Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities

Cross Cutting Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

March 28, 2023

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM (ET)

Past

Materials

Moderator and Discussant Bios

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have been requested by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a retrospective analysis of its Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program (NSF's 10 Big Ideas - Special Report | NSF - National Science Foundation), which was established in 2016 with the aim of identifying generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. This retrospective analysis will be conducted through a series of virtual workshops in order to understand the program’s achievements; integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches; broader implications for studying highly-complex systems, future scientific questions, and future societal needs; and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales (for more information about the workshop series and the planning committee, please visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/understanding-the-rules-of-life-program-scientific-advancements-and-future-opportunities---a-workshop-series).

The workshop goals are as follows:

Discuss individual and collective scientific advancements toward understanding heuristics, predictable processes, and their exceptions for biological systems;
Understand the contributions of disciplinary convergence in enabling or driving the scientific advances;
Determine how research groups incorporated multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches into their projects;
Identify the broader implications of the scientific advances and research ecosystem (e.g., multi-disciplinary research) from research funded by the URoL program to address highly complex, interconnecting systems (e.g., the biosphere) and discuss the future of life-science research and education;
Explore future societal needs and scientific questions that may be addressed by the achievements from the URoL (i.e., identify opportunities for exploration); and
Highlight rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales.

Contact

Christl Saunders

casaunders@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Synthetic Cells Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

March 21, 2023

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM (ET)

Past

Materials

Moderator and Discussant Bios

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have been requested by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a retrospective analysis of its Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program (NSF's 10 Big Ideas - Special Report | NSF - National Science Foundation), which was established in 2016 with the aim of identifying generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. This retrospective analysis will be conducted through a series of virtual workshops in order to understand the program’s achievements; integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches; broader implications for studying highly-complex systems, future scientific questions, and future societal needs; and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales (for more information about the workshop series and the planning committee, please visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/understanding-the-rules-of-life-program-scientific-advancements-and-future-opportunities---a-workshop-series).

The workshop goals are as follows:

Discuss individual and collective scientific advancements toward understanding heuristics, predictable processes, and their exceptions for biological systems;
Understand the contributions of disciplinary convergence in enabling or driving the scientific advances;
Determine how research groups incorporated multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches into their projects;
Identify the broader implications of the scientific advances and research ecosystem (e.g., multi-disciplinary research) from research funded by the URoL program to address highly complex, interconnecting systems (e.g., the biosphere) and discuss the future of life-science research and education;
Explore future societal needs and scientific questions that may be addressed by the achievements from the URoL (i.e., identify opportunities for exploration); and
Highlight rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales.

Contact

Christl Saunders

casaunders@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Microbiome Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

February 22, 2023

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

Agenda

Download the Agenda

Materials

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have been requested by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a retrospective analysis of its Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program (NSF's 10 Big Ideas - Special Report | NSF - National Science Foundation), which was established in 2016 with the aim of identifying generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. This retrospective analysis will be conducted through a series of virtual workshops in order to understand the program’s achievements; integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches; broader implications for studying highly-complex systems, future scientific questions, and future societal needs; and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales (for more information about the workshop series and the planning committee, please visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/understanding-the-rules-of-life-program-scientific-advancements-and-future-opportunities---a-workshop-series).

The workshop goals are as follows:

Discuss individual and collective scientific advancements toward understanding heuristics, predictable processes, and their exceptions for biological systems;
Understand the contributions of disciplinary convergence in enabling or driving the scientific advances;
Determine how research groups incorporated multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches into their projects;
Identify the broader implications of the scientific advances and research ecosystem (e.g., multi-disciplinary research) from research funded by the URoL program to address highly complex, interconnecting systems (e.g., the biosphere) and discuss the future of life-science research and education;
Explore future societal needs and scientific questions that may be addressed by the achievements from the URoL (i.e., identify opportunities for exploration); and
Highlight rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales.

Contact

Christl Saunders

casaunders@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Epigenetics Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

January 26, 2023

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (ET)

Past

Discussion

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Materials

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have been requested by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a retrospective analysis of its Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program (NSF's 10 Big Ideas - Special Report | NSF - National Science Foundation), which was established in 2016 with the aim of identifying generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. This retrospective analysis will be conducted through a series of virtual workshops in order to understand the program’s achievements; integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches; broader implications for studying highly-complex systems, future scientific questions, and future societal needs; and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales (for more information about the workshop series and the planning committee, please visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/understanding-the-rules-of-life-program-scientific-advancements-and-future-opportunities---a-workshop-series).

The workshop goals are as follows:

Discuss individual and collective scientific advancements toward understanding heuristics, predictable processes, and their exceptions for biological systems;
Understand the contributions of disciplinary convergence in enabling or driving the scientific advances;
Determine how research groups incorporated multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches into their projects;
Identify the broader implications of the scientific advances and research ecosystem (e.g., multi-disciplinary research) from research funded by the URoL program to address highly complex, interconnecting systems (e.g., the biosphere) and discuss the future of life-science research and education;
Explore future societal needs and scientific questions that may be addressed by the achievements from the URoL (i.e., identify opportunities for exploration); and
Highlight rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales.

Contact

Christl Saunders

casaunders@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities - A Workshop Series

Dropdown items

Cross Cutting Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

Synthetic Cells Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

Microbiome Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program

Epigenetics Workshop: Reflections on NSF's Understanding the Rules of Life Program