommends frameworks to ensure both groups receive timely access to appropriate respiratory protective devices and guidance on their effective use.

A new report says wind turbine generators used in offshore wind farms can interfere with navigational radar used by ships to avoid collisions, posing challenges for safe maritime navigation.

A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns the increasingly numerous and widespread impacts of climate change may soon overcome our ability to adapt, unless action is taken to reduce emissions.

Rapid advances in small satellite technology and associated launch and production capabilities have transformed the space industry. A new report recommends ways the government can partner with commercial entities to enhance national missions and make transformative science advancements.

The presidents of the U.S. National Academies issued a statement condemning the “horrific and unprovoked” Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We stand in solidarity with the scientists, engineers, health care workers, and other colleagues in the research community of Ukraine, who like all Ukrainians, are doing their best to survive and resist.”

The National Institutes of Health should adopt new practices and standardized language to collect data about sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation from survey respondents or research participants. Better measurements will improve data quality, as well as NIH’s ability to identify and understand LGBTQI+ populations.

The emergence of biological physics as a field has had an impact on artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, the global response to COVID-19, and more. A new report outlines research directions and recommends ways federal agencies and universities can help strengthen the field’s future.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress — which produces the “Nation’s Report Card” and other critical education data — should make changes to understand and reduce its costs and open the door to innovation.

The Institute of Education Sciences should make changes to research activities at the National Center for Education Research and National Center for Special Education Research to meet new priorities in education, including improving equity and the usefulness of research.

Assessing the success of ecological restoration efforts since the Deepwater Horizon platform explosion and oil spill in 2010 will require continued improvements in data analysis and coordination across the Gulf of Mexico region.

“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.