TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Preparing Teachers: Building Evidence for Sound Policy SN - DO - 10.17226/12882 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12882/preparing-teachers-building-evidence-for-sound-policy PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - Teachers make a difference. The success of any plan for improving educational outcomes depends on the teachers who carry it out and thus on the abilities of those attracted to the field and their preparation. Yet there are many questions about how teachers are being prepared and how they ought to be prepared. Yet, teacher preparation is often treated as an afterthought in discussions of improving the public education system. Preparing Teachers addresses the issue of teacher preparation with specific attention to reading, mathematics, and science. The book evaluates the characteristics of the candidates who enter teacher preparation programs, the sorts of instruction and experiences teacher candidates receive in preparation programs, and the extent that the required instruction and experiences are consistent with converging scientific evidence. Preparing Teachers also identifies a need for a data collection model to provide valid and reliable information about the content knowledge, pedagogical competence, and effectiveness of graduates from the various kinds of teacher preparation programs. Federal and state policy makers need reliable, outcomes-based information to make sound decisions, and teacher educators need to know how best to contribute to the development of effective teachers. Clearer understanding of the content and character of effective teacher preparation is critical to improving it and to ensuring that the same critiques and questions are not being repeated 10 years from now. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Standards for K-12 Engineering Education? SN - DO - 10.17226/12990 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12990/standards-for-k-12-engineering-education PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Education AB - The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12 students are being exposed to engineering-related materials, and limited but intriguing evidence suggests that engineering education can stimulate interest and improve learning in mathematics and science as well as improve understanding of engineering and technology. Given this background, a reasonable question is whether standards would improve the quality and increase the amount of teaching and learning of engineering in K-12 education. The book concludes that, although it is theoretically possible to develop standards for K-12 engineering education, it would be extremely difficult to ensure their usefulness and effective implementation. This conclusion is supported by the following findings: (1) there is relatively limited experience with K-12 engineering education in U.S. elementary and secondary schools, (2) there is not at present a critical mass of teachers qualified to deliver engineering instruction, (3) evidence regarding the impact of standards-based educational reforms on student learning in other subjects, such as mathematics and science, is inconclusive, and (4) there are significant barriers to introducing stand-alone standards for an entirely new content area in a curriculum already burdened with learning goals in more established domains of study. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Lawrence D. Brown A2 - Michael L. Cohen A2 - Daniel L. Cork A2 - Constance F. Citro TI - Envisioning the 2020 Census SN - DO - 10.17226/12865 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12865/envisioning-the-2020-census PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Planning for the 2020 census is already beginning. This book from the National Research Council examines several aspects of census planning, including questionnaire design, address updating, non-response follow-up, coverage follow-up, de-duplication of housing units and residents, editing and imputation procedures, and several other census operations. This book recommends that the Census Bureau overhaul its approach to research and development. The report urges the Bureau to set cost and quality goals for the 2020 and future censuses, improving efficiency by taking advantage of new technologies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Shiriki K. Kumanyika A2 - Lynn Parker A2 - Leslie J. Sim TI - Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Decision Making SN - DO - 10.17226/12847 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12847/bridging-the-evidence-gap-in-obesity-prevention-a-framework-to PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Food and Nutrition KW - Health and Medicine AB - To battle the obesity epidemic in America, health care professionals and policymakers need relevant, useful data on the effectiveness of obesity prevention policies and programs. Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention identifies a new approach to decision making and research on obesity prevention to use a systems perspective to gain a broader understanding of the context of obesity and the many factors that influence it. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions SN - DO - 10.17226/12704 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12704/redesigning-continuing-education-in-the-health-professions PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Education AB - Today in the United States, the professional health workforce is not consistently prepared to provide high quality health care and assure patient safety, even as the nation spends more per capita on health care than any other country. The absence of a comprehensive and well-integrated system of continuing education (CE) in the health professions is an important contributing factor to knowledge and performance deficiencies at the individual and system levels. To be most effective, health professionals at every stage of their careers must continue learning about advances in research and treatment in their fields (and related fields) in order to obtain and maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills in caring for their patients. Many health professionals regularly undertake a variety of efforts to stay up to date, but on a larger scale, the nation's approach to CE for health professionals fails to support the professions in their efforts to achieve and maintain proficiency. Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions illustrates a vision for a better system through a comprehensive approach of continuing professional development, and posits a framework upon which to develop a new, more effective system. The book also offers principles to guide the creation of a national continuing education institute. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Data on Federal Research and Development Investments: A Pathway to Modernization SN - DO - 10.17226/12772 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12772/data-on-federal-research-and-development-investments-a-pathway-to PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Policy for Science and Technology KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Two surveys of the National Science Foundation's Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) provide some of the most significant data available to understand research and development spending and policy in the United States. These are the Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development and the Survey of Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions. These surveys help reach conclusions about fundamental policy questions, such as whether a given field of research is adequately funded, whether funding is balanced among fields, and whether deficiencies in funding may be contributing to a loss of U.S. scientific or economic competitiveness. However, the survey data are of insufficient quality and timeliness to support many of the demands put on them. In addition the surveys are increasingly difficult to conduct in times of constrained resources, and their technological, procedural, and conceptual infrastructure has not been modernized for procedure or content. Data on Federal Research and Development Investments reviews the uses and collection of data on federal funds and federal support for science and technology and recommends future directions for the program based on an assessment of these uses and the adequacy of the surveys. The book also considers the classification structure, or taxonomy, for the fields of science and engineering. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - John W. Farrington A2 - Michael A. Feder TI - NOAA's Education Program: Review and Critique SN - DO - 10.17226/12867 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12867/noaas-education-program-review-and-critique PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Education AB - There is a national need to educate the public about the ocean, coastal resources, atmosphere and climate. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for understanding and predicting changes in the Earth's environment and conserving and managing coastal and marine resources to meet the nation's economic, social and environmental needs, has a broad mandate to engage and coordinate education initiatives on these topics. Since its creation in 1970, the NOAA has supported a variety of education projects that cover a range of topics related to the agency's scientific and stewardship mission. NOAA uses formal and informal learning environments to enhance understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to advance environmental education. The work of this agency overlaps and compliments the missions of other federal agencies, institutions of higher education, private and nonprofit organizations. Coordination among these agencies and organizations has been challenging. Limited education resources and the inherently global nature of NOAA's mission make strategic partnerships critical in order for the agency to accomplish its goals. Additionally, clear education goals, planning, and strategic use of resources are critical aspects for effective partnerships. NOAA's Education Program: Review and Critique provides a summary of the national education context for NOAA's role in education which is twofold: first is to advance the environmental literacy of the nation, and second is to promote a diverse workforce in ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, atmospheric and climate sciences. The book also describes the strengths and weaknesses of the education strategic plan, the education evaluation approach of the agency and strategies for improving the evaluation process. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Nancy T. Tippins A2 - Margaret L. Hilton TI - A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) SN - DO - 10.17226/12814 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12814/a-database-for-a-changing-economy-review-of-the-occupational PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Industry and Labor KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Information about the characteristics of jobs and the individuals who fill them is valuable for career guidance, reemployment counseling, workforce development, human resource management, and other purposes. To meet these needs, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in 1998 launched the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), which consists of a content model--a framework for organizing occupational data--and an electronic database. The O*NET content model includes hundreds of descriptors of work and workers organized into domains, such as skills, knowledge, and work activities. Data are collected using a classification system that organizes job titles into 1,102 occupations. The National Center for O*NET Development (the O*NET Center) continually collects data related to these occupations. In 2008, DOL requested the National Academies to review O*NET and consider its future directions. In response, the present volume inventories and evaluates the uses of O*NET; explores the linkage of O*NET with the Standard Occupational Classification System and other data sets; and identifies ways to improve O*NET, particularly in the areas of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and currency. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Heather M. Colvin A2 - Abigail E. Mitchell TI - Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C SN - DO - 10.17226/12793 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12793/hepatitis-and-liver-cancer-a-national-strategy-for-prevention-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The global epidemic of hepatitis B and C is a serious public health problem. Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the world. In the next 10 years, 150,000 people in the United States will die from liver disease or liver cancer associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Today, between 800,000 and 1.4 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis B and between 2.7 and 3.9 million have chronic hepatitis C. People most at risk for hepatitis B and C often are the least likely to have access to medical services. Reducing the rates of illness and death associated with these diseases will require greater awareness and knowledge among health care workers, improved identification of at-risk people, and improved access to medical care. Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Although federal public health officials recommend that all newborns, children, and at-risk adults receive the vaccine, about 46,000 new acute cases of the HBV infection emerge each year, including 1,000 in infants who acquire the infection during birth from their HBV-positive mothers. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, which is transmitted by direct exposure to infectious blood. Hepatitis and Liver Cancer identifies missed opportunities related to the prevention and control of HBV and HCV infections. The book presents ways to reduce the numbers of new HBV and HCV infections and the morbidity and mortality related to chronic viral hepatitis. It identifies priorities for research, policy, and action geared toward federal, state, and local public health officials, stakeholder, and advocacy groups and professional organizations. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Cardiovascular Disability: Updating the Social Security Listings SN - DO - 10.17226/12940 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12940/cardiovascular-disability-updating-the-social-security-listings PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a screening tool called the Listing of Impairments to identify claimants who are so severely impaired that they cannot work at all and thus immediately qualify for benefits. In this report, the IOM makes several recommendations for improving SSA's capacity to determine disability benefits more quickly and efficiently using the Listings. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - HIV and Disability: Updating the Social Security Listings SN - DO - 10.17226/12941 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12941/hiv-and-disability-updating-the-social-security-listings PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a screening tool called the Listing of Impairments to identify claimants who are so severely impaired that they cannot work at all and thus qualify for disability benefits. In this report, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) makes several recommendations for improving SSA's capacity for determining disability benefits more accurately and quickly using the HIV Infection Listings. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies SN - DO - 10.17226/12557 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12557/persistent-forecasting-of-disruptive-technologies PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology AB - Technological innovations are key causal agents of surprise and disruption. In the recent past, the United States military has encountered unexpected challenges in the battlefield due in part to the adversary's incorporation of technologies not traditionally associated with weaponry. Recognizing the need to broaden the scope of current technology forecasting efforts, the Office of the Director, Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) tasked the Committee for Forecasting Future Disruptive Technologies with providing guidance and insight on how to build a persistent forecasting system to predict, analyze, and reduce the impact of the most dramatically disruptive technologies. The first of two reports, this volume analyzes existing forecasting methods and processes. It then outlines the necessary characteristics of a comprehensive forecasting system that integrates data from diverse sources to identify potentially game-changing technological innovations and facilitates informed decision making by policymakers. The committee's goal was to help the reader understand current forecasting methodologies, the nature of disruptive technologies and the characteristics of a persistent forecasting system for disruptive technology. Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies is a useful text for the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the Intelligence community and other defense agencies across the nation. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Choosing the Nation's Fiscal Future SN - DO - 10.17226/12808 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12808/choosing-the-nations-fiscal-future PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Industry and Labor KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - A mismatch between the federal government's revenues and spending, now and in the foreseeable future, requires heavy borrowing, leading to a large and increasing federal debt. That increasing debt raises a serious challenge to all of the goals that various people expect their government to pursue. It also raises questions about the nation's future wealth and whether too much debt could lead to higher interest rates and even to loss of confidence in the nation's long-term ability and commitment to honor its obligations. Many analysts have concluded that the trajectory of the federal budget set by current policies cannot be sustained. In light of these projections, Choosing the Nation's Fiscal Future assesses the options and possibilities for a sustainable federal budget. This comprehensive book considers a range of policy changes that could help put the budget on a sustainable path: reforms to reduce the rate of growth in spending for Medicare and Medicaid; options to reduce the growth rate of Social Security benefits or raise payroll taxes; and changes in many other government spending programs and tax policies. The book also examines how the federal budget process could be revised to be more far sighted and to hold leaders accountable for responsible stewardship of the nation's fiscal future. Choosing the Nation's Fiscal Future will provide readers with a practical framework to assess budget proposals for their consistency with long-term fiscal stability. It will help them assess what policy changes they want, consistent with their own values and their views of the proper role of the government and within the constraints of a responsible national budget. It will show how the perhaps difficult but possible policy changes could be combined to produce a wide range of budget scenarios to bring revenues and spending into alignment for the long term. This book will be uniquely valuable to everyone concerned about the current and projected fiscal health of the nation. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Jane E. Henney A2 - Christine L. Taylor A2 - Caitlin S. Boon TI - Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States SN - DO - 10.17226/12818 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12818/strategies-to-reduce-sodium-intake-in-the-united-states PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Food and Nutrition AB - Reducing the intake of sodium is an important public health goal for Americans. Since the 1970s, an array of public health interventions and national dietary guidelines has sought to reduce sodium intake. However, the U.S. population still consumes more sodium than is recommended, placing individuals at risk for diseases related to elevated blood pressure. Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States evaluates and makes recommendations about strategies that could be implemented to reduce dietary sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The book reviews past and ongoing efforts to reduce the sodium content of the food supply and to motivate consumers to change behavior. Based on past lessons learned, the book makes recommendations for future initiatives. It is an excellent resource for federal and state public health officials, the processed food and food service industries, health care professionals, consumer advocacy groups, and academic researchers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Robert M. Hauser A2 - Maxine Weinstein A2 - Robert Pool A2 - Barney Cohen TI - Conducting Biosocial Surveys: Collecting, Storing, Accessing, and Protecting Biospecimens and Biodata SN - DO - 10.17226/12942 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12942/conducting-biosocial-surveys-collecting-storing-accessing-and-protecting-biospecimens-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Computers and Information Technology KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Recent years have seen a growing tendency for social scientists to collect biological specimens such as blood, urine, and saliva as part of large-scale household surveys. By combining biological and social data, scientists are opening up new fields of inquiry and are able for the first time to address many new questions and connections. But including biospecimens in social surveys also adds a great deal of complexity and cost to the investigator's task. Along with the usual concerns about informed consent, privacy issues, and the best ways to collect, store, and share data, researchers now face a variety of issues that are much less familiar or that appear in a new light. In particular, collecting and storing human biological materials for use in social science research raises additional legal, ethical, and social issues, as well as practical issues related to the storage, retrieval, and sharing of data. For example, acquiring biological data and linking them to social science databases requires a more complex informed consent process, the development of a biorepository, the establishment of data sharing policies, and the creation of a process for deciding how the data are going to be shared and used for secondary analysis--all of which add cost to a survey and require additional time and attention from the investigators. These issues also are likely to be unfamiliar to social scientists who have not worked with biological specimens in the past. Adding to the attraction of collecting biospecimens but also to the complexity of sharing and protecting the data is the fact that this is an era of incredibly rapid gains in our understanding of complex biological and physiological phenomena. Thus the tradeoffs between the risks and opportunities of expanding access to research data are constantly changing. Conducting Biosocial Surveys offers findings and recommendations concerning the best approaches to the collection, storage, use, and sharing of biospecimens gathered in social science surveys and the digital representations of biological data derived therefrom. It is aimed at researchers interested in carrying out such surveys, their institutions, and their funding agencies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Joseph N. Pato A2 - Lynette I. Millett TI - Biometric Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities SN - DO - 10.17226/12720 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12720/biometric-recognition-challenges-and-opportunities PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Computers and Information Technology KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - Biometric recognition--the automated recognition of individuals based on their behavioral and biological characteristic--is promoted as a way to help identify terrorists, provide better control of access to physical facilities and financial accounts, and increase the efficiency of access to services and their utilization. Biometric recognition has been applied to identification of criminals, patient tracking in medical informatics, and the personalization of social services, among other things. In spite of substantial effort, however, there remain unresolved questions about the effectiveness and management of systems for biometric recognition, as well as the appropriateness and societal impact of their use. Moreover, the general public has been exposed to biometrics largely as high-technology gadgets in spy thrillers or as fear-instilling instruments of state or corporate surveillance in speculative fiction. Now, as biometric technologies appear poised for broader use, increased concerns about national security and the tracking of individuals as they cross borders have caused passports, visas, and border-crossing records to be linked to biometric data. A focus on fighting insurgencies and terrorism has led to the military deployment of biometric tools to enable recognition of individuals as friend or foe. Commercially, finger-imaging sensors, whose cost and physical size have been reduced, now appear on many laptop personal computers, handheld devices, mobile phones, and other consumer devices. Biometric Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities addresses the issues surrounding broader implementation of this technology, making two main points: first, biometric recognition systems are incredibly complex, and need to be addressed as such. Second, biometric recognition is an inherently probabilistic endeavor. Consequently, even when the technology and the system in which it is embedded are behaving as designed, there is inevitable uncertainty and risk of error. This book elaborates on these themes in detail to provide policy makers, developers, and researchers a comprehensive assessment of biometric recognition that examines current capabilities, future possibilities, and the role of government in technology and system development. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council TI - Strategic Approach to the Evaluation of Programs Implemented Under the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 SN - DO - 10.17226/12909 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12909/strategic-approach-to-the-evaluation-of-programs-implemented-under-the-tom-lantos-and-henry-j-hyde-us-global-leadership-against-hivaids-tuberculosis-and-malaria-reauthorization-act-of-2008 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - At the request of Congress, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will evaluate U.S. global programs to address HIV/AIDS. This book outlines the IOM's strategic approach for this evaluation. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Women's Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise SN - DO - 10.17226/12908 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12908/womens-health-research-progress-pitfalls-and-promise PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Even though slightly over half of the U.S. population is female, medical research historically has neglected the health needs of women. However, over the past two decades, there have been major changes in government support of women's health research—in policies, regulations, and the organization of research efforts. To assess the impact of these changes, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ask the IOM to examine what has been learned from that research and how well it has been put into practice as well as communicated to both providers and women. Women's Health Research finds that women's health research has contributed to significant progress over the past 20 years in lessening the burden of disease and reducing deaths from some conditions, while other conditions have seen only moderate change or even little or no change. Gaps remain, both in research areas and in the application of results to benefit women in general and across multiple population groups. Given the many and significant roles women play in our society, maintaining support for women's health research and enhancing its impact are not only in the interest of women, they are in the interest of us all. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council A2 - Robert B. Wallace A2 - Maria Oria TI - Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration SN - DO - 10.17226/12892 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12892/enhancing-food-safety-the-role-of-the-food-and-drug PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Food and Nutrition KW - Health and Medicine AB - Recent outbreaks of illnesses traced to contaminated sprouts and lettuce illustrate the holes that exist in the system for monitoring problems and preventing foodborne diseases. Although it is not solely responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation's food supply, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees monitoring and intervention for 80 percent of the food supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's abilities to discover potential threats to food safety and prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness are hampered by impediments to efficient use of its limited resources and a piecemeal approach to gathering and using information on risks. Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration, a new book from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, responds to a congressional request for recommendations on how to close gaps in FDA's food safety systems. Enhancing Food Safety begins with a brief review of the Food Protection Plan (FPP), FDA's food safety philosophy developed in 2007. The lack of sufficient detail and specific strategies in the FPP renders it ineffectual. The book stresses the need for FPP to evolve and be supported by the type of strategic planning described in these pages. It also explores the development and implementation of a stronger, more effective food safety system built on a risk-based approach to food safety management. Conclusions and recommendations include adopting a risk-based decision-making approach to food safety; creating a data surveillance and research infrastructure; integrating federal, state, and local government food safety programs; enhancing efficiency of inspections; and more. Although food safety is the responsibility of everyone, from producers to consumers, the FDA and other regulatory agencies have an essential role. In many instances, the FDA must carry out this responsibility against a backdrop of multiple stakeholder interests, inadequate resources, and competing priorities. Of interest to the food production industry, consumer advocacy groups, health care professionals, and others, Enhancing Food Safety provides the FDA and Congress with a course of action that will enable the agency to become more efficient and effective in carrying out its food safety mission in a rapidly changing world. ER -