“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.

Selected Events in December 2020

All facilities of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are closed. All gatherings have been converted to virtual meetings. Click on each event title below to access meeting details, an agenda, and registration information, or contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu). Reporters should register for all meetings. More events can be found at https://www.nationalacademies.org/events.

Enhancing Federal Clean Energy Innovation: Looking Forward
Dec. 1
There is a pressing need to accelerate and strengthen the innovation process for clean energy technologies. This webinar will highlight strategies for developing a clean energy innovation ecosystem as well as promising regional strategies. A conversation on how the federal government can best support clean energy innovation, and a discussion on the role for private entities will follow.

Security of America’s Medical Product Supply Chain
Dec. 1 and 2
This workshop will discuss on-the-ground perspectives from end users of the medical supply chain (e.g., patients, clinicians, and health systems), key considerations for the formulation of a unified list of critical medical products, and tactical approaches for improving supply chain resiliency.

Rail in the Time of Coronavirus: Planning, Operating, and Constructing Rail
Dec. 2
How are passenger rail planners and operators adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic? This webinar will feature case studies from the public and private sectors. Representatives from each organization will discuss how COVID-19 has (or has not) affected their efforts.

Lessons Learned in Health Professions Education from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dec. 3
This workshop will explore the biggest challenges facing health professions education (HPE) stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and lessons learned. Educators, students, administrators, and health professionals will discuss various topics, including: the effectiveness of online education; impacts on pre-clinical and clinical education; learning opportunities within the social determinants of health and health equity; regulatory and accreditation changes affecting HPE; and stress and workload.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in the Era of COVID-19
Dec. 3
The demand for mental health and addiction treatment services has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This second webinar in a series of three will focus on the implications for communities of color, and examine how the pandemic has made it more difficult to obtain and stay engaged in treatment.

Materials Science and Engineering in a Post-Pandemic World
Dec. 7-9
This workshop will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting and expected to impact the DOD materials and manufacturing capabilities, workforce, and workforce pipeline.

Culture of Health Program Listening Workshop: Community Perspectives
Dec. 8-10
The National Academy of Medicine Culture of Health Program will host a meeting to discuss barriers, models, and opportunities to using community knowledge and strength to drive health equity policy and research.  This will include, for example, examining the current landscape for community-driven efforts to advance health equity, especially among Black/African American, Latinx, and Indigenous populations, as well as identifying strategies to address root causes of inequity that can inform the work of other communities.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in the Era of COVID-19
Dec. 14
This final webinar in a series of three will focus on the mental health well-being of the health care workforce, with a special focus on the impact of the pandemic on communities of color.

Reports Scheduled for Release in December
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.

Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum
This report examines the landscape of childhood cancer and disability — and how the cancer itself and treatment affect survivors’ functional capacity. It will also address emerging treatments and clinical trial representation.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR REPORTERS

• The National Academies’ Newsroom
• Highlights from Latest PNAS Articles | PNAS in the News | Register to receive embargoed material from the PNAS News Office
• Reports and other National Academies publications
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