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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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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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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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To Increase Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines, Decision-Makers Need to Showcase Public Support, Leverage Endorsements, Focus on Hesitant Individuals, and Engage Communities

Decision-makers leading COVID-19 vaccine rollouts need to begin communicating with the public immediately if they have not already — emphasizing public support for vaccinations, leveraging celebrity and community champion endorsements, and focusing on those who are skeptical or hesitant of the vaccines rather than firmly opposed — to ensure demand and promote uptake, says a new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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National Academies Complete Review of National Toxicology Program’s Second Draft Monograph on Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Effects

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released today a review of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) second draft of the monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects.




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Reducing the Disposal of Unused, Expensive Injectable Medications Requires Changes in the Way the U.S. Produces, Administers, and Pays for Drugs

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.




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New Partner Network Created to Engage a Range of Organizations in Sharing Efforts to Prevent Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

The National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education has launched a new Partner Network to include a range of higher education-focused organizations in sharing their work to prevent and address sexual harassment in higher education. Thirteen organizations have joined the Partner Network as an inaugural group.




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National Academy of Medicine Launches Initiative on Advancing Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Preparedness and Response

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has established an international committee (IC) in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Global Affairs (OGA) to inform and facilitate efforts to advance global influenza pandemic preparedness.




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New Biennial Review Says Stronger Science Support Needed as Everglades Restoration Pivots from Planning to Operations

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.




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Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy in a Way That’s Fast and Fair

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




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National Academy of Medicine Launches Initiative Supported by YouTube on Evaluating the Authoritativeness of Online Providers of Health Information

In order to enhance the accessibility of trustworthy health information on its platform, YouTube asked the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) to identify preliminary definitions of “authoritative” sources of health information and the criteria by which these sources derive and maintain their authority.




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U.S. Should Make Monitoring and Detecting Nuclear Threats a Higher National Priority by Ensuring Coordination Across Federal Agencies and Expanding Research Efforts

To address enduring and evolving nuclear threats, the U.S. needs a higher prioritized and more integrated program for monitoring, detecting, and verifying nuclear test explosions, nuclear weapon stockpiles, and the production of fissile material, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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New Rapid Expert Consultation Shares Insights from Social Science on Communicating COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Equity

As COVID-19 vaccinations continue and accelerate across the U.S., a new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers advice for decision-makers communicating to the public about vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and equity — drawing on findings from social and behavioral science.




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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.




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How College and University Leaders Are Getting Their Campuses Vaccinated

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.




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Gulf Research Program Launches Gulf Scholars — Its First Initiative Focused on Undergraduate Education

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.




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Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Globally Requires Maintaining Safety of Available Antibiotics and a Robust Pipeline - Animal and Environmental Health Strategies Also Needed

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.




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Planning Committee Named for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing

A multidisciplinary committee representing 11 nations will plan the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, to be held in London March 7-9, 2022. The NAS and NAM join other international partners in organizing the summit, which will build upon previous events held in Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong.




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Transformative Opportunities in Transportation

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.




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COP26 Presents Historic Opportunity for a More Sustainable Future, Say Presidents of U.S. National Academies

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.




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New Report Charts Path for Next Decade of Astronomy and Astrophysics - Recommends Future Ground and Space Telescopes, Scientific Priorities, Investments in Scientific Community

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.




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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.




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Lessons from COVID-19 on Executing Communications and Engagement at the Community Level During a Health Crisis

On May 20, 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual convening of public health and communications practitioners to examine the challenges, opportunities, and lessons they saw while executing effective communications and community engagement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Actions Needed by Higher Education Institutions, Technology Companies, Federal Agencies to Increase Representation of Women of Color in Tech

A range of organizations across the tech ecosystem — tech companies, colleges and universities, professional societies, and government agencies — should take steps to improve the representation of women of color in tech fields and careers.




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U.S. Nobel Prize Laureates Receive Medals at NAS Ceremonies

The National Academy of Sciences is hosting celebrations for the winners of 2021 Nobel Prizes who are based in the United States, joining in ceremonies and events being held around the world this week to celebrate laureates unable to travel to Stockholm this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Safe Passage for Scientists - Evacuating Scientists and Engineers from Afghanistan

When the Taliban captured Kabul last year, a group of scientists and engineers with ties to the National Academies were desperately seeking a way out of Afghanistan. During a recent webinar, Vaughan Turekian recounted the effort to get these scientists and their families to safety.




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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.




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New Awards in Science Communication Totaling $600,000 Annually Launched by Schmidt Futures and the National Academies

The new Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication aim to recognize and develop excellence in science communication by research scientists and by early career, local, and freelance science journalists. The program will provide winners with cash awards as well as training and resources to further expand their communications skills.




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NAS and NAM Presidents, Other Experts Urge Biden Administration to Reinstate Presidential Bioethics Commission

A presidential commission on bioethics has not been appointed since 2017. The Biden administration should reinstate a presidential bioethics advisory commission to help inform policy decisions that have bioethical implications, urge the NAS and NAM presidents and other experts.




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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.




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GRP Executive Director Lauren Alexander Augustine Testifies on Climate and Community Resilience

Lauren Alexander Augustine, executive director of the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program, discussed community resilience strategies before the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis at a March 9 hearing.




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Designing COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements and Incentive Programs — New Expert Consultation

Vaccination mandates and requirements can be effective in increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates, but their success depends on being targeted and on building trust, says a new rapid expert consultation, which also outlines considerations for using incentives to promote booster uptake.




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NAS Launches Effort to Help Support Ukrainian Researchers as They Resettle in Poland

Many scientists and researchers are among the millions of Ukrainians who have fled their country since the Russian invasion. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has launched a new initiative to help these researchers and their families resettle in Poland.




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Innovative Practice - University of Wisconsin System Stop “Passing the Harasser” Policy

This description of practice summarizes the development and implementation of a policy by the University of Wisconsin (UW) System to prevent “passing the harasser,” a term that denotes a known harasser transitioning from one institution to another without (1) the new employer’s knowledge of previous violations of sexual harassment policy or ongoing investigations of such violations, and/or (2) facing disciplinary action.




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Innovative Practice - University of California, Davis Stop “Passing the Harasser” Policy

The description of practice below summarizes the development and implementation of a policy by the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to prevent “passing the harasser,” a term that denotes a known harasser transitioning from one institution to another without (1) the new employer’s knowledge of previous violations of sexual harassment policy or ongoing investigations of such violations, and/or (2) facing disciplinary action.




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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.




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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.




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National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Awards $8.6 Million to Promote Equity in Health and Community Resilience for At-Risk Communities

The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced grant awards totaling $8.6 million for 11 new projects supporting health equity and community resilience.




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Lack of Equitable Representation in Clinical Trials Compounds Disparities in Health and Will Cost U.S. Hundreds of Billions of Dollars - Urgent Actions Needed by NIH, FDA, Others to Boost Representation

Lack of representation in research is compounding disparities in health outcomes, with serious consequences for underrepresented groups and the nation as a whole. Urgent actions are needed by NIH, FDA, and others to boost representation of racial and ethnic minority groups and other underrepresented populations in clinical trials and research.




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The Growing Role of Clinical Engineering - Merging Technology at the Point of Care

As health care delivery systems increasingly depend on technology, the expertise of clinical engineers in the use and management of this technology is critical for achieving best outcomes. In a new NAE Perspective, Thomas Judd and Yadin David discuss the indispensable role of clinical engineers in merging technology at the point of care.




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Science Academies Call on G-7 Governments to Take Urgent Action to Accelerate Decarbonization, Develop Antiviral Drugs to Increase Pandemic Preparedness, Address Other Global Challenges

Science academies from the G-7 nations issued statements urging their governments to take action on four global challenges — developing antiviral drugs to prepare for future pandemics, speeding progress on decarbonization, protecting the oceans and sea ice, and implementing a One Health approach to zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance.