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Winners Selected for the 2019-2020 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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Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are currently conducting a study to review available data on the well-being of LGBTQI+ populations and future research needs for this community.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - July 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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COVID-19 and Disabilities - Inclusive Disaster Planning Is Crucial for Vulnerable Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives and routines of people with disabilities in countless ways, said panelists during a recent National Academies webinar.




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Prescribers Should Restrict the Use of Non-FDA-Approved Compounded Bioidentical Hormones, Except for Specific Medical Circumstances

The use of compounded bioidentical hormone therapies (cBHTs) — an increasingly popular approach to relieve symptoms of menopause and male hypogonadism — should be limited to the small number of patients who cannot benefit from an FDA-approved hormone therapy product, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Dogs Necessary for Only a Few Areas of Research at Veterans Affairs - Agency Should Adopt Expanded Criteria for Using Dogs

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says using laboratory dogs in research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is scientifically necessary for only a few areas of current biomedical research.




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Troubleshooting the Pandemic - Engineers Pitch Innovative Solutions to Help Address COVID-19

While the world waits for a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection, international and multigenerational teams of engineers have come together through the National Academy of Engineering’s COVID-19 Call for Engineering Action to find creative solutions to problems caused by the pandemic.




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Existing Feeding Recommendations for Birth to 24 Months Often Consistent - Opportunities Exist to Harmonize Guidance

Guidelines about feeding children under the age of 2 are generally consistent, but there are some inconsistencies, such as the minimum recommended age to which breastfeeding should be continued, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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COVID-19 and Black Communities

Black Americans are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than white Americans — the most recent manifestation of racial disparities in health that have long been evident in the United States.




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“A deep curiosity about the world”

The ocean may have something to teach us about the pandemic we’re grappling with, according to oceanographer and National Academy of Sciences member Jody Deming. Deming is a member of the Ocean Memory Project — a collaboration of scientists, artists, and others who are exploring how changes over time are encoded into ocean “memories.”




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Historically Black Colleges and Universities Take Center Stage as the Nation Responds to COVID-19 and Systemic Racism

Most U.S. colleges and universities are struggling to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Historically Black Colleges and Universities — known as HBCUs — are facing their own unique challenges.




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New Report Recommends National Framework to Strengthen Evidence on Effective Responses to Public Health Emergencies, Says Current Evidence Base Is Deficient

Research and funding priorities tend to shift from one disaster to the next, which has resulted in a sparse evidence base and hampers the nation’s ability to respond to public health emergencies in the most effective way, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Schools Should Prioritize Reopening in Fall 2020, Especially for Grades K-5, While Weighing Risks and Benefits

Weighing the health risks of reopening K-12 schools in fall 2020 against the educational risks of providing no in-person instruction, school districts should prioritize reopening schools full time, especially for grades K-5 and students with special needs, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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2021 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Is Going Virtual

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) today announced the TRB 100th Annual Meeting (TRBAM), originally scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., will be conducted as a virtual event over a series of dates throughout January 2021.




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Will COVID-19 Permanently Change Cancer Care?

COVID-19 cases are surging again in parts of the U.S., but that doesn’t mean other medical issues can be put on hold. Cancer care is particularly complex in the age of COVID-19, said panelists during a July 13 and 14 National Academies webinar, Opportunities and Challenges for Using Digital Health Applications in Oncology. It involves a spectrum of services — including screening, diagnostics, surgery, radiation, palliative care, and survivorship care.




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National Academies Launch Study on Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine – First Meeting July 24

In response to a request from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) have formed a committee that will develop an overarching framework to assist policymakers in the U.S. and global health communities in planning for equitable allocation of vaccines against COVID-19. The committee will hold its first meeting on July 24.




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Categorizing Workers’ Needs by Generation Such as Baby Boomers or Millennials Is Not Supported by Research or Useful for Workforce Management

Categorizing workers with generational labels like “baby boomer” or “millennial” to define their needs and behaviors is not supported by research, and cannot adequately inform workforce management decisions, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Promising Strategies for Encouraging COVID-19 Protective Behaviors, Including Mask Wearing and Physical Distancing, Identified in New Guidance

A new rapid expert consultation from the Societal Experts Action Network identifies promising strategies to make the adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask or regularly washing your hands, more likely.




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Staffing Considerations for Crisis Standards of Care Outlined in New Rapid Response to Government from National Academies Standing Committee

A new rapid expert consultation from a standing committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines considerations for clinical staffing needs during the implementation of Crisis Standards of Care (CSC), including adjusting staff responsibilities, providing “hazard pay” to staff, ensuring adequate time off, offering child care and other benefits, and leveraging health care coalitions to ensure appropriate transfer of patients between hospitals.




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To Improve Measurement of Changing Nature of Employment, Bureau of Labor Statistics Should Add Questions, Make Other Changes to Workforce Survey

To better measure the changing nature of employment, independent contracting and freelance work, and jobs with unstable hours, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) add questions to the Contingent Worker Supplement (CWS) about work done by people who may not be steadily employed, details about secondary jobs, and work scheduling practices.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - August 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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Reopening U.S. Research Universities - Weathering the Pandemic, and Looking Beyond It

The COVID-19 pandemic is posing some entirely new challenges to U.S. research universities — the need to dramatically ramp up online education, for example, and to find ways to protect the health and safety of faculty, students, and staff.




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National Academies Gulf Research Program Announces 2020 Class of Science Policy Fellows

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced the nine recipients of its 2020 Science Policy Fellowships.




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As SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolves, Genomic Data Should Be Collected Alongside Patient and Public Health Data, Says New Report

To better understand the evolution, transmission patterns, and disease progression of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — genome sequence data should be integrated with patient clinical data and epidemiological data, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Twenty Scientists Awarded 2020 Early-Career Research Fellowships by National Academies Gulf Research Program

The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced the 20 recipients of its 2020 Early-Career Research Fellowships.




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How Can Hospitals Overcome Staffing and Supply Shortages Amid COVID-19 Surges?

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals are still faced with staffing shortages due to the sheer volume of patients, staff illnesses, and non-COVID care that cannot be delayed.




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New Review Finds NYC Watershed Protection Program Successful in Maintaining and Enhancing Water Quality

A review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program, released today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, says the program has been largely successful in maintaining and enhancing water quality for New York City’s drinking water since its inception in 1997.




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In Their Words - Youth Share Their Thoughts on National Academies Adolescent Health Report

Adolescents need to be heard to ensure that health programs that serve them are reaching them effectively, according to Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes, a report released last December by the National Academies.




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Answering the Call - Engineers Continue to Pitch New Ideas to Help Address COVID-19

While progress toward developing a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection continues to dominate conversations about the pandemic, international and multigenerational teams of engineers have come together once again through the National Academy of Engineering’s COVID-19 Call for Engineering Action to find creative solutions to myriad pandemic-related problems. Their ideas aim to combat misinformation, help people most at risk, and prevent the spread of the virus.




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To Reduce Food Waste Standardized Date Labeling, Behavior Change Campaign, and Marketing Changes Needed, Says New Report

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.




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New Guidance Says Decision-Makers Can Offer Incentives and Partner with Trusted Sources, Among Other Strategies, to Encourage Cooperation in COVID-19 Contact Tracing

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.




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Disaster Resources from the National Academies

As Hurricane Laura bears down on parts of Louisiana and Texas, officials are dealing with the challenge of evacuating and sheltering people in the middle of a pandemic. A recent workshop examined how disaster preparedness teams must adapt to new realities as hurricanes, wildfires, and other extreme weather events coincide with COVID-19.




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National Academies to Seek Public Comment, Hold Listening Session on Draft Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine – Week of Aug. 31

A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee tasked with developing an overarching framework to assist policymakers in planning for equitable allocation of a vaccine against COVID-19 will issue a discussion draft of the preliminary framework for public comment on Sept. 1.




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The Challenge of Maintaining and Reopening Buildings During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses and government agencies to close or restructure to allow their employees to work remotely. However, the now-empty facilities still require some maintenance and engineering staff to remain on-site to ensure the basic operations of the buildings are running smoothly and safely. Keeping these employees safe during the pandemic so they can continue their essential duties is a priority.




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Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - September 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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Decoding the Unspoken Ways We Communicate

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




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National Academies Release Draft Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine, Seek Public Comment

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today released for public comment a discussion draft of a preliminary framework to assist policymakers in planning for equitable allocation of a vaccine against COVID-19.




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Heritable Genome Editing Not Yet Ready to Be Tried Safely and Effectively in Humans - Initial Clinical Uses, If Permitted, Should Be Limited to Serious Single-Gene Diseases

Human embryos whose genomes have been edited should not be used to create a pregnancy until it is established that precise genomic changes can be made reliably without introducing undesired changes — a criterion that has not yet been met by any genome editing technology, says a new report by an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.’s Royal Society.




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National Academy of Medicine Names Three NAM Fellows for 2020

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected three outstanding health professionals for the class of 2020 NAM Fellowships.




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Federal Agencies Should Adopt Uniform Framework for Quantifying Disaster-Related Deaths, Illness, Says New Report

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.




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Academies Study Will Examine COVID-19 in Correctional Facilities and Strategies for Decarceration

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine started work on a new study last month that will provide advice to policymakers, corrections officials, and public health officials on best practices for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilities through large-scale release and decarceration efforts.




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International Transportation Research Relationship Formed Between TRB and PANAMSTR in Latin America

The U.S.-based Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has formed a cooperative understanding with the Colombia-based Sociedad Panamericana de Investigación en Transporte y Logística (Pan-American Society of Transportation Research, PANAMSTR).




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Critical to Scientific Discovery and Innovation, Biological Collections Need Strategy, Action Center, and Increased Investment

The sustainability of the nation’s biological collections is under threat, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Improving Health Outcomes for Sickle Cell Disease Care Requires Comprehensive Team-Based Care, New Payment Models, and Addressing Institutional Racism in Health

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).




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Experts Work to Better Understand Impact of More Frequent, Intense Wildfires

As wildfires tear across the Western U.S., officials are confronting the challenge of evacuating and sheltering people in the middle of a pandemic.




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New Approaches Are Needed to Determine Whether Respiratory Health Problems Are Associated With Military Deployment to the Persian Gulf Region

Limitations in existing health studies have resulted in insufficient evidence to determine whether U.S. troops’ exposure to burn pit emissions and other airborne hazards in Southwest Asia are linked to adverse respiratory health outcomes, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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An Update on Our Response to COVID-19 - A Message from the Presidents of the NAS, NAE, and NAM

In a matter of months, the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a global health, economic, and societal crisis of staggering proportions.




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Stephen Hinshaw Receives National Academy of Medicine’s Sarnat Award for Contributions to Understanding and Treating Mental Health Conditions in Childhood and Adolescence and Stigma Prevention Efforts

The National Academy of Medicine today announced Stephen P. Hinshaw is the recipient of the 2020 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health, for basic and applied research on individuals with externalizing disorders, and for efforts to reduce mental illness stigma through youth-based programs and the promotion of humanization.




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Anthony Fauci Receives Lienhard Award From National Academy of Medicine for Decades of Work Improving Public Health and Leadership in Shaping COVID-19 Pandemic Response

For his role as a leader of federal research and policy on infectious diseases and, in particular, for his deft, scientifically grounded leadership in shaping an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Academy of Medicine today announced Anthony S. Fauci is the recipient of the 2020 Gustav O. Lienhard Award for Advancement of Health Care.




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Engineering a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

National Academy of Engineering (NAE) President John Anderson sat down to talk about some of the engineering challenges posed by the pandemic and how engineers — and the NAE in particular — are working to meet them.