TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Attributes of a First-in-Class Environmental Program: A Letter Report Prepared for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management SN - DO - 10.17226/26368 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26368/attributes-of-a-first-in-class-environmental-program-a-letter PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Energy and Energy Conservation KW - Earth Sciences AB - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages the energy and mineral resources on the outer continental shelf. BOEM's environmental program, by producing environmental studies and conducting environmental assessments, ensures that environmental protection is a critical element of BOEM's decision making. This report addresses BOEM's aspirations to conduct a first-in-class science program within their Environmental Studies Program (ESP). This report describes attributes identified by the committee of a first-in-class, use-inspired, management-oriented science program (in this case, BOEM's ESP and its connection to the broader BOEM environmental program). The report recommends that BOEM develop procedures and conduct regular evaluations to assess whether and how well its environmental program meets the attributes of a first-in-class program and identify areas for improvement. It also outlines a framework for conducting such an evaluation. The report contains guidance and examples drawn from a workshop series with BOEM's peer agencies and other science programs, as well as other information gathering efforts. The guidance contained in this report is offered to BOEM as a starting point for developing more detailed processes for evaluating and improving its program. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Kathleen M. Rasmussen A2 - Ann L. Yaktine A2 - Katherine M. Delaney A2 - Emily A. Callahan TI - Evaluating the Process to Develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025: Final Report SN - DO - 10.17226/26653 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26653/evaluating-the-process-to-develop-the-dietary-guidelines-for-americans-2020-2025 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Food and Nutrition AB - In response to a request from Congress, the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study comparing the process to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (DGA 2020-2025) to recommendations included in the previously published National Academies report, Redesigning the Process for Establishing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This report describes the findings of the committee and conclusions related to this assessment. Notably, this report does not evaluate the merits of the DGA 2020-2025 but evaluates the process by which they were created relative to the recommendations made in the previously published National Academies report. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Evaluation of Applications to Carry Out Research to Determine the Taxonomy of Wild Canids in the Southeastern United States DO - 10.17226/25661 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25661/evaluation-of-applications-to-carry-out-research-to-determine-the-taxonomy-of-wild-canids-in-the-southeastern-united-states PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service commissioned the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to develop a request for applications, "Research to determine the taxonomy of wild canid populations in regions of the United States where recent evidence suggests the potential presence of red wolves (Canis rufus)," and to conduct an independent evaluation of the submitted applications. This letter report describes the work of the committee and transmits the final evaluation of applications to carry out research. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Robert M. Groves A2 - Thomas Mesenbourg A2 - Michael Siri TI - Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good SN - DO - 10.17226/26688 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26688/toward-a-21st-century-national-data-infrastructure-mobilizing-information-for-the-common-good PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - Historically, the U.S. national data infrastructure has relied on the operations of the federal statistical system and the data assets that it holds. Throughout the 20th century, federal statistical agencies aggregated survey responses of households and businesses to produce information about the nation and diverse subpopulations. The statistics created from such surveys provide most of what people know about the well-being of society, including health, education, employment, safety, housing, and food security. The surveys also contribute to an infrastructure for empirical social- and economic-sciences research. Research using survey-response data, with strict privacy protections, led to important discoveries about the causes and consequences of important societal challenges and also informed policymakers. Like other infrastructure, people can easily take these essential statistics for granted. Only when they are threatened do people recognize the need to protect them. Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good develops a vision for a new data infrastructure for national statistics and social and economic research in the 21st century. This report describes how the country can improve the statistical information so critical to shaping the nation's future, by mobilizing data assets and blending them with existing survey data. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Innovations in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing on the Horizon: Technical Challenges, Regulatory Issues, and Recommendations SN - DO - 10.17226/26009 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26009/innovations-in-pharmaceutical-manufacturing-on-the-horizon-technical-challenges-regulatory PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the Pharmaceutical Quality for the 21st Century Initiative to encourage adoption of innovative technologies that would lead to an agile, flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. The goal was to encourage a transition to manufacturing processes and approaches that could produce high-quality drugs reliably without extensive regulatory oversight. Much progress has been made toward that goal as the industry has developed and advanced new technologies, but more progress is required as recent natural disasters and the coronavirus pandemic have revealed vulnerabilities in supply chains and highlighted the need to modernize pharmaceutical manufacturing further. At the request of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Innovations in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing on the Horizon identifies emerging technologies - such as product technologies, manufacturing processes, control and testing strategies, and platform technologies - that have the potential to advance pharmaceutical quality and modernize pharmaceutical manufacturing for products regulated by CDER. This report describes many innovations to modernize the manufacture of drug substances and drug products, to advance new control approaches, and to develop integrated, flexible, and distributed manufacturing networks within 5-10 years. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Strengthening Sustainability Programs and Curricula at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels SN - DO - 10.17226/25821 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25821/strengthening-sustainability-programs-and-curricula-at-the-undergraduate-and-graduate-levels PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - Over the past decade there has been a growing interest in sustainability education in colleges and universities across the United States, with a marked increase in the number of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research institutes, and centers focused on sustainability. Evidence-based core competencies for interdisciplinary sustainability programs can provide suitable guidance for curricular and program development, research, policy, communication, and pedagogical approaches at academic institutions. They can also serve as a guide for students to select academic programs and potential career options, a reference for employers to understand qualifications of graduates, and the foundation for a potential specialized accreditation for interdisciplinary sustainability programs. The growing demand for well-qualified sustainability professionals within the public, private, and nonprofit sectors also points to the value of developing core competencies. Strengthening Sustainability Programs and Curricula at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels provides expert insights for strengthening the emerging discipline of sustainability in higher education in the United States. This report describes the local, national, and global landscape related to sustainability education; examines the history and current status of sustainability education programs in the United States and globally; discusses employment prospects for sustainability graduates in terms of the opportunities and the skills that employers seek; and addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion in sustainability-related education and employment. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health SN - DO - 10.17226/26381 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26381/review-of-fate-exposure-and-effects-of-sunscreens-in-aquatic-environments-and-implications-for-sunscreen-usage-and-human-health PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Health and Medicine AB - Regular use of sunscreens has been shown to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer, and slow photoaging of skin. Sunscreens can rinse off into water where people are swimming or wading, and can also enter bodies of water through wastewater such as from bathing or showering. As a result, the ultraviolet (UV) filters - the active ingredients in sunscreens that reduce the amount of UV radiation on skin - have been detected in the water, sediment, and animal tissues in aquatic environments. Because the impact of these filters on aquatic ecosystems is not fully understood, assessment is needed to better understand their environmental impacts. This report calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. EPA should focus on environments more likely to be exposed such as those with heavy recreational use, or where wastewater and urban runoff enter the water. The risk assessment should cover a broad range of species and biological effects and could consider potential interacting effects among UV filters and with other environmental stresses such as climate change. In addition, the report describes the role of sunscreens in preventing skin cancer and what is known about how human health could be affected by potential changes in usage. While the need for a risk assessment is urgent, research is needed to advance understanding of both risks to the environment from UV filters and impacts to human health from changing sunscreen availability and usage. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - An Assessment of the Need for Native Seeds and the Capacity for Their Supply: Interim Report SN - DO - 10.17226/25859 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25859/an-assessment-of-the-need-for-native-seeds-and-the-capacity-for-their-supply PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Across the United States, millions of acres of land have been so disturbed by human activities or severe climate events that significant portions of their native plant communities have been lost and their ecosystems have been seriously compromised. Restoring impaired ecosystems requires a supply of diverse native plant seeds that are well suited to the climates, soils, and other living species of the system. Native seeds are also in demand for applications in urban land management, roadside maintenance, conservation agriculture, and other restorative activities that take into account the connection between native plant communities and the increasingly urgent need for resilient landscapes. Given the varied climatic and environmental niches of the more than 17,000 native plant species of the United States, supplying the desired seed types and species mixes for this wide range of activities is a challenge. As the first phase of a nationwide analysis of the full scope of needs for native plant seeds, this interim report describes the participants in the native plant seed supply chain, makes preliminary observations, and proposes an information-gathering plan for the second phase of the assessment. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock SN - DO - 10.17226/21742 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21742/characterization-modeling-monitoring-and-remediation-of-fractured-rock PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Fractured rock is the host or foundation for innumerable engineered structures related to energy, water, waste, and transportation. Characterizing, modeling, and monitoring fractured rock sites is critical to the functioning of those infrastructure, as well as to optimizing resource recovery and contaminant management. Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock examines the state of practice and state of art in the characterization of fractured rock and the chemical and biological processes related to subsurface contaminant fate and transport. This report examines new developments, knowledge, and approaches to engineering at fractured rock sites since the publication of the 1996 National Research Council report Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Fluid Flow. Fundamental understanding of the physical nature of fractured rock has changed little since 1996, but many new characterization tools have been developed, and there is now greater appreciation for the importance of chemical and biological processes that can occur in the fractured rock environment. The findings of Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock can be applied to all types of engineered infrastructure, but especially to engineered repositories for buried or stored waste and to fractured rock sites that have been contaminated as a result of past disposal or other practices. The recommendations of this report are intended to help the practitioner, researcher, and decision maker take a more interdisciplinary approach to engineering in the fractured rock environment. This report describes how existing tools—some only recently developed—can be used to increase the accuracy and reliability of engineering design and management given the interacting forces of nature. With an interdisciplinary approach, it is possible to conceptualize and model the fractured rock environment with acceptable levels of uncertainty and reliability, and to design systems that maximize remediation and long-term performance. Better scientific understanding could inform regulations, policies, and implementation guidelines related to infrastructure development and operations. The recommendations for research and applications to enhance practice of this book make it a valuable resource for students and practitioners in this field. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Framework for Assessing Potential Safety Impacts of Automated Driving Systems DO - 10.17226/26791 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26791/framework-for-assessing-potential-safety-impacts-of-automated-driving-systems PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - Quickly advancing automated driving system (ADS) technologies are expected to positively affect transportation safety. ADS includes a plethora of applications that affect safety, mobility, human factors, and environmental aspects of driving. TRB's joint publication of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Behavioral Transportation Safety Cooperative Research Program is titled NCHRP Research Report 1001/BTSCRP Research Report 2: Framework for Assessing Potential Safety Impacts of Automated Driving Systems. The report describes a framework to help state and local agencies assess the safety impact of ADS and is designed to guide them on how to adapt the framework for a variety of scenarios. Supplemental to the report are a Video describing the project’s assessment framework, a Proof of Concept Results Document, an Implementation Plan, and a Future Research Needs Document. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Margaret A. Honey A2 - Kenne A. Dibner A2 - Tiffany E. Taylor TI - NASA's Science Activation Program: Achievements and Opportunities SN - DO - 10.17226/25569 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25569/nasas-science-activation-program-achievements-and-opportunities PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Education AB - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is one of the United States' leading federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) agencies and plays an important role in the landscape of STEM education. In 2015, NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) created the Science Activation (SciAct) program to increase the overall coherence of SMD's education efforts, to support more effective, sustainable, and efficient use of SMD science discoveries for education, and to enable NASA scientists and engineers to engage more effectively and efficiently in the STEM learning environment with learners of all ages. SciAct is now transitioning into its second round of funding, and it is beneficial to review the program's portfolio and identify opportunities for improvement. NASA's Science Activation Program: Achievements and Opportunities assesses SciAct's efforts towards meeting its goals. The key objectives of SciAct are to enable STEM education, improve U.S. scientific literacy, advance national education goals, and leverage efforts through partnerships. This report describes and assesses the history, current status, and vision of the program and its projects. It also provides recommendations to enhance NASA's efforts through the SciAct program. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine AU - National Academy of Medicine TI - Toward Equitable Innovation in Health and Medicine: A Framework SN - DO - 10.17226/27184 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27184/toward-equitable-innovation-in-health-and-medicine-a-framework PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Advances in biomedical science, data science, engineering, and technology are leading to high-pace innovation with potential to transform health and medicine. These innovations simultaneously raise important ethical and social issues, including how to fairly distribute their benefits and risks. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine, established the Committee on Creating a Framework for Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health and Medicine to provide leadership and engage broad communities in developing a framework for aligning the development and use of transformative technologies with ethical and equitable principles. The committees resulting report describes a governance framework for decisions throughout the innovation life cycle to advance equitable innovation and support an ecosystem that is more responsive to the needs of a broader range of individuals and is better able to recognize and address inequities as they arise. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2011 DO - 10.17226/14480 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14480/commercial-truck-and-bus-safety-synthesis-program-a-status-report-2011 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - TRB’s Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Research Results Digest 8: A Status Report describes the progress and status of the Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP). CTBSSP is a cooperative research program sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board. The program was authorized in late 2001 and began in 2002 in support of the FMCSA’s safety research programs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program: A Status Report 2012 DO - 10.17226/14629 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/14629/commercial-truck-and-bus-safety-synthesis-program-a-status-report-2012 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - TRB’s Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Research Results Digest 9: A Status Report describes the progress and status of the Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP). CTBSSP is a cooperative research program sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and administered by the Transportation Research Board. The program was authorized in late 2001 and began in 2002 in support of the FMCSA’s safety research programs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Transit Research Analysis Committee Letter Report: August 24, 2018 DO - 10.17226/25249 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25249/transit-research-analysis-committee-letter-report-august-24-2018 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - TRB's Transit Research Analysis Committee (TRAC) has delivered a letter report to Mr. Vincent Valdes, Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration, and Innovation, Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The August 24, 2018 report describes the committee’s understanding of the Strategic Transit Automation Research (STAR) Plan and provides advice to FTA regarding this plan.TRAC, an interdisciplinary committee of experts from industry, academia, and the private and public sectors, will examine and recommend actions FTA can take to ensure that its research and innovation program is relevant, timely, and effective in meeting the diverse and changing needs of the public transportation community. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Space Studies Board Annual Report 2019 DO - 10.17226/26073 PY - 2021 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26073/space-studies-board-annual-report-2019 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The Space Studies Board (SSB) is a unit of the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. SSB provides an independent, authoritative forum for information and advice on all aspects of space science and applications and serves as the focal point within the National Academies for activities on space research. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2019 describes the projects and activities of SSB; explains the SSB's collaboration with other National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine units; and assures the quality of the SSB reports. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - James L. Brown A2 - David M. Prendez A2 - Joonbum Lee A2 - Alicia Romo A2 - John L. Campbell A2 - Jessica Hutton A2 - Ingrid Potts A2 - Darren Torbic TI - Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems 2021 Update, Volume 2: Conduct of Research Report DO - 10.17226/26474 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26474/human-factors-guidelines-for-road-systems-2021-update-volume-2-conduct-of-research-report PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - Human factors principles and concepts can be used by highway designers and traffic engineers to improve roadway design and traffic safety.The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Web-Only Document 316: Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems 2021 Update, Volume 2: Conduct of Research Report describes the process of updating guidelines, which were delivered in NCHRP Web-Only Document 316: Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems 2021 Update, Volume 1: Updated and New Chapters.Supplemental to the document is a presentation describing the updated and new chapters. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Letter Report SN - DO - 10.17226/25326 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25326/considerations-for-the-design-of-a-systematic-review-of-care-interventions-for-individuals-with-dementia-and-their-caregivers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Considerations for the Design of a Systematic Review of Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Letter Report provides input into the design of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) systematic review of evidence on effective care-related interventions for people with dementia and their caregivers. This letter report describes potential changes and considerations for the key questions and study design that would result in the most informative and timely evidence review on this topic. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics: Tenth Round DO - 10.17226/25577 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25577/report-of-the-committee-on-proposal-evaluation-for-allocation-of-supercomputing-time-for-the-study-of-molecular-dynamics PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - This report describes the work of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Tenth Round. The committee evaluated submissions received in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for biomolecular simulation time on Anton 2, a supercomputer specially designed and built by D.E. Shaw Research (DESRES). Over the past 9 years, DESRES has made an Anton or Anton 2 system housed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) available to the non-commercial research community, based on the advice of previous National Research Council committees. As in prior rounds, the goal of the tenth RFP for simulation time on Anton 2 is to continue to facilitate breakthrough research in the study of biomolecular systems by providing a massively parallel system specially designed for molecular dynamics simulations. The program seeks to continue to support research that addresses important and high impact questions demonstrating a clear need for Anton's special capabilities. Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Tenth Round is the final report of the committee's evaluation of proposals based on scientific merit, justification for requested time allocation, and investigator qualifications and past accomplishments. This report identifies the proposals that best met the selection criteria. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - A View of Global S&T Based on Activities of the Board on Global Science and Technology: Letter Report DO - 10.17226/13309 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13309/a-view-of-global-st-based-on-activities-of-the-board-on-global-science-and-technology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Policy for Science and Technology KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics AB - This letter report describes the 2009-2011 activities of the Board on Global Science and Technology (BGST) and provides an initial characterization of the global science and technology landscape that the Board can use as a roadmap to develop future activities. BGST met five times between November 2009 and May 2011. Board meetings were devoted to (1) identifying national security implications of the globalization of S&T, (2) building a baseline understanding of current indicators for the U.S. posture with regard to the evolving global S&T landscape, and (3) developing a BGST engagement strategy. The letter portion of the report summarizes activities of the board in its first year, and also describes some existing approaches to identifying and/or benchmarking emerging technologies globally. It is followed by 5 appendixes which include three experimental examples of a qualitative approach to benchmarking, and brief descriptions of programs that are part of the National Academies complex, with which BGST has cooperated. ER -