TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine: Science, Governance, and the Pursuit of Cures SN - DO - 10.17226/13523 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13523/the-california-institute-for-regenerative-medicine-science-governance-and-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created in 2005 by The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act (Proposition 71) to distribute $3 billion in state funds for stem cell research. The passage of Proposition 71 by the voters of California occurred at a time when federal funding for research involving human embryonic stem cells was uncertain, given the ethical questions raised by such research. During its initial period of operations, CIRM has successfully and thoughtfully provided more than $1.3 billion in awards to 59 California institutions, consistent with its stated mission. As it transitions to a broadened portfolio of grants to stimulate progress toward its translational goals, the Institute should obtain cohesive, longitudinal, and integrated advice; restructure its grant application review process; and enhance industry epresentation in aspects of its operations. CIRM's unique governance structure, while seful in its initial stages, might diminish its effectiveness moving forward. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine: Science, Governance, and the Pursuit of Cures recommends specific steps to enhance CIRM's organization and management, as well as its scientific policies and processes, as it transitions to the critical next stages of its research and development program. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Support for Forensic Science Research: Improving the Scientific Role of the National Institute of Justice SN - DO - 10.17226/21772 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21772/support-for-forensic-science-research-improving-the-scientific-role-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Policy for Science and Technology AB - Reliable and valid forensic science analytic techniques are critical to a credible, fair, and evidence-based criminal justice system. There is widespread agreement that the scientific foundation of some currently available forensic science methods needs strengthening and that additional, more efficient techniques are urgently needed. These needs can only be met through sustained research programs explicitly designed to ensure and improve the reliability and validity of current methods and to foster the development and use of new and better techniques. This task is challenging due to the broad nature of the field. Concerns have been raised repeatedly about the ability of the criminal justice system to collect and analyze evidence efficiently and to be fair in its verdicts. Although significant progress has been made in some forensic science disciplines, the forensic science community still faces many challenges. Federal leadership, particularly in regard to research and the scientific validation of forensic science methods, is needed to help meet the pressing issues facing state and local jurisdictions. This report reviews the progress made by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to advance forensic science research since the 2009 report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward and the 2010 report, Strengthening the National Institute of Justice. Support for Forensic Science Research examines the ways in which NIJ develops its forensic science research priorities and communicates those priorities as well as its findings to the scientific and forensic practitioner communities in order to determine the impact of NIJ forensic science research programs and how that impact can be enhanced. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology: Fiscal Year 2016 SN - DO - 10.17226/24631 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24631/an-assessment-of-the-national-institute-of-standards-and-technology-center-for-nanoscale-science-and-technology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Industry and Labor AB - At the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has, since 1959, annually assembled panels of experts from academia, industry, medicine, and other scientific and engineering communities to assess the quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories, of which there are now seven, as well as the adequacy of the laboratories’ resources. An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology: Fiscal Year 2016 assesses the scientific and technical work performed by the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the accomplisments, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Claudia Grossmann A2 - Brian Powers A2 - Julia Sanders TI - Digital Data Improvement Priorities for Continuous Learning in Health and Health Care: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/13424 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13424/digital-data-improvement-priorities-for-continuous-learning-in-health-and-health-care PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Computers and Information Technology AB - Digital health data are the lifeblood of a continuous learning health system. A steady flow of reliable data is necessary to coordinate and monitor patient care, analyze and improve systems of care, conduct research to develop new products and approaches, assess the effectiveness of medical interventions, and advance population health. The totality of available health data is a crucial resource that should be considered an invaluable public asset in the pursuit of better care, improved health, and lower health care costs. The ability to collect, share, and use digital health data is rapidly evolving. Increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is being driven by the implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which pays hospitals and individuals incentives if they can demonstrate that they use basic EHRs in 2011. Only a third had access to the basic features necessary to leverage this information for improvement, such as the ability to view laboratory results, maintain problem lists, or manage prescription ordering. In addition to increased data collection, more organizations are sharing digital health data. Data collected to meet federal reporting requirements or for administrative purposes are becoming more accessible. Efforts such as Health.Data.gov provide access to government datasets for the development of insights and software applications with the goal of improving health. Within the private sector, at least one pharmaceutical company is actively exploring release of some of its clinical trial data for research by others. Digital Data Improvement Priorities for Continuous Learning in Health and Health Care: Workshop Summary summarizes discussions at the March 2012 Institute of Medicine (2012) workshop to identify and characterize the current deficiencies in the reliability, availability, and usability of digital health data and consider strategies, priorities, and responsibilities to address such deficiencies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Joe Alper A2 - Julia Sanders A2 - Robert Saunders TI - Core Measurement Needs for Better Care, Better Health, and Lower Costs: Counting What Counts: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/18333 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18333/core-measurement-needs-for-better-care-better-health-and-lower-costs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Health care quality and its affordability have become very pressing issues in the United States. All sectors of the country are attempting to push forward initiatives that will improve the health care system as well as the health of the American population in general. Despite the economical dedication to health care, about 1/5, the system remains uneven and fragmented, patient harm is quite common, care is often uncoordinated, and many more mishaps occur. There exists many obstacles to improve the nation's health care system; these include the capacity to reliably and consistently measure progress. In 2006 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) established the Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care which has since accelerated the development of a learning health system- one in which science, informatics, incentives, and culture are aligned to create a continuous learning loop. This learning loop would thus help make the health care system better. In response, the IOM organized a 2-day workshop to explore in depth the core measurement needs for population health, health care quality, and health care costs. The workshop hoped to gain a full understanding of how to improve the nation's measurement capacity to track progress in the health care system. Having this knowledge would help the nation get one step closer to the creation of an efficient learning loop. The workshop was divided into a series of sessions that focused on different aspects of measurement. Core Measurement Needs for Better Care, Better Health, and Lower Costs: Counting What Counts: Workshop Summary includes explanations and key details for these sessions: Vision, Current Measurement Capabilities, Specifying the Shape of a Core Metric Set, and Implementation. The report also features common themes within these areas, the workshop agenda, and information about those involved. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - LeighAnne Olsen A2 - Robert S. Saunders A2 - J. Michael McGinnis TI - Patients Charting the Course: Citizen Engagement and the Learning Health System: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/12848 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12848/patients-charting-the-course-citizen-engagement-and-the-learning-health PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - As past, current, or future patients, the public should be the health care system's unwavering focus and serve as change agents in its care. Taking this into account, the quality of health care should be judged not only by whether clinical decisions are informed by the best available scientific evidence, but also by whether care is tailored to a patient's individual needs and perspectives. However, too often it is provider preference and convenience, rather than those of the patient, that drive what care is delivered. As part of its Learning Health System series of workshops, the Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care hosted a workshop to assess the prospects for improving health and lowering costs by advancing patient involvement in the elements of a learning health system. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine TI - Partnering with Patients to Drive Shared Decisions, Better Value, and Care Improvement: Workshop Proceedings SN - DO - 10.17226/18397 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18397/partnering-with-patients-to-drive-shared-decisions-better-value-and-care-improvement PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - The Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care held a workshop, titled Partnering with Patients to Drive Shared Decisions, Better Value, and Care Improvement, on February 25 and 26, 2013. The workshop, supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Blue Shield of California Foundation, focused on identifying and exploring issues, attitudes, and approaches to increasing patient engagement in and demand for the following: shared decision making and better communication about the evidence in support of testing and treatment options; the best value from the health care they receive; and the use of data generated in the course of their care experience for care improvement. The workshop hoped to build awareness and demand from patients and families for better care at lower costs and to create a health care system that continuously learns and improves. Participants included members of the medical, clinical research, health care services research, regulatory, health care economics, behavioral economics, health care delivery, payer, and patient communities. Partnering with Patients to Drive Shared Decisions, Better Value, and Care Improvement Workshop Proceedings offers a summary of the 2-day workshop including the workshop agenda and biographies of speakers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Rick Erdtmann A2 - Laura Sivitz TI - Advancing Prion Science: Guidance for the National Prion Research Program: Interim Report SN - DO - 10.17226/10598 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10598/advancing-prion-science-guidance-for-the-national-prion-research-program PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - In Advancing Prion Science, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Assessment of Relevant Science recommends priorities for research and investment to the Department of Defense's National Prion Research Program (NPRP). Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases, are invariably fatal neurodegenerative infectious diseases that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly called mad cow disease), chronic wasting disease, scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. To develop antemortem diagnostics or therapies for TSEs, the committee concludes that NPRP should invest in basic research specifically to elucidate the structural features of prions, the molecular mechanisms of prion replication, the mechanisms of TSE pathogenesis, and the physiological function of prions' normal cellular isoform. Advancing Prion Science provides the first comprehensive reference on present knowledge about all aspects of TSEs' from basic science to the U.S. research infrastructure, from diagnostics to surveillance, and from prevention to treatment. This report summarizes the progress thus far. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Joe Alper A2 - Claudia Grossmann TI - Integrating Research and Practice: Health System Leaders Working Toward High-Value Care: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/18945 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18945/integrating-research-and-practice-health-system-leaders-working-toward-high PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Health care has been called one of the most complex sectors of the U.S. economy. Driven largely by robust innovation in treatments and interventions, this complexity has created an increased need for evidence about what works best for whom in order to inform decisions that lead to safe, efficient, effective, and affordable care. As health care becomes more digital, clinical datasets are becoming larger and more numerous. By realizing the potential of knowledge generation that is more closely integrated with the practice of care, it should be possible not only to produce more usable evidence to inform decisions, but also to increase the efficiency and decrease the costs of doing clinical research. Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, or PCORnet, is a nation-wide patient-centered clinical research network intended to form a resource of clinical, administrative, and patient data that can be used to carry out observational and interventional research studies and enhance the use of clinical data to advance the learning health care system. The primary goal of the first phase of PCORnet will be to establish the data infrastructure necessary to do such research. In April and June 2014 the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Value and Science-Driven Health Care convened two workshops aimed at accelerating progress toward real-time knowledge generation through the seamless integration of clinical practice and research, one of the fundamental concepts of a continuously learning health system, centered on the development of the PCORnet. The first workshop brought together health care system leaders, both administrative and clinical, and researchers to consider issues and strategic priorities for building a successful and durable clinical research network and facilitate progress toward a continuously learning health care system more broadly, including issues related to science, technology, ethics, business, regulatory oversight, sustainability, and governance. The second workshop focused on implementation approaches. Health system CEOs convened to consider strategic priorities and explore approaches to implementation. These workshops will inform the decisions of field leaders moving forward, including PCORI, the PCORnet steering committee, and PCORnet grantees. Integrating Research and Practice is the summary of the presentations and discussions of the workshops. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Institutional Arrangements for the Space Telescope: A Mid-Term Review DO - 10.17226/19306 PY - 1985 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/19306/institutional-arrangements-for-the-space-telescope-a-mid-term-review PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Space and Aeronautics ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine AU - National Research Council A2 - Jack C. Ebeler A2 - Michelle Bruno A2 - Ted Schmitt TI - Opportunities for Coordination and Clarity to Advance the National Health Information Agenda: A Brief Assessment of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology: A Letter Report DO - 10.17226/12048 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12048/opportunities-for-coordination-and-clarity-to-advance-the-national-health-information-agenda PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Claudia Grossmann A2 - Joe Alper TI - Observational Studies in a Learning Health System: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/18438 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18438/observational-studies-in-a-learning-health-system-workshop-summary PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Clinical research strains to keep up with the rapid and iterative evolution of medical interventions, clinical practice innovation, and the increasing demand for information on the clinical effectiveness of these advancements. In response to the growing availability of archived and real-time digital health data and the opportunities this data provides for research, as well as the increasing number of studies using prospectively collected clinical data, the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care convened a workshop on Observational Studies in a Learning Health System. Participants, including experts from a wide range of disciplines - clinical researchers, statisticians, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, health care informaticians, health care analytics, research funders, health products industry, clinicians, payers, and regulators - explored leading edge approaches to observational studies, charted a course for the use of the growing health data utility, and identified opportunities to advance progress. Workshop speakers and individual participants strove to identify stakeholder needs and barriers to the broader application of observational studies. Observational Studies in a Learning Health Systemis the summary of the workshop. This report explores the role of observational studies in the generation of evidence to guide clinical and health policy decisions. The report discusses concepts of rigorous observational study design and analysis, emerging statistical methods, and opportunities and challenges of observational studies to complement evidence from experimental methods, treatment heterogeneity, and effectiveness estimates tailored toward individual patients. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Claudia Grossmann A2 - Brian Powers A2 - J. Michael McGinnis TI - Digital Infrastructure for the Learning Health System: The Foundation for Continuous Improvement in Health and Health Care: Workshop Series Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/12912 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12912/digital-infrastructure-for-the-learning-health-system-the-foundation-for PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Like many other industries, health care is increasingly turning to digital information and the use of electronic resources. The Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care hosted three workshops to explore current efforts and opportunities to accelerate progress in improving health and health care with information technology systems. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Rick Erdtmann A2 - Laura B. Sivitz TI - Advancing Prion Science: Guidance for the National Prion Research Program SN - DO - 10.17226/10862 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10862/advancing-prion-science-guidance-for-the-national-prion-research-program PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine KW - Agriculture AB - In Advancing Prion Science, the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Assessment of Relevant Science recommends priorities for research and investment to the Department of Defense’s National Prion Research Program (NPRP). Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases, are invariably fatal neurodegenerative infectious diseases that include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly called mad cow disease), chronic wasting disease, scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. To develop antemortem diagnostics or therapies for TSEs, the committee concludes that NPRP should invest in basic research specifically to elucidate the structural features of prions, the molecular mechanisms of prion replication, the mechanisms of TSE pathogenesis, and the physiological function of prions’ normal cellular isoform. Advancing Prion Science provides the first comprehensive reference on present knowledge about all aspects of TSEs—from basic science to the U.S. research infrastructure, from diagnostics to surveillance, and from prevention to treatment. ER - TY - BOOK A2 - Mark Wolverton TI - The Depths of Space: The Story of the Pioneer Planetary Probes DO - 10.17226/10739 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10739/the-depths-of-space-the-story-of-the-pioneer-planetary PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Explore Science KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The first spacecraft to explore the secrets of the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, and the void beyond Pluto, the Pioneer space probes have been the trailblazers of the space age, truly going where no man has gone before. Emblazoned with the nude figures of a man and a woman, etched representations of our human form, the Pioneer generation of probes were aptly named. Launched into the inky depths of space, they were more than mere machines, they were humanity's first emissaries into deep space. And the pictorial inscriptions that adorned the crafts embodied the hopes and dreams of everyone involved in the Pioneer program. They were our humble attempt to communicate with the extraterrestrial intelligent life we imagined the probes might encounter -- they were our message in a bottle. Perhaps the most efficient, reliable, and cost effective program to come out of NASA, the Pioneer missions are a shining example of how a small and talented group of people can, against all odds, pull something off that has never been done before. Indeed, more than thirty years after its launch in 1972, Pioneer 10 is still cruising into interstellar space, sending back data as it courses through the galaxy while Pioneer 6, in solar orbit, is more than 35 years old and humankind's oldest functioning spacecraft. But despite their enduring contributions, the Pioneer project remains a footnote in space history, little more than a humble prologue to its inheritors. The Depths of Space recounts the long overdue history of Pioneer both as a scientific and technological achievement and as the story of the exceptional people who made the program possible. This tight narrative captures the black-coffee buzz of full-throttle, deadline-driven production, the sharp, intense thrill of discovery, the pang of anxiety that accompanies looming danger and ultimate loss, and the satisfaction and pride of creating an enduring legacy. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Institute of Medicine A2 - Claudia Grossmann A2 - W. Alexander Goolsby A2 - LeighAnne Olsen A2 - J. Michael McGinnis TI - Clinical Data as the Basic Staple of Health Learning: Creating and Protecting a Public Good: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/12212 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12212/clinical-data-as-the-basic-staple-of-health-learning-creating PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Health and Medicine AB - Successful development of clinical data as an engine for knowledge generation has the potential to transform health and health care in America. As part of its Learning Health System Series, the Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care hosted a workshop to discuss expanding the access to and use of clinical data as a foundation for care improvement. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Unique U.S.-Russian Relationship in Biological Science and Biotechnology: Recent Experience and Future Directions SN - DO - 10.17226/18277 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18277/the-unique-us-russian-relationship-in-biological-science-and-biotechnology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - In the fall of 2010, the U.S. National Academies (consisting of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences) initiated a joint study of U.S.-Russian bilateral engagement in the biological sciences and biotechnology (hereinafter collectively referred to as bioengagement). The U.S. Department of State and the Russian Academy of Sciences provided support for the study. The academies established a joint committee of 12 leading scientists from the two countries to assess bioengagement activities since 1996 and to provide recommendations as to collaborative efforts in the near future. The Unique U.S.-Russian Relationship in Biological Science and Biotechnology: Recent Experience and Future Directions summarizes the principal conclusions and recommendations of the study. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - John V. Pepper A2 - Carol V. Petrie TI - Measurement Problems in Criminal Justice Research: Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/10581 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10581/measurement-problems-in-criminal-justice-research-workshop-summary PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - Most major crime in this country emanates from two major data sources. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports has collected information on crimes known to the police and arrests from local and state jurisdictions throughout the country. The National Crime Victimization Survey, a general population survey designed to cover the extent, nature, and consequences of criminal victimization, has been conducted annually since the early1970s. This workshop was designed to consider similarities and differences in the methodological problems encountered by the survey and criminal justice research communities and what might be the best focus for the research community. In addition to comparing and contrasting the methodological issues associated with self-report surveys and official records, the workshop explored methods for obtaining accurate self-reports on sensitive questions about crime events, estimating crime and victimization in rural counties and townships and developing unbiased prevalence and incidence rates for rate events among population subgroups. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Science, Medicine, and Animals SN - DO - 10.17226/10733 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10733/science-medicine-and-animals PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Science, Medicine, and Animals explains the role that animals play in biomedical research and the ways in which scientists, governments, and citizens have tried to balance the experimental use of animals with a concern for all living creatures. An accompanying Teacher’s Guide is available to help teachers of middle and high school students use Science, Medicine, and Animals in the classroom. As students examine the issues in Science, Medicine, and Animals, they will gain a greater understanding of the goals of biomedical research and the real-world practice of the scientific method in general. Science, Medicine, and Animals and the Teacher's Guide were written by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research and published by the National Research Council of the National Academies. The report was reviewed by a committee made up of experts and scholars with diverse perspectives, including members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, the Humane Society of the United States, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Teacher’s Guide was reviewed by members of the National Academies’ Teacher Associates Network. Science, Medicine, and Animals is recommended by the National Science Teacher's Association. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward SN - DO - 10.17226/12589 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12589/strengthening-forensic-science-in-the-united-states-a-path-forward PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences KW - Policy for Science and Technology AB - Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators. ER -