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Submission Period Now Open for the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications; $640,000 To Be Awarded

News Release

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications. The awards honor exceptional science communicators, science journalists, and research scientists who have developed creative, original work that addresses issues and advances in science, engineering, and medicine for the general public.

Mar 2, 2026
Presentation of 2025 awards on Nov. 14, 2025 (photo by David Asche Photography)

Frontiers of Statistics in Science and Engineering

Announcement

From advances in artificial intelligence and blockchain to precision agriculture, statistical innovation drives progress. A new National Academies report examines key developments in statistics, highlights critical future directions, and presents investment priorities to bolster U.S. technological advantage over the next decade.

Feb 26, 2026
Abstract blue wave particles, 3d rendering. Digital drawing.

As Demand for Electricity Grows, Energy Parks Are Being Explored as Potential Solutions

Feature Story

The energy needs of AI data centers are greatly increasing the amount of electricity demanded from our aging power grid. A recent National Academies webinar looked at the potential benefits and barriers of regional energy parks — which co-locate local power sources and large-scale users at a single point on the grid — to provide electricity quickly and more affordably.

Feb 26, 2026
Steel transmission towers stretch across a desert plain at sunset while glowing blue strands symbolize data-intensive artificial intelligence increasing power consumption.

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Submission Period Now Open for the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications; $640,000 To Be Awarded

News Release

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications. The awards honor exceptional science communicators, science journalists, and research scientists who have developed creative, original work that addresses issues and advances in science, engineering, and medicine for the general public.

Mar 2, 2026

Presentation of 2025 awards on Nov. 14, 2025 (photo by David Asche Photography)

Frontiers of Statistics in Science and Engineering

Announcement

From advances in artificial intelligence and blockchain to precision agriculture, statistical innovation drives progress. A new National Academies report examines key developments in statistics, highlights critical future directions, and presents investment priorities to bolster U.S. technological advantage over the next decade.

Feb 26, 2026

Abstract blue wave particles, 3d rendering. Digital drawing.

As Demand for Electricity Grows, Energy Parks Are Being Explored as Potential Solutions

Feature Story

The energy needs of AI data centers are greatly increasing the amount of electricity demanded from our aging power grid. A recent National Academies webinar looked at the potential benefits and barriers of regional energy parks — which co-locate local power sources and large-scale users at a single point on the grid — to provide electricity quickly and more affordably.

Feb 26, 2026

Steel transmission towers stretch across a desert plain at sunset while glowing blue strands symbolize data-intensive artificial intelligence increasing power consumption.

Understanding and Addressing Energy Affordability in the United States

Announcement

Join us for a National Academies workshop on February 25 that will examine the drivers behind increasing energy prices in the U.S. and explore policy and technology options to improve affordability across regions and sectors.

Feb 23, 2026

Senior couple paying bills at kitchen table

Guidance for Federal Conservation Programs on PFAS on Agricultural Lands Offered in New Report

News Release

A new report examines the scope of PFAS challenges in agriculture and identifies steps that land conservation agencies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture could take to reduce the impacts of these “forever chemicals” on natural resources and agricultural productivity.

Feb 13, 2026

A wheat harvest in Brownsburg, Indiana (NRCS photo by Brandon O’Connor)

Coral Reefs, Resilience, and the Stories we Tell

Program News

Coral reefs are often described in scientific terms: ecosystems rich in biodiversity, natural storm barriers, and sources of food and income. Yet for many scientists, the path into reef research did not begin with data but with a powerful personal encounter with the natural world.

Feb 11, 2026

The delicate fingers of a flaming red Sea Fan a type of Gorgonian.

National Academy of Engineering Elects New Members

News Release

The National Academy of Engineering today announced the election of its Class of 2026. With 130 new members and 28 international members, the total number of U.S. members is now 2,534 and the number of international members is 356. Election to the Academy is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.

Feb 10, 2026

Perspective digital grid green color pattern on light beam background. Futuristic technology concept.

New Voices Program for Emerging STEM Leaders Announces 2026 Cohort

News Release

Twenty outstanding mid-career scientists, engineers, and medical professionals joins the National Academies’ New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a program that aims to expand the expertise engaged in National Academies work while developing a network of U.S. leaders to address national and global challenges. “Now more than ever, we need to nurture the next generation of talented American researchers, who are the future leaders of the U.S. science and innovation enterprise,” said NAS President Marcia McNutt.

Feb 6, 2026

Neil Shubin Elected To Be Next NAS President

Announcement

Neil H. Shubin, Robert R. Bensley Distinguished Service Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy and vice dean for academic advancement at the University of Chicago, has been elected as the next president of the National Academy of Sciences, to begin July 1. The Academy also chose a new international secretary and councilors. (Photo by Christopher Michel)

Feb 4, 2026

Neil Shubin (photo by Christopher Michel)

National Academies Welcome Inaugural Cohort of Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship Fellows

News Release

Ten fellows will join the National Academies’ new Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship Program, launched recently to engage early-career professionals in developing the evidence basis needed to meet future regulatory challenges presented by novel products of biotechnology. These fellows will identify possible regulatory frameworks for the cutting-edge products expected to emerge over the next several decades and provide government agencies with options for effective regulation.

Feb 2, 2026

Scientist pipetting DNA sample into eppendorf tube

Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare

News Release

National Academies Publish New Report Reviewing Evidence for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare

Feb 1, 2026

Wildfire in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, January 8, 2025, towards Getty Center and Brentwood. Images showcase dense smoke clouds, burning hillsides, and urban areas at risk. 2pm - 3pm.

Winners Selected for the TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program’s 2024-2025 University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs

News Release

The Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program has selected winners for its latest University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs. This annual competition encourages students to design innovative and practical solutions to challenges at airports.

Jan 30, 2026

Civic Science Media: Reimagining How We Communicate Science

Feature Story

A 2022 award winner of the National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, J.D. Allen discusses his civic science media framework, his nuclear energy broadcast initiative, and how incorporating community engagement and solutions-focused journalism improves science storytelling.

Jan 29, 2026

J.D. Allen in the field with NPR (photo by Sabrina Garone/WSHU Public Radio)

National Institutes of Health Need Agencywide Strategy to Prioritize and Fund Pediatric Research, Says New Report

News Release

Childhood health is foundational to lifelong well-being. A new National Academies report makes recommendations on how NIH and Congress can best support pediatric health research and improve health outcomes through childhood and beyond.

Jan 28, 2026

A young Asian mother is holding her baby daughter on her lap. She is sitting on an examination table in a clinic. The woman has bought the child to a routine medical appointment. The pediatrician is a black woman. The doctor is using a stethoscope to check the baby's heart and lungs.

Sustaining a Vibrant and Secure U.S. Research Enterprise

Announcement

In an increasingly competitive international environment, the United States is facing new challenges to its leadership in science and technology (S&T) . Our resource brings together the National Academies' substantial body of work related to advancing U.S. S&T leadership while protecting the U.S. enterprise from foreign misappropriation of scientific and technological information.

Jan 28, 2026

Group of Empowered Multicultural Specialists Working in a Research Center, Using Computer to Collaborate on Advanced Software, Develop Artificial Intelligence Interface and Cloud-Based Blockchain

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.

Jan 27, 2026

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