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Environmental Health and Safety

Environmental health and safety research examines how pollutants and toxins in air, water, and soil affect human health and ecosystems. The National Academies study exposure risks and develop guidance to reduce harmful impacts through safer design, regulation, and policy.

What's happening

Community Voices and Scientific Insight Build a More Resilient Cedar Key

Program News

Cedar Key, a small Florida island battered by hurricanes and rising seas, is partnering with scientists from the University of Florida to create customized, nature-based defenses against flooding. Through community workshops and co-designed plans, residents are helping shape living shorelines and other green infrastructure to protect their homes, roads, and traditions from future storms.

Nov 3, 2025

Gulf Research Program Welcomes Six Universities to Interdisciplinary Gulf Scholars Program

News Release

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the addition of six colleges and universities to the Gulf Scholars Program, a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program that prepares undergraduate students to address pressing environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf Coast region.

Oct 29, 2025

IMG_2373.jpg Conference attendees gather at the University of South Alabama for the 2025 Gulf Scholars Program Conference.

Gulf Research Program and NOAA Award $4 Million to Support Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience

News Release

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program (GRP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Environmental Literacy Program are partnering with $4 million in investments to support six place-based educational projects across the Gulf States — Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The awarded projects aim to help people better understand the connections between science, the environment, and their communities, building resilience to environmental challenges while fostering stronger stewardship of local ecosystems.

Oct 22, 2025