Table of Contents
Environmental Issues Health and Medicine Computer Science and Telecommunications Mathematics and Physics Policy and Research Issues New at the National Academies

Environmental Issues


Sediment Dredging Falls Short at Many Site Cleanups

At many projects to dredge contaminated sediments from U.S. rivers and other water bodies, it has not been demonstrated that dredging has reduced long-term risks the sediments pose to people and wildlife, says a new report from the National Research Council. Dredging at many sites has had difficulty attaining short-term cleanup goals, and whether dredging alone can reduce long-term risks was difficult to determine, largely because of inadequate monitoring data. The report calls on EPA to improve monitoring at Superfund sites.

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Los Alamos Lab Making Progress in Water Protection, But Challenges Remain

Despite progress in efforts to protect groundwater in the surrounding region, the Los Alamos National Laboratory -- part of the nation's nuclear weapons complex -- needs to address substantial technical challenges in understanding and quantifying its inventories of hazardous wastes and how contaminants from them can migrate to groundwater, says a new report by the National Research Council.

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Major Boost Needed in Federal Support for Coal R&D

Because coal will provide a substantial portion of U.S. energy for at least the next several decades, a major increase in federal support for research is needed to ensure that it is extracted efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner, says a new report from the National Research Council. Policymakers also need a more accurate assessment of the nation's coal reserves, the report adds.

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Health and Medicine


Shortage of Public Health Physicians a Concern

To attract physicians to public health careers and adequately prepare them for current and emerging challenges, more funding is needed to strengthen and sustain public health training programs and to offer financial incentives to keep these professionals in the field, says a new Institute of Medicine report. The estimated number of practicing physicians in public health is about half of what may be needed in the near future.

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Report Calls for New Approach to Toxicity Testing

Recent advances in systems biology and related scientific fields offer the potential to fundamentally change the way chemicals are tested for risks they may pose to humans, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report outlines a new approach that would rely less on animal studies and more on in vitro methods that use cells or cellular components, preferably of human origin.

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Computer Science and Telecommunications


EPA Models Should Undergo 'Life-Cycle' Evaluation

Although the computer-model results behind many U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations will always be constrained by computational limitations, assumptions, and data gaps, models can be improved through continuous evaluation, says a new National Research Council report. Peer review should be considered at each stage of a model's life, uncertainties should be communicated clearly, and all stakeholders should be ensured access to information about the models, the report adds.

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Report Recommends Research to Stay Ahead of Online Hackers

A broad research agenda that includes traditional, problem-specific studies as well as unconventional ideas is necessary to combat current and future cybersecurity threats, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report assesses why previous attempts to secure the online world have often failed, and offers a Cybersecurity Bill of Rights to guide future efforts.

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Mathematics and Physics


Boosting Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Research

To ensure continued U.S. technological innovation, federal science agencies should increase their role in and support for fundamental research in condensed-matter and materials physics, says a new report from the National Research Council. Past research led to vital new technologies such as the transistor. But today, the field is experiencing flat federal funding and a decline in basic research by industry.

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Policy and Research Issues


National Land Parcel Data: A Vision for the Future

Land parcel data (also known as cadastral data) provides geographically-referenced information about the rights, interests, and ownership of land and are an important part of the financial, legal and real estate systems of society. The data are used by governments to make decisions about land development, business activities, regulatory compliance, emergency response, and law enforcement. In 1980, a National Research Council report called for nationally-integrated land parcel data, but despite major progress in development of land parcel databases in many local jurisdictions, little progress has been made towards a national system. Therefore, this National Research Council report was sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, the Census Bureau, the Federal Geographic Data Committee, the Department of Homeland Security, and Environmental Systems Research Institute, to look at the current status of land parcel data in the United States. This report concludes that nationally-integrated land parcel data is necessary, feasible, and affordable, and provides recommendations for establishing a practical framework for sustained intergovernmental coordination and funding required to overcome the remaining challenges and move forward.

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New at the National Academies


NAE Launches Online Ethics Center

The National Academy of Engineering is the new home of a Web site that provides engineers and engineering students with resources for understanding and addressing ethical problems they are likely to encounter in their field. The Online Ethics Center, part of NAE's new Engineering Ethics Center, is also designed to help educators promote ethics in engineering.