“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 July 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.

Human and Organizational Factors in AI Risk Management
July 2
This final workshop in a series of sessions taking a deep exploration into human factors of AI risks will reflect on findings and thoughts from the previous three sessions and paths forward in AI risk management.

Improving Data Sharing in Disaster Response with Geospatial Data and AI
July 8
During disasters, the lack of interoperable, shareable, analysis-ready data managed by emergency organizations creates problems that can limit collaborative, strategic decision-making. This webinar will explore how emerging artificial intelligence and geospatial technology applications can help bridge these limitations by creating knowledge bases with geospatial context.

Disaster Preparedness and Building Resilience in Indigenous Communities
July 8 and 9
This workshop will examine opportunities to support Indigenous and tribal communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters and public health emergencies. Panels will feature stories of disaster resilience and discuss innovative research collaborations, public health authorities and agreements, and data sovereignty and governance.

Equity in K-12 STEM Education: Framing Decisions for the Future
July 10
This webinar is a discussion of the upcoming National Academies report, Equity in K-12 STEM Education: Framing Decisions for the Future. Members of the committee that wrote the report will give an overview of the key issues and its conclusions and recommendations.

Bridging the Science of Health Equity with Action Towards Systems Change
July 10
This event will discuss systemic and structural changes as essential levers for addressing health inequities and the importance of community organizing in achieving racial and health equity, as well as contribute to the ongoing engagement around the release of the National Academy of Medicine’s forthcoming special publication on systemic racism and health.

The Impact of Media on Gender Equity in STEMM
July 10
There is growing recognition and research demonstrating that the media can significantly influence the visibility and representation of women in STEMM, a field traditionally dominated by men. This workshop will explore the current landscape of diversity in the media, impacts on the perception of women in STEMM, best practices to address stereotypes and bias, and the role of media partnerships.

Behavioral Health Care Workforce Challenges
July 10 and 11
This workshop will look at workforce needs and challenges in behavioral health, from the patient level to the structural and policy levels. Speakers will address financing and payment in behavioral health, differences between health care settings, and new technologies. 

Research for Treatment of Lyme Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses
July 11 and 12
This workshop will explore advances in biomedical science and technology that have the potential to accelerate treatments for chronic Lyme disease — also called Lyme infection-associated chronic illness — to inform an ongoing consensus study. 

Advancing Transportation Equity
July 15-18
The theme of this year’s conference, “Reaching Across the Divide: Research, Community Implementation, and Shared Experiences,” seeks to bridge the gap between transportation equity analyses that agencies conduct and conditions on the ground. Presenters will share concrete outcomes and examples of advancing transportation equity, highlighting practical solutions and programs. 

Impacts, Lessons, and Insights from Recent Roadway Structure Failures
July 16
Critical road infrastructure failures have social and transportation consequences, from business disruptions and community impacts to damage costs and casualties. Speakers at this webinar will exchange ways of evaluating crash data, truck travel pattern shifts, and flood impacts on vital roadway infrastructure, to help bolster resilience and maintain essential services in the event of future roadway failures. 

Practices and Standards for Plugging Orphaned and Abandoned Hydrocarbon Wells
July 18 and 19
Orphaned and abandoned wells can present a risk to the environment and public by emitting methane, contaminating groundwater, and impacting ecosystems. Participants at this workshop will discuss technologies and existing practices and standards for plugging orphaned and/or abandoned hydrocarbon wells. 

Obesity Solutions: Looking Back, Moving Forward
July 24
This symposium will explore and reflect on the major developments toward prevention, treatment, and management of obesity, and discuss the future of obesity and importance of shifting thinking toward equity and solutions informed by those living with obesity.

Navigating the Era of Artificial Intelligence
July 25
This webinar will consider the large-scale societal questions about the widespread integration of artificial intelligence and consider topics where the social and behavioral sciences are critical to understanding the societal impacts of AI. Discussions will center around the role of social sciences in understanding AI, as well as the role of policymakers at all levels in addressing AI’s potential benefits and harms.

Diagnosis in the Era of Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence
July 25
This event will examine opportunities and challenges in improving medical diagnosis using artificial intelligence. Speakers will discuss how AI is being used in patient support, patient-clinician communication, clinician decision-making, and advancing health equity.

The Future of Cancer Surveillance
July 29 and 30
Surveillance at the population level is pivotal in assessing U.S. progress in controlling and preventing cancer, and can inform both research and interventions to reduce the burden of cancer on communities. This workshop will examine opportunities to enhance and modernize cancer surveillance for the future.

AI + Scalability
July 31
This webinar will focus on ways of applying data-driven analytics to achieve economies of scale by improving energy efficiency, reliability, and safety in industrial chemical processes. Discussions will include case studies on how statistical models have been effectively applied in characterizing large, complex data sets and how inferential sensors are used to predict key variable properties or performance.

Reports Scheduled for Release in July
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.

Advancing Research on Chronic Conditions in Women
Chronic conditions — such as cardiovascular disease, migraines, endometriosis, and Alzheimer’s disease — are a significant burden for women’s health. Among women, the evidence base for preventing, diagnosing, and treating these conditions is underdeveloped, in large part because of a lack of intentional research on women and a historical overrepresentation of men in clinical research. This report will examine current knowledge, gaps in evidence, and future research.

Equity in K-12 STEM Education: Framing Decisions for the Future
This report reviews the evidence base related to educational equity and STEM education and provides recommendations and a research agenda for the field. The report discusses how systemic inequity in STEM education can be addressed from pre-K to 12th grade to promote success in STEM for all students, regardless of background, demographic status, and community.

Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Midterm Assessment of NASA’s Implementation of the Decadal Survey
This report will highlight significant discoveries, advances, and changes in earth science since the National Academies’ 2018 decadal survey, assess progress toward its outlined goals, examine the impact and effectiveness of earth science programs at NASA, and recommend actions for the coming years.

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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