NASEM
Currently Listening: How to Get People to Believe in Science Again Podcast
In a new episode of the In Reality podcast, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Marcia McNutt and Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, discuss how to counter misinformation and build trust in science — the subject of a recent Nobel Prize Summit hosted by their institutions. Listen here.
NAS: The Use of Race and Ethnicity in Biomedical Research
The National Academies’ Health and Medicine Division announced that they are seeking nominations for 12-15 volunteer experts to participate in the new consensus study tasked with evaluating the current use of the social constructs of race and ethnicity in biomedical research. The study will assess how racialized group and ethnic categories are currently used, review existing guidance for researchers on the use of race as a variable, and provide recommendations to guide the scientific community in the future use of race and ethnicity. The nominated experts should be from the following areas: Submit your nominations by July 15, 2023.
Applications Open for the Third Cohort of New Voices Program
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) announced applications for the third cohort of their New Voices program are now open. The program invites applications from emerging U.S.-based leaders across all disciplines of the sciences, engineering, and medicine. Ideal candidates will have an established record of professional excellence and a demonstrated commitment to service beyond their immediate discipline and institution. Launched in 2018, the New Voices program aims to bring diverse and innovative perspectives from early- and mid-career leaders into crucial dialogues on how science, engineering, and medicine are shaping our global future. Membership in the New Voices program offers…
LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act Reintroduced
On June 9, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) reintroduced the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act in both the House and Senate. The bill aims to improve Federal population surveys by requiring the collection of voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity in certain surveys, and for other purposes. “The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act will help policymakers and leaders understand the full extent of the discrimination our LGBTQ+ community faces and how to better serve our constituents as we work toward fairness, freedom, and full equality,” said Senator Baldwin. In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine…
NASEM Call for Nominations: PreK-12 STEM Education Innovations
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking experts to participate in the new consensus study on promising PreK-12 STEM education innovations in response to the Congressional mandate in the CHIPS and Science Act. The study will (1) review the literature and identify research gaps regarding the factors that foster and hinder successful implementation of promising PreK-12 STEM innovations at all levels; (2) present evidence-based PreK-12 STEM education practices, models, programs, and technologies; (3) identify barriers to widespread and sustained implementation of innovations; and (4) make recommendations to relevant stakeholders on measures to address the identified barriers….
NASEM releases Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions Report
The Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences (BBCSS) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released a new report titled Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions. As a field developing strongly since the mid-20th century, behavioral economics has produced influential research from its findings between economists and psychologists. In this report, the contributions and impacts of the field are assessed across seven public policy fields: health, retirement benefits, climate change, social safety net benefits, climate change, education, and criminal justice. In addition to discussing the application of behavioral economics into governmental outputs, the report addresses ways to…
NASEM Announces Climate Crossroads Initiative to Address Climate Change
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have announced the new Climate Crossroads, an initiative intended to expand their climate change research to provide diverse solutions to climate change issues. NASEM is currently seeking experts in the following fields to serve on the initiative’s Advisory Committee: climate research, policy, communications, community engagement, fundraising, and strategic development. Submissions are due May 1. NASEM will host the Climate Crossroads 2023 Summer Partner’s Meeting on July 11-12 at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C.
NASEM Releases Interactive Webpage for ADEI in STEMM Report, Announces Workshop
As previously reported, the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released their report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) Organizations in February of this year. The report identified structural barriers to minoritized groups’ access to STEMM fields and outlined several recommendations as to how the scientific community can combat those barriers and better implement ADEI principles. To further the reach and understanding of the report, NASEM has now produced an interactive webpage which explores the report’s findings and provides exploratory functions for learning more about each subject. The…
SEAN Report Addresses COVID-19 Related Challenges for Individuals with Precarious Employment
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) has released it’s latest rapid expert consultation, Addressing COVID-19 Related Challenges Facing Individuals Engaged in Precarious Employment. SEAN provides social, behavioral, and economic science researchers with resources to produce rapid-fire reports and recommendations to influence policy decisions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic (see previous COSSA coverage). In this latest report, SEAN considers the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees in jobs that are considered to have low security, such as jobs with low wages and low benefits. The report found that employees in these positions had…
CNSTAT Releases Second Data Infrastructure Report in Series Intended to Modernize Data Collection
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) has released its second in an ongoing series of data infrastructure reports intended to modernize and enhance data collection (previous COSSA coverage). This latest report, Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Enhancing Survey Programs by Using Multiple Data Sources, builds off the first by discussing how using multiple data sources beyond sample surveys could improve the data collection for statistics and social and economic research, as well as data equity. The report acknowledges several data sources that could improve data collection, including probability samples, administrative…
NASEM President Marcia McNutt Speaks on History of Research Funding at AAAS Meeting
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held it’s 2023 Annual Meeting on March 2-5 in Washington DC. During the conference, Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) provided a keynote address, The Past, Present, and Future of our Research Enterprise. McNutt discussed the evolution of science funding through the years, particularly referencing the decline of funding after the Cold War. McNutt noted that the research enterprise in the United States does not have the capacity to meet demand for scientific insights, and oftentimes, funding falls short. McNutt recommended improving funding and access to education,…
National Academies Release Report on Antiracism in Science Organizations
On February 14, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) held a webinar marking the release of a report on Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations. The report aims to identify structural barriers to participation in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) by minoritized individuals and provides recommendations on how the scientific community can instigate meaningful changes to remove these barriers and instill principles of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). The report offers the following recommendations to the scientific community: The report can be read in full on the NASEM website.
National Academies Seeking Members for Board on Environmental Change and Society
A call for nominations has been released for new members to serve on the Board on Environmental Change and Society (BECS) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Prospective new members are preferred to have expertise in social and behavioral sciences, including decision-making research, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, environmental policy, and human-environment science. A full list of desired disciplines is available here. BECS advances the integration of social and behavioral science research into environmental science and policy through programs which explore human interactions with the biophysical environment. BECS is also focused on developing a coherent field of…
Submissions Closing for Mark Kleiman Memorial Lecture
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Law and Justice (CLAJ) is accepting submissions for the 2023 Mark Kleiman Innovation for Public Policy Memorial Lecture. The lecture is an annual award intended to be granted to early career researchers in criminal justice decision making and public policy. Along with a monetary prize, the awardee is given the opportunity to present at a meeting of the National Academies. Submissions will be accepted through January 14. More information is available here.
National Academies Calls for Nominations for Study on Improving Economic and Social Mobility
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) Committee on Population (CPOP) and Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) are leading a consensus study to identify gaps in knowledge on the influences on economic and social mobility in the U.S. Recognizing the prevalence of inequalities in income, wealth, health, and life across the U.S., the study will seek to understand how such inequalities are influenced by policy interventions and how they vary across different population groups. NASEM invites nominations for individuals to serve on the committee. Expertise is sought in the following areas: economics, sociology, demography, statistics/methodology, psychology, political science,…
National Academies Releases New Report on Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a new report, Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy. The report addresses disparities faced by people of color in the criminal justice system that result from systemic racism and the policies and practices that reinforce it. It highlights evidence-based policy interventions, focusing on reforming the criminal justice system and developing strategies to strengthen community reforms. Recommendations for reforming the criminal justice system include eliminating cash bail, reducing drug incarceration and felony sentences, discarding the death penalty, and more, while community reforms include health and…
DBASSE Celebrates 60 Years and Looks to the Future
On October 13, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine held a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE). During the two-day event, presenters revisited some of the Division’s most notable activities and reports, such as the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) and the report on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science, to name a few. Later, speakers explored some of the topics that could dominate in the years ahead and how social science can contribute. In the words of former Director of the National Science Foundation Rita Colwell, “This is…
CNSTAT Nominations for Workshop on Improving Measurement of Death by Suicide of Law Enforcement Officers
The Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Statistics is calling for nominations for members of an organizing committee to create a public workshop on strategies to measure death by suicide of law enforcement and correctional officers. CNSTAT is seeking experts in criminal justice research and statistics, mental health and occupational health, administrative data, and integrating federal, state, tribal, and local government data systems. They are also seeking law enforcement and correctional officers for the event. Nominations will close on November 10, 2022.
CNSTAT Releases Report on a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT) recently released the report Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good. The report offers an ambitious vision and roadmap for bringing the U.S. data infrastructure in line with the nation’s need for reliable, accessible statistics and social and economic research. During a recent seminar celebrating CNSTAT’s 50th anniversary, CNSTAT Chair Robert Groves of Georgetown University offered additional context for the report, noting the convergence of increasing survey costs, all-time low response rates, and the unprecedented amount of digital data now…
National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education Release Year Three Annual Report
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released the Year Three Annual Report for the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education and held the Fourth Annual Public Summit last week. The report builds off of the 2018 report, Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (see previous COSSA coverage). The Action Collaborative focuses on raising awareness, sharing evidence-based policies and strategies, developing standards for measuring progress, and setting shared research agenda related to eradicating harassment in higher education settings. The Year Three Annual Report highlights the improvements the National Academies…