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NAS Awards 2026 Public Welfare Medal to Francis Collins
Announcement
The National Academy of Sciences will present its prestigious Public Welfare Medal to Francis S. Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, for his pioneering research in human genetics and critical contributions to public welfare as the leader of the Human Genome Project.
Video Recordings from TRB Annual Meeting Now Available
Announcement
The 2026 TRB Annual Meeting brought together thousands of transportation researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share current research and discuss pressing issues across all transportation modes. Watch sessions featuring high-profile speakers focused on the surface transportation funding reauthorization bill, megaprojects, road safety, and modernizing transportation systems.
- Gulf Research Program Awards over $7 Million to Advance Scientific Understanding of Sea-Level Variation and Rise in the Gulf Region Jan 27, 2026 News Release
- NAS Honors 19 for Major Contributions to Science Jan 22, 2026 Announcement
- National Academies Respond to OSTP Request for Information on Accelerating the U.S. Research Enterprise Jan 20, 2026 Feature Story
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“There is a critical gap between the performance of machine learning [and] what we would expect in a safety-critical system,” – George Pappas, Associate Dean of Research, School of Engineering and Applied Science at University of Pennsylvania. Machine learning, a key enabler of artificial intelligence, is increasingly used for applications like self-driving cars, medical devices, and advanced robots that work near humans — all contexts where safety is of critical importance.
12,757,958 Over 12,757,958 people have engaged with our work in 2025.
7,300 Over 7,300 innovative thinkers and accomplished practitioners volunteered their time with the National Academies in 2024.
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NAS Building Guided Tours Available!
Participate in a one-hour guided tour of the historic National Academy of Sciences building, highlighting its distinctive architecture, renowned artwork, and the intersection of art, science, and culture.