Driving progress for the benefit of society by providing independent, objective advice to advance science, engineering, and medicine.
Civic Science Media: Reimagining How We Communicate Science
Feature Story
A 2022 award winner of the National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, J.D. Allen discusses his civic science media framework, his nuclear energy broadcast initiative, and how incorporating community engagement and solutions-focused journalism improves science storytelling.
Video Recordings from TRB Annual Meeting Now Available
Announcement
The 2026 TRB Annual Meeting brought together thousands of transportation researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share current research and discuss pressing issues across all transportation modes. Watch sessions featuring high-profile speakers focused on the surface transportation funding reauthorization bill, megaprojects, road safety, and modernizing transportation systems.
- Winners Selected for the TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program’s 2024-2025 University Design Competition for Addressing Airport Needs Jan 30, 2026 News Release
- Sustaining a Vibrant and Secure U.S. Research Enterprise Jan 28, 2026 Announcement
- NAS Awards 2026 Public Welfare Medal to Francis Collins Jan 27, 2026 Announcement
Ways we are making a difference
“There is a critical gap between the performance of machine learning [and] what we would expect in a safety-critical system,” – George Pappas, Associate Dean of Research, School of Engineering and Applied Science at University of Pennsylvania. Machine learning, a key enabler of artificial intelligence, is increasingly used for applications like self-driving cars, medical devices, and advanced robots that work near humans — all contexts where safety is of critical importance.
12,757,958 Over 12,757,958 people have engaged with our work in 2025.
7,300 Over 7,300 innovative thinkers and accomplished practitioners volunteered their time with the National Academies in 2024.
Topics
Discover what the National Academies are doing to strengthen the fields of science, engineering, and medicine.
In Focus
Strengthening the U.S. Research Enterprise
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Supporting State and Local Decision Making
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Our Work on Transportation
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Our Work on Artificial Intelligence
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Advancing a Robust U.S. Economy
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Our Work on Education
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Stay in the loop with can’t-miss sessions, live events, and activities happening over the next two days.
NAS Building Guided Tours Available!
Participate in a one-hour guided tour of the historic National Academy of Sciences building, highlighting its distinctive architecture, renowned artwork, and the intersection of art, science, and culture.