sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

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).




sh

Breaking Down Barriers to Entrepreneurship for Women

Although the number of women among new inventors is edging upward, women still make up only about 13 percent of inventors in the economy overall. What keeps more women from engaging in invention and entrepreneurship? A recent workshop explored that question and how to remove the obstacles.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

‘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.




sh

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.




sh

Gulf Research Program Awards Eight Early-Career Research Fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship

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.




sh

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.




sh

Preventing Another Oil Spill Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico - Offshore Situation Room Convenes Experts to Share Lessons, Future Actions

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.




sh

Ceremonial Presentations of Nobel Prizes to be Held at U.S. National Academy of Sciences Locations in Washington and Irvine – Dec. 6 and 8

During Nobel Week 2021, ceremonial presentations of Nobel Prize medals and diplomas to 2021 laureates who are based in the United States will take place at the National Academy of Sciences.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

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.




sh

Systems for Providing Protection from Inhalation Hazards Should Extend to the Public and Broader Groups of Workers, Says New Report

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.




sh

Offshore Wind Farms Can Interfere with Ship Radar and Navigation, Says New Report

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.




sh

‘New Space Ecosystem’ Should Be Leveraged to Provide Transformative Science Advancements, Says New Report

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.




sh

NIH Should Standardize Questions Used to Collect Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Data in Studies and Surveys, Says New Report

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.




sh

‘Nation’s Report Card’ Assessment Should Make Changes to Contain Costs, Allow Innovation in Education Testing and Research, Says New Report

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.




sh

IES Should Change Structure and Policies to Meet New Priorities in Education, Including Equity, Says New Report

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.




sh

NCES Should Make Strategic Changes to Meet 21st-Century Education Data Needs — New Report

The National Center for Education Statistics should make strategic changes to meet new education data needs by investing in a culture of innovation, new types of data, and expanded data access services, says the final report in a series written for the Institute of Education Sciences.




sh

To Modernize the Consumer Price Index, BLS Should Accelerate Use of New Data Sources and Provide Price Indexes for Different Incomes, Says New Report

To modernize the consumer price index — the most widely used measure of inflation in the U.S. — the Bureau of Labor Statistics should accelerate its use of new sources of data and develop price indexes based on different income levels, says a new report.




sh

NIH Should Create an Office of Autoimmune Disease Research, Says New Report

To enhance and coordinate its research on autoimmune diseases, the National Institutes of Health should create an Office of Autoimmune Disease/Autoimmunity Research and a plan that spans all institutes and centers to provide an overall NIH strategy for autoimmune disease research.




sh

Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Competed Space Mission Leadership at NASA Will Require Extensive Efforts Along Entire Career Pathways, Says New Report

To meet its diversity and inclusion goals for competed mission leadership, NASA should invest in STEM career pathways, partner with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions, and expand training and mentorship opportunities, among other actions.




sh

EPA Should Conduct Ecological Risk Assessment of UV Filters Found in Sunscreen to Understand Their Impact on Aquatic Environments, Says New Report

EPA should conduct an ecological risk assessment of ultraviolet filters used in sunscreens, given the evidence that aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. and possibly endangered species are exposed to these UV filters, and given the importance of these ingredients in skin cancer prevention.




sh

Maintaining U.S. Global Leadership in Science and Technology Requires Greater Focus on Strengthening Innovation, Not Solely on Restricting Access to Specific Technologies

To maintain U.S. global leadership in science and technology, federal agencies should pursue a coordinated risk-management approach that protects the United States’ own capacity to innovate, rather than emphasizing the protection of specific technologies from access by competitor nations.




sh

Gulf Research Program Welcomes 2022 Cohort of Seven Early-Career Research Fellows in Environmental Protection and Stewardship

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced its 2022 cohort of Early-Career Research Fellows in the Environmental Protection and Stewardship track.




sh

VA Should Focus its Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry on Communications and Improving Health Care

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry should be optimized to be a user-friendly resource and focus on improving health care quality and access for veterans and providing two-way communication between veterans who participate and the VA.




sh

Victoria Sheehan Named New Executive Director of Transportation Research Board at National Academies

Following a national search, Victoria Sheehan will join the National Academies on Dec. 5 as the new executive director of the Transportation Research Board. Sheehan comes to the organization from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, which she has led as its commissioner for the past seven years.




sh

Virginia Regulations Should Be Updated to Protect Against Potential Environmental and Health Impacts of Gold Mining, Says New Report

With renewed attention on mining gold at both new and historical sites in Virginia, the state’s regulations and practices should be updated to protect against the potential environmental and health impacts of gold mining — though the risk of adverse impacts cannot be eliminated completely, says a new report.




sh

To Improve Research Collaboration Among Land-Grant Universities, Congress Should Facilitate Participation of Historically Black and Tribal Colleges and Universities, Says New Report

Congress should take action to facilitate the participation of all land-grant colleges and universities in multistate research projects, says a new report. Funding disparities have prevented many historically Black and tribal colleges and universities from fully collaborating with other land-grant institutions.




sh

To Reduce Racial Inequality in the Criminal Justice System, Government Should Explore Ways to Reduce Police Stops, Detention, and Long Sentences, Says New Report

To reduce racial disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system, policymakers at all levels should explore ways to decrease police stops and searches, jail detention, prison admission, and long sentences through coordinated policy reforms.




sh

Participants in the Gulf Scholars Program Gather for the First Time to Share Ideas and Make Connections

Nearly 100 students, faculty, and other experts recently gathered online for the first-ever Fall Forum of the Gulf Scholars Program, a pilot program of the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program aimed at preparing undergraduate students to address environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf of Mexico region.




sh

Industry and Government Should Begin Planning Carbon Dioxide Utilization in Circular Economy, Says New Report

As part of the shift to a net-zero carbon emissions economy, industry and government should begin planning for the deployment of carbon dioxide utilization systems to turn captured CO2 into useful products, such as aviation fuel and aggregates for construction.




sh

Gulf Research Program Announces Early-Career Research Fellows in Offshore Energy Safety and Education Research

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today its 2022-2024 cohorts of Early-Career Research Fellows in the Offshore Energy Safety and Education Research tracks.




sh

Untangling Why Critical Drug and Medical Supply Shortages Keep Happening

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the continuing, decades-long problem of medical product supply chain disruptions. Drug and medical device shortages — life-threatening for some — also affect the entire U.S health care system, costing millions of dollars annually. New resources from the National Academies offer insights.




sh

Higher Ed Institutions, STEMM Organizations Should Act to Change Cultures to Support Inclusive Excellence and Dismantle Barriers Created by Systemic Racism and Implicit Bias

Higher education institutions and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine organizations should go beyond a focus on simply increasing the numeric participation of minoritized racial and ethnic groups. To increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEMM fields, organizations of all sizes must act to change their cultures and environments.




sh

U.S. Should Scale and Spread Whole Health Care Through VA and HHS Leadership, Create Federal Center for Whole Health Innovation, Says New Report

As U.S. life expectancy falls and the nation struggles to achieve health outcomes on par with other high-income countries, the VA and HHS should collaborate to create a national Center for Whole Health Innovation to support, scale, and spread whole health care nationally across health systems.




sh

Health Care and Child Care Needs Should Be Elevated in the Nation’s Poverty Statistics, Says New Report

The methodology used by the Census Bureau to calculate the Supplemental Poverty Measure should be updated to reflect households’ basic needs and resources to meet those needs more accurately. A new report recommends changes to better account for families’ health care, child care, and housing expenses.




sh

Measurement and Management of Systemic Risk in Gulf of Mexico Offshore Oil and Gas Operations Have Improved Since Deepwater Horizon Disaster, But Progress Lags in Some Areas

Most of the offshore oil and gas industry operating in the Gulf of Mexico has improved its management of systemic risk in recent years, according to a new report that also points out where uneven progress and critical gaps remain for industry and regulators to address.




sh

National Nuclear Security Administration Cannot Continue With ‘Business as Usual’ in the Shifting Supercomputing Landscape, Says New Report

The National Nuclear Security Administration needs to fundamentally rethink the strategy for its next generation of high-performance computing and cannot continue with ‘business as usual’ through shifting technical and geopolitical landscapes. Advanced computing capabilities help the NNSA ensure that the U.S. maintains a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile.




sh

U.S. Should Begin Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors, Says New Report

New nuclear reactor concepts could help the U.S. meet its long-term climate goals, but a range of technical, regulatory, economic, and societal challenges must first be overcome. A new report provides recommendations to start laying the foundation required for advanced reactors to become a viable part of the U.S. energy system.




sh

Key trends shaping the threat landscape in H1 2024 – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Learn about the types of threats that 'topped the charts' and the kinds of techniques that bad actors leveraged most commonly in the first half of this year




sh

5 common Ticketmaster scams: How fraudsters steal the show

Scammers gonna scam scam scam, so before hunting for your tickets to a Taylor Swift gig or other in-demand events, learn how to stop fraudsters from leaving a blank space in your bank account




sh

Should ransomware payments be banned? – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Blanket bans on ransomware payments are a much-debated topic in cybersecurity and policy circles. What are the implications of outlawing the payments, and would the ban be effective?




sh

Phishing targeting Polish SMBs continues via ModiLoader

ESET researchers detected multiple, widespread phishing campaigns targeting SMBs in Poland during May 2024, distributing various malware families