In 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine continued to provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and the world, informing policy with evidence and sparking progress and innovation. This list of the most downloaded titles published last year reflects the breadth of the National Academies’ work. As always, they are free to download.
Individuals from minoritized racial and ethnic groups continue to face systemic barriers that impede their ability to access, persist, and thrive in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) higher education and …[more]
Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are a set of reference values that encompass a safe range of intake and provide recommended nutrient intakes for the United States and Canada. The DRIs for energy are used widely to provide guidance for …[more]
Genetic and genomic information has become far more accessible, and research using human genetic data has grown exponentially over the past decade. Genetics and genomics research is now being conducted by a wide range of investigators across …[more]
Laying the Foundation for New and Advanced Nuclear Reactors in the United States
The world confronts an existential challenge in responding to climate change, resulting in an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the economy. What will it take for new and advanced nuclear reactors to play a role …[more]
Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions
Addressing climate change is essential and possible, and it offers a host of benefits – from better public health to new economic opportunities. The United States has a historic opportunity to lead the way in decarbonization by transforming its …[more]
Behavioral Economics: Policy Impact and Future Directions
Behavioral economics – a field based in collaborations among economists and psychologists – focuses on integrating a nuanced understanding of behavior into models of decision-making. Since the mid-20th century, this growing field has produced …[more]
Addressing the Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Families
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the lives of children and their families, who have faced innumerable challenges such as illness and death; school closures; social isolation; financial hardship; food insecurity; …[more]
Wastewater-based Disease Surveillance for Public Health Action
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a rapid expansion of wastewater-based infectious disease surveillance systems to monitor and anticipate disease trends in communities.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the National …[more]
An Assessment of Native Seed Needs and the Capacity for Their Supply: Final Report
Extreme weather and wildfires, intensified by climate change, are damaging the native plant communities of landscapes across the United States. Native plant communities are foundational to thriving ecosystems, delivering goods and services that …[more]
Federal Policy to Advance Racial, Ethnic, and Tribal Health Equity
Racially and ethnically minoritized populations and tribal communities often face preventable inequities in health outcomes due to structural disadvantages and diminished opportunities around health care, employment, education, and more. Federal …[more]
Achieving Whole Health: A New Approach for Veterans and the Nation
Whole health is physical, behavioral, spiritual, and socioeconomic well-being as defined by individuals, families, and communities. Whole health care is an interprofessional, team-based approach anchored in trusted relationships …[more]
An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line
An accurate measure of poverty is necessary to fully understand how the economy is performing across all segments of the population and to assess the effects of government policies on communities and families. In addition, poverty statistics are …[more]
Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins
Across multiple domains of science, engineering, and medicine, excitement is growing about the potential of digital twins to transform scientific research, industrial practices, and many aspects of daily life. A digital twin couples computational …[more]
Recycled Plastics in Infrastructure: Current Practices, Understanding, and Opportunities
In the U.S., most plastics waste is disposed in landfills, but a significant amount also ends up as litter on land, rivers, and oceans. Today, less than 10 percent of plastics waste is recycled in the U.S. annually. The use of recycled plastics …[more]
Foundations of Data Science for Students in Grades K-12: Proceedings of a Workshop
On September 13 and 14, 2022, the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop entitled Foundations of Data Science for Students in Grades K–12. Speakers and participants explored …[more]
Reducing Intergenerational Poverty
Experiencing poverty during childhood can lead to lasting harmful effects that compromise not only children’s health and welfare but can also hinder future opportunities for economic mobility, which may be passed on to future generations. This …[more]
Social Media and Adolescent Health
Social media has been fully integrated into the lives of most adolescents in the U.S., raising concerns among parents, physicians, public health officials, and others about its effect on mental and physical health. Over the past year, an ad hoc …[more]
Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children
Many young children in the United States are thriving and have access to the conditions and resources they need to grow up healthy. However, a substantial number of young children face more challenging conditions such as: poverty; food …[more]
Nonhuman Primate Models in Biomedical Research: State of the Science and Future Needs
Nonhuman primates represent a small fraction of animals used in biomedical research, but they remain important research models due to their similarities to humans with respect to genetic makeup, anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Limitations in …[more]
Pediatric subspecialists are critical to ensuring quality care and pursuing research to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for children. However, there are substantial disincentives to pursuing a career as a pediatric subspecialist, …[more]