“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and forthcoming reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Selected Events in June 2024 
Click on each event title below to access meeting details, an agenda, and registration information, or contact the Office of News and Public Information (email news@nas.edu). Reporters should register for all meetings. Find more National Academies events at https://www.nationalacademies.org/events. 

Long-Term Recovery from Natural Disasters
June 3
Natural disasters can have a tremendous impact on populations and communities, disrupting transportation, communication, energy, and economic systems, and even forcing people and activities to relocate, either temporarily or permanently. This meeting will explore the long-term geospatial changes that local landscapes experience after natural disasters.

Protein Data Bank: mRNA vaccines & Paxlovid
June 4
This talk will explain how global 3D biostructure data was turned into global knowledge, allowing scientists and engineers to understand the inner workings of coronaviruses and develop effective SARS-CoV-2 countermeasures. This webinar will feature a presentation from Stephen K. Burley, University Professor and Henry Rutgers Chair at Rutgers.

Philanthropy and Basic Research: Partnerships and New Pathways for Sustainable Funding
June 4
This webinar will discuss the increasing importance of philanthropy as a sustainable funding source and a central component to the advancement of basic research. Speakers are France A. Córdova, president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance; Tom Skalak, senior adviser to the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation; and Shirley Tilghman, president emerita and professor of molecular biology and public affairs at Princeton University.

Space Studies Board Spring Meeting
June 5-7
This meeting will include updates from NASA leadership and talks on Mars Sample Return, NSF’s plans for the Extremely Large Telescope Program, the Artemis program, and more.

 Shaping Access to Reproductive Health Care: Financing and Delivery Systems
June 7 and 12
This two-part webinar series will explore financing and delivery of reproductive health care services, including how public and private financing shapes equity in access to comprehensive reproductive care.

Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM
June 10
Speakers and panelists will share reflections and progress toward accessibility and inclusivity. They will discuss some of their lessons learned, efforts at their respective institutions, and their thoughts on the future. Speakers include Christopher Atchison, program director, Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM, National Science Foundation; Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences; and Holden Thorpe, editor-in-chief of Science.

Opportunities for Digital Twins in the Built Environment
June 11
Digital twins have the potential to advance work in the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure systems and constructed facilities. Speakers at this webinar will highlight case studies and discuss challenges and barriers to adopting digital twins for infrastructure, focusing on data issues, workforce issues, and issues in the cyber space.

Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Spring Meeting
June 11 and 12
This meeting will include discussions on air traffic modernization, advances in supersonic technology, sustainable aviation fuels, machine learning, and updates on NASA’s Dragonfly and Odysseus Lunar Lander missions.

Implementing a New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum
June 13
This event will serve as an implementation summit dedicated to advancing the recommendations outlined in the National Academies’ consensus study report A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum. The summit will feature panel presentations on key report findings and highlight models of high-quality curricula design and implementation. Presentations and discussions will center on considering implementation challenges, identifying opportunities, and fostering collaboration across sectors toward actionable steps for equitable and accessible high-quality preschool curricula.

Building Institutional Capacity for Engaged Research
June 13 and 14
This workshop will bring together leaders and engaged-research champions in universities and other research institutions, communities, funding agencies, philanthropy, publishing, academic professional societies, and networks to explore and propose potential areas for coordination and capacity building.

The Social-Ecological Consequences of Future Wildfire in the West
June 13 and 14
A workshop on the future climate, social, and ecological drivers of wildfire in the western region of the United States and Canada is about understanding and responding to increasing size, severity, and frequency of wildfires, and will focus on binational policy/practice considerations, research and data needs, and community engagement strategies. The workshop will convene experts across sectors (e.g., academic, industry, government), including representatives of fire-impacted communities.

Maternal Health Disparities: The Women Behind the Data
June 14 and 28
The last two webinars in a series exploring disparities in maternal health will take place this month. The June 14 session will focus on understanding micro-aggressions and implicit bias awareness, and the June 28 webinar will discuss how to build trust in health care among pregnant women from historically marginalized groups. 

Assessing the Reliability of Complex, Dynamic Modeling and Simulation
June 17
Computer models and simulations are increasingly used to inform decision-making for high-consequence, mission-critical, and safety applications in many settings, from health care to defense, and accounting for uncertainties in the systems is essential. Participants at this symposium will explore advances related to verification and establishing trust in increasingly complex digital twin systems.

Electricity System Operability and Reliability Under Increasing Complexity
June 17 and 18
This workshop will convene leaders from government, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations to further collaboration and the building of a more robust and flexible electricity system. Sessions will consider advances in technologies, energy equity and affordability imperatives, market mechanisms, and policy and regulatory frameworks. 

Law Enforcement Use of Predictive Policing Approaches
June 24 and 25
This workshop will feature presentations and discussions exploring several key aspects of predictive policing, including how predictive policing strategies are used by law enforcement, how reliable and accurate these methods are in practice, relevant legal considerations and precedents, disparate impact concerns, and related considerations for effective and equitable use.

Reports Scheduled for Release in June
Release dates for the following consensus reports and proceedings from the National Academies depend on successful completion of the review process and publishing schedules. Reporters who would like to be notified when a report is due for release should contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu) and ask to be placed on a contact list.

Ending Unequal Treatment: Strategies to Achieve Equitable Health Care and Optimal Health for All
This report will examine the current state of racial and ethnic health care disparities in the U.S. An update to the 2003 report Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, it will highlight the major drivers of health care disparities, provide insight into successful and unsuccessful interventions, identify gaps in the evidence base, and make recommendations to advance health equity.     

Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health
Soils host a large and diverse community of microorganisms, collectively known as the soil microbiome. The microbiome connects to human health through its effects on the productivity and nutrient density of crops and its role as an important source of compounds for treating human disease. The soil microbiome is also home to many pathogens to human and interacts with soil contaminants that can pose risks to human health. The report reviews the state of knowledge on linkages between soil health and human health and explores the potential benefits of soils’ microbial resources to human health.

A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences
This report will recommend new definitions for “Long COVID” and related technical terms, with descriptions of the circumstances under which these new definitions and terminology should be adopted and revised.

Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals infected with COVID have continued to experience lingering symptoms for months or even years. Some symptoms can affect a person’s ability to work or attend school for an extended period of time. This report reviews the current status of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of long-term health effects related to Long COVID.

Modernizing Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimation
This report considers approaches for estimating probable maximum precipitation (PMP) in a changing climate; assesses PMP data needs and sources; and recommends an approach for PMP estimation that incorporates the impacts of climate change and the characterization of uncertainty. PMP is commonly used in the design of critical infrastructure.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR REPORTERS

• The National Academies’ Newsroom

• PNAS in the News | Register to receive embargoed material from the PNAS News Office

• Reports and other publications from the National Academies

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