New Titles from the National Academies Press | Engineering and Technologyhttp://www.nap.edu/rss?topic=2842013-05-25T11:08:07-04:00Science books from the publishers for the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research CouncilCopyright in the Digital Era: Building Evidence for Policytag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14686#final2013-05-23T16:25:25-04:002013-05-23T16:25:25-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>Over the course of several decades, copyright protection has been expanded and extended through legislative changes occasioned by national and international developments. The content and technology industries affected by copyright and its exceptions, and in some cases balancing the two, have become increasingly important as sources of economic growth, relatively high-paying jobs, and exports. Since the expansion of digital technology in the mid-1990s, they have undergone a technological revolution that has disrupted long-established modes of creating, distributing, and using works ranging from literature and news to film and music to scientific publications and computer software.<br /> <br /> In the United States and internationally, these disruptive changes have given rise to a strident debate over copyright's proper scope and terms and means of its enforcement--a debate between those who believe the digital revolution is progressively undermining the copyright protection essential to encourage the funding, creation, and distribution of new works and those who believe that enhancements to copyright are inhibiting technological innovation and free expression.<br /> <br /> <em>Copyright in the Digital Era: Building Evidence for Policy</em> examines a range of questions regarding copyright policy by using a variety of methods, such as case studies, international and sectoral comparisons, and experiments and surveys. This report is especially critical in light of digital age developments that may, for example, change the incentive calculus for various actors in the copyright system, impact the costs of voluntary copyright transactions, pose new enforcement challenges, and change the optimal balance between copyright protection and exceptions.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14686">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=279'>Computers and Information Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=323'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/ToLS3WDkI_U" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14686Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership: Fourth Reporttag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18262#final2013-05-17T07:47:19-04:002013-05-17T07:47:19-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p><em>Review of the Research Program of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership: Fourth Report </em>follows on three previous NRC reviews of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, which was the predecessor of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership (NRC, 2005, 2008a, 2010). The U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle Efficiency and Energy Sustainability) vision, according to the charter of the Partnership, is this: American consumers have a broad range of affordable personal transportation choices that reduce petroleum consumption and significantly reduce harmful emissions from the transportation sector. Its mission is as follows: accelerate the development of pre-competitive and innovative technologies to enable a full range of efficient and clean advanced light-duty vehicles (LDVs), as well as related energy infrastructure. The Partnership focuses on precompetitive research and development (R&D) that can help to accelerate the emergence of advanced technologies to be commercialization-feasible.</p> <p>The guidance for the work of the U.S. DRIVE Partnership as well as the priority setting and targets for needed research are provided by joint industry/government technical teams. This structure has been demonstrated to be an effective means of identifying high-priority, long-term precompetitive research needs for each technology with which the Partnership is involved. Technical areas in which research and development as well as technology validation programs have been pursued include the following: internal combustion engines (ICEs) potentially operating on conventional and various alternative fuels, automotive fuel cell power systems, hydrogen storage systems (especially onboard vehicles), batteries and other forms of electrochemical energy storage, electric propulsion systems, hydrogen production and delivery, and materials leading to vehicle weight reductions.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18262">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=358'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Di1C-3igMlA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18262Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment: Interim Reporttag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18320#prepub2013-05-14T13:11:14-04:002013-05-14T13:11:14-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The electric vehicle offers many promises—increasing U.S. energy security by reducing petroleum dependence, contributing to climate-change initiatives by decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, stimulating long-term economic growth through the development of new technologies and industries, and improving public health by improving local air quality. There are, however, substantial technical, social, and economic barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles, including vehicle cost, small driving range, long charging times, and the need for a charging infrastructure. In addition, people are unfamiliar with electric vehicles, are uncertain about their costs and benefits, and have diverse needs that current electric vehicles might not meet. Although a person might derive some personal benefits from ownership, the costs of achieving the social benefits, such as reduced GHG emissions, are borne largely by the people who purchase the vehicles. Given the recognized barriers to electric-vehicle adoption, Congress asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to commission a study by the National Academies to address market barriers that are slowing the purchase of electric vehicles and hindering the deployment of supporting infrastructure. As a result of the request, the National Research Council (NRC)—a part of the National Academies—appointed the Committee on Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment.</p> <p>This committee documented their findings in two reports—a short interim report focused on near-term options, and a final comprehensive report. Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment fulfills the request for the short interim report that addresses specifically the following issues: infrastructure needs for electric vehicles, barriers to deploying the infrastructure, and possible roles of the federal government in overcoming the barriers. This report also includes an initial discussion of the pros and cons of the possible roles. This interim report does not address the committee's full statement of task and does not offer any recommendations because the committee is still in its early stages of data-gathering. The committee will continue to gather and review information and conduct analyses through late spring 2014 and will issue its final report in late summer 2014.</p> <p>Overcoming Barriers to Electric-Vehicle Deployment focuses on the light-duty vehicle sector in the United States and restricts its discussion of electric vehicles to plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), which include battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The common feature of these vehicles is that their batteries are charged by being plugged into the electric grid. BEVs differ from PHEVs because they operate solely on electricity stored in a battery (that is, there is no other power source); PHEVs have internal combustion engines that can supplement the electric power train. Although this report considers PEVs generally, the committee recognizes that there are fundamental differences between PHEVs and BEVs.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18320">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=358'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/x_TYGeWp8F0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18320Making the Soldier Decisive on Future Battlefieldstag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18321#final2013-05-10T11:58:28-04:002013-05-10T11:58:28-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The U.S. military does not believe its soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines should be engaged in combat with adversaries on a "level playing field." Our combat individuals enter engagements to win. To that end, the United States has used its technical prowess and industrial capability to develop decisive weapons that overmatch those of potential enemies. In its current engagement—what has been identified as an "era of persistent conflict"— the nation's most important weapon is the dismounted soldier operating in small units. Today's soldier must be prepared to contend with both regular and irregular adversaries. Results in Iraq and Afghanistan show that, while the U.S. soldier is a formidable fighter, the contemporary suite of equipment and support does not afford the same high degree of overmatch capability exhibited by large weapons platforms—yet it is the soldier who ultimately will play the decisive role in restoring stability.</p> <p><em>Making the Soldier Decisive on Future Battlefields</em> establishes the technical requirements for overmatch capability for dismounted soldiers operating individually or in small units. It prescribes technological and organizational capabilities needed to make the dismounted soldier a decisive weapon in a changing, uncertain, and complex future environment and provides the Army with 15 recommendations on how to focus its efforts to enable the soldier and tactical small unit (TSU) to achieve overmatch.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18321">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=326'>Military and Defense Studies</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/1WUZg0uJeRo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18321Assessment of Advanced Solid State Lightingtag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18279#final2013-05-09T09:26:40-04:002013-05-09T09:26:40-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The standard incandescent light bulb, which still works mainly as Thomas Edison invented it, converts more than 90% of the consumed electricity into heat. Given the availability of newer lighting technologies that convert a greater percentage of electricity into useful light, there is potential to decrease the amount of energy used for lighting in both commercial and residential applications. Although technologies such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) have emerged in the past few decades and will help achieve the goal of increased energy efficiency, solid-state lighting (SSL) stands to play a large role in dramatically decreasing U.S. energy consumption for lighting. This report summarizes the current status of SSL technologies and products—light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic LEDs (OLEDs)—and evaluates barriers to their improved cost and performance.</p> <p><em>Assessment of Advanced Solid State Lighting</em> also discusses factors involved in achieving widespread deployment and consumer acceptance of SSL products. These factors include the perceived quality of light emitted by SSL devices, ease of use and the useful lifetime of these devices, issues of initial high cost, and possible benefits of reduced energy consumption. </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18279">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=357'>Energy Use, Supply, Demand</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/jElpXY_RJO8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18279National Academies Keck Future Initiative: The Informed Brain in a Digital World: Interdisciplinary Team Summariestag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18268#final2013-05-06T14:23:12-04:002013-05-06T14:23:12-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Digital media provide humans with more access to information than ever before—a computer, tablet, or smartphone can all be used to access data online and users frequently have more than one device. However, as humans continue to venture into the digital frontier, it remains to be known whether access to seemingly unlimited information is actually helping us learn and solve complex problems, or ultimately creating more difficulty and confusion for individuals and societies by offering content overload that is not always meaningful.</p> <p>Throughout history, technology has changed the way humans interact with the world. Improvements in tools, language, industrial machines, and now digital information technology have shaped our minds and societies. There has always been access to more information than humans can handle, but the difference now lies in the ubiquity of the Internet and digital technology, and the incredible speed with which anyone with a computer can access and participate in seemingly infinite information exchange. Humans now live in a world where mobile digital technology is everywhere, from the classroom and the doctor's office to public transportation and even the dinner table. This paradigm shift in technology comes with tremendous benefits and risks. Interdisciplinary Research (IDR) Teams at the 2012 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Conference on The Informed Brain in the Digital World explored common rewards and dangers to Humans among various fields that are being greatly impacted by the Internet and the rapid evolution of digital technology.</p> <p>Keynote speaker Clifford Nass of Stanford University opened the dialogue by offering insight into what we already know about how the "information overload" of the digital world may be affecting our brains. Nass presented the idea of the "media budget," which states that when a new media emerges, it takes time away from other media in a daily time budget. When additional media appear and there is no time left in a person's daily media budget, people begin to "double book" media time. Personal computers, tablets, and smartphones make it easy to use several media simultaneously, and according to Nass, this double-booking of media can result in chronic multitasking, which effects how people store and manage memory. Although current fast-paced work and learning environments often encourage multitasking, research shows that such multitasking is inefficient, decreases productivity, and may hinder cognitive function. <em>National Academies Keck Future Initiative: The Informed Brain in a Digital World</em> summarizes the happenings of this conference.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18268">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=278'>Biology and Life Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=317'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/nHDRCE0qkaM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18268Protecting National Park Soundscapestag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18336#prepub2013-05-06T09:48:17-04:002013-05-06T09:48:17-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>America's national parks provide a wealth of experiences to millions of people every year. What visitors see—landscapes, wildlife, cultural activities—often lingers in memory for life. And what they hear adds a dimension that sight alone cannot provide. Natural sounds can dramatically enhance visitors' experience of many aspects of park environments. In some settings, such as the expanses of Yellowstone National Park, they can even be the best way to enjoy wildlife, because animals can be heard at much greater distances than they can be seen. Sounds can also be a natural complement to natural scenes, whether the rush of water over a rocky streambed or a ranger's explanation of a park's history. In other settings, such as the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, sounds are the main reason for visiting a park.</p> <p>The acoustical environment is also important to the well-being of the parks themselves. Many species of wildlife depend on their hearing to find prey or avoid predators. If they cannot hear, their survival is jeopardized—and the parks where they live may in turn lose part of their natural heritage. For all these reasons it is important to be aware of noise (defined as unwanted sound, and in this case usually generated by humans or machinery), which can degrade the acoustical environment, or soundscape, of parks. Just as smog smudges the visual horizon, noise obscures the listening horizon for both visitors and wildlife. This is especially true in places, such as remote wilderness areas, where extremely low sound levels are common. The National Park Service (NPS) has determined that park facilities, operations, and maintenance activities produce a substantial portion of noise in national parks and thus recognizes the need to provide park managers with guidance for protecting the natural soundscape from such noise. Therefore, the focus of the workshop was to define what park managers can do to control noise from facilities, operations, and maintenance, and not on issues such as the effects of noise on wildlife, noise metrics, and related topics.</p> <p>To aid in this effort, NPS joined with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and with the US Department of Transportation's John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to hold a workshop to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the nation's array of parks. Entitled "Protecting National Park Soundscapes: Best Available Technologies and Practices for Reducing Park- Generated Noise," the workshop took place October 3-4, 2012, at NPS's Natural Resource Program Center in Fort Collins, Colorado.<em> Protecting National Park Soundscapes </em>is a summary of the workshop.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18336">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=371'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/_nAnclbWtH0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18336Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiativetag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18271#prepub2013-04-23T10:47:31-04:002013-04-23T12:37:50-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a multiagency, multidisciplinary federal initiative comprising a collection of research programs and other activities funded by the participating agencies and linked by the vision of "a future in which the ability to understand and control matter at the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and industry that benefits society." As first stated in the 2004 NNI strategic plan, the participating agencies intend to make progress in realizing that vision by working toward four goals. Planning, coordination, and management of the NNI are carried out by the interagency Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on Technology (CoT) with support from the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO).</p> <p><em>Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative</em> is the latest National Research Council review of the NNI, an assessment called for by the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003. The overall objective of the review is to make recommendations to the NSET Subcommittee and the NNCO that will improve the NNI's value for basic and applied research and for development of applications in nanotechnology that will provide economic, societal, and national security benefits to the United States. In its assessment, the committee found it important to understand in some detail—and to describe in its report—the NNI's structure and organization; how the NNI fits within the larger federal research enterprise, as well as how it can and should be organized for management purposes; and the initiative's various stakeholders and their roles with respect to research. Because technology transfer, one of the four NNI goals, is dependent on management and coordination, the committee chose to address the topic of technology transfer last, following its discussion of definitions of success and metrics for assessing progress toward achieving the four goals and management and coordination. Addressing its tasks in this order would, the committee hoped, better reflect the logic of its approach to review of the NNI. <em>Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative</em> also provides concluding remarks in the last chapter.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18271">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/0cBEQjIUd0U" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18271Interim Report for the Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, Phase IItag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13517#final2013-03-20T00:00:00-04:002013-03-20T11:57:16-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Nanotechnology has become one of the defining ideas in global R&D over the past decade. In 2001 the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was established as the U.S. government interagency program for coordinating nanotechnology research and development across deferral agencies and facilitating communication and collaborative activities in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology across the federal government. The 26 federal agencies that participate in the NNI collaborate to (1) advance world-class nanotechnology research and development; (2) foster the transfer of new technologies into products for commercial and public benefit; (3) develop and sustain educational resources, a skilled workforce and the supporting infrastructure and tools to advance nanotechnology; and (4) support the responsible development of nanotechnology. As part of the third triennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the Committee on Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative: Phase II was asked to provide advice to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee and the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office in three areas:</p> <p><br /> Task 1 - Examine the role of the NNI in maximizing opportunities to transfer selected technologies to the private sector, provide an assessment of how well the NNI is carrying out this role, and suggest new mechanisms to foster transfer of technologies and improvements to NNI operations in this area where warranted.<br /> Task 2 - Assess the suitability of current procedures and criteria for determining progress towards NNI goals, suggest definitions of success and associated metrics, and provide advice on those organizations (government or non-government) that could perform evaluations of progress.<br /> Task 3 - Review NNI's management and coordination of nanotechnology research across both civilian and military federal agencies.</p> <p><em>Interim Report for the Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, Phase II</em> offers initial comment on the committee's approach to Task 2 and offers initial comments on the current procedures and criteria for determining progress toward and achievement of the desired outcomes.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13517">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/BZ2_QbvMjGs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13517Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Developmenttag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14670#final2013-02-28T10:45:14-05:002013-03-15T10:48:42-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>For thousands of years, the underground has provided humans refuge, useful resources, physical support for surface structures, and a place for spiritual or artistic expression. More recently, many urban services have been placed underground. Over this time, humans have rarely considered how underground space can contribute to or be engineered to maximize its contribution to the sustainability of society. As human activities begin to change the planet and population struggle to maintain satisfactory standards of living, placing new infrastructure and related facilities underground may be the most successful way to encourage or support the redirection of urban development into sustainable patterns. Well maintained, resilient, and adequately performing underground infrastructure, therefore, becomes an essential part of sustainability, but much remains to be learned about improving the sustainability of underground infrastructure itself. </p> <p>At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Research Council (NRC) conducted a study to consider sustainable underground development in the urban environment, to identify research needed to maximize opportunities for using underground space, and to enhance understanding among the public and technical communities of the role of underground engineering in urban sustainability. </p> <p><em>Underground Engineering for Sustainable Urban Development </em>explains the findings of researchers and practitioners with expertise in geotechnical engineering, underground design and construction, trenchless technologies, risk assessment, visualization techniques for geotechnical applications, sustainable infrastructure development, life cycle assessment, infrastructure policy and planning, and fire prevention, safety and ventilation in the underground. This report is intended to inform a future research track and will be of interest to a broad audience including those in the private and public sectors engaged in urban and facility planning and design, underground construction, and safety and security.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14670">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/AT0B47tlqps" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14670An Assessment of the Prospects for Inertial Fusion Energytag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18289#prepub2013-02-20T11:20:33-05:002013-02-20T11:20:51-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The potential for using fusion energy to produce commercial electric power was first explored in the 1950s. Harnessing fusion energy offers the prospect of a nearly carbon-free energy source with a virtually unlimited supply of fuel. Unlike nuclear fission plants, appropriately designed fusion power plants would not produce the large amounts of high-level nuclear waste that requires long-term disposal. Due to these prospects, many nations have initiated research and development (R&D) programs aimed at developing fusion as an energy source. Two R&D approaches are being explored: magnetic fusion energy (MFE) and inertial fusion energy (IFE).</p> <p><em>An Assessment of the Prospects for Inertial Fusion Energy </em>describes and assesses the current status of IFE research in the United States; compares the various technical approaches to IFE; and identifies the scientific and engineering challenges associated with developing inertial confinement fusion (ICF) in particular as an energy source. It also provides guidance on an R&D roadmap at the conceptual level for a national program focusing on the design and construction of an inertial fusion energy demonstration plant.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18289">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=358'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=411'>Physics</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=356'>Energy Resources</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/vWGwcGjZA4o" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18289Assessment of Inertial Confinement Fusion Targetstag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18288#prepub2013-02-20T10:45:01-05:002013-02-20T10:45:12-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In the fall of 2010, the Office of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Secretary for Science asked for a National Research Council (NRC) committee to investigate the prospects for generating power using inertial confinement fusion (ICF) concepts, acknowledging that a key test of viability for this concept—ignition —could be demonstrated at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the relatively near term. The committee was asked to provide an unclassified report. However, DOE indicated that to fully assess this topic, the committee's deliberations would have to be informed by the results of some classified experiments and information, particularly in the area of ICF targets and nonproliferation. Thus, the Panel on the Assessment of Inertial Confinement Fusion Targets ("the panel") was assembled, composed of experts able to access the needed information. The panel was charged with advising the Committee on the Prospects for Inertial Confinement Fusion Energy Systems on these issues, both by internal discussion and by this unclassified report.</p> <p><br /> A Panel on Fusion Target Physics ("the panel") will serve as a technical resource to the Committee on Inertial Confinement Energy Systems ("the Committee") and will prepare a report that describes the R&D challenges to providing suitable targets, on the basis of parameters established and provided to the Panel by the Committee. The Panel on Fusion Target Physics will prepare a report that will assess the current performance of fusion targets associated with various ICF concepts in order to understand:<br /> 1. The spectrum output; 2. The illumination geometry; 3. The high-gain geometry; and 4. The robustness of the target design. The panel addressed the potential impacts of the use and development of current concepts for Inertial Fusion Energy on the proliferation of nuclear weapons information and technology, as appropriate. The Panel examined technology options, but does not provide recommendations specific to any currently operating or proposed ICF facility.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18288">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=358'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=411'>Physics</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/y179O4T_jL4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18288Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nationtag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13491#final2013-02-19T00:00:00-05:002013-02-19T13:40:49-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet.</p> <p>As described in the National Research Council report <em>Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation</em>, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad--including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics.</p> <p><em>Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation</em> is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13491">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=411'>Physics</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/zrJ4nAnlYko" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13491Energy-Efficiency Standards and Green Building Certification Systems Used by the Department of Defense for Military Construction and Major Renovationstag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18282#prepub2013-02-15T10:45:01-05:002013-02-15T10:45:28-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Congress has an ongoing interest in ensuring that the 500,000 buildings and other structures owned and operated by the Department of Defense (DOD) are operated effectively in terms of cost and resource use. Section 2830 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense committees on the energy-efficiency and sustainability standards used by DOD for military construction and major renovations of buildings.</p> <p>DOD's report must include a cost-benefit analysis, return on investment, and long-term payback for the building standards and green building certification systems, including:<br /> (A) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 189.1-2011 for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential.<br /> (B) ASHRAE Energy Standard 90.1-2010 for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential.<br /> (C) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver, Gold, and Platinum certification for green buildings, as well as the LEED Volume certification.<br /> (D) Other American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards.<br /> <br /> DOD's report to the congressional defense committees must also include a copy of DOD policy prescribing a comprehensive strategy for the pursuit of design and building standards across the department that include specific energy-efficiency standards and sustainable design attributes for military construction based on the cost-benefit analysis, return on investment, and demonstrated payback required for the aforementioned building standards and green building certification systems. <em>Energy-Efficiency Standards and Green Building Certification Systems Used by the Department of Defense for Military Construction and Major Renovations</em> summarizes the recommendations for energy efficiency.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18282">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=326'>Military and Defense Studies</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/DjYlXYcY9LI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18282Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2012 Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18185#final2013-01-30T13:19:15-05:002013-01-30T13:19:28-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>This volume highlights the papers presented at the National Academy of Engineering's 2012 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Every year, the symposium brings together 100 outstanding young leaders in engineering to share their cutting-edge research and technical work. The 2012 symposium was held September 13-15, and hosted by General Motors at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, which are reprinted here. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18185">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/m_4_lKBrhgo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18185Educating Engineers: Preparing 21st Century Leaders in the Context of New Modes of Learning: Summary of a Forumtag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18254#final2013-01-25T15:05:43-05:002013-01-25T15:05:54-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The National Academy of Engineering's 2012 forum, "Educating Engineers: Preparing 21st Century Leaders in the Context of New Modes of Learning," opened with presentations by six speakers who looked at the future of engineering and engineering education from their perspectives as educators, administrators, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Each speaker focused on just one facet of a tremendously complex picture. Yet together they outlined a new vision for engineering education based on flexible, interactive, lifelong learning and the merge of activities long held to be distinct. This summary of a forum recaps the six speaker's presentations.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18254">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/e6IiMWeS0Nc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18254Colloquy on Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematicstag:nap.edu,2013:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13502#final2013-01-02T16:56:50-05:002013-01-02T16:56:56-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>On August 8-12, 2010 the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), convened the Colloquy on Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), following the release of several reports highlighting the educational challenges facing minority males. The NSF recognized the need to gather input from research communities that focus on minority males about how to frame investigations of gender-based factors that impact learning and choice in STEM education (both at the precollege and higher education levels) and the workforce for minority males. There was particular interest in framing a research agenda to study how interactions between minority males and societal and educational systems (both formal and informal) encourage or discourage the young men's interest and persistence in STEM. In addition, NSF hoped to gain community input to inform the parameters of a future NSF research program that could effectively address minority male participation in STEM. The Colloquy was held at the Mt. Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, Maryland, with approximately 40 participants, most of them researchers in education, psychology, sociology, mathematics, and physics.</p> <p><em>Colloquy on Minority Males in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics </em>presents a summary of the Colloquy's breakout and plenary discussions, which addressed (a) research questions articulated in the breakout groups together with theories and methodologies to begin to address these questions; and (b) considerations for a potential research solicitation for the NSF, with major areas of inquiry concerning access, participation, and success for minority males in STEM.</p> <p>This report reflects the views of the individuals who participated in the plenary and breakout groups. It has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies' Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13502">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=348'>Higher Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/X2NlzgQpBJA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13502Using Data Sharing to Improve Coordination in Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and the United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuildingtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13513#final2012-12-19T16:23:34-05:002012-12-19T16:23:41-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>On May 23, 2012, the Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding convened a workshop at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to investigate data sharing as a means of improving coordination among US government and nongovernment stakeholders involved in peacebuilding and conflict management activities. <em>Using Data Sharing to Improve Coordination in Peacebuilding:Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and the United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuilding</em> addresses the following question: What needs must a data sharing system address to create more effective coordination in conflict zones and to promote the participation of federal agencies and nonfederal organizations in Peacebuilding?</p> <p><br /> In addition, the workshop served as a means to obtain feedback on the UNITY system, a data-sharing platform developed by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Roundtable was established in 2011 as a partnership between USIP and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to make a measurable and positive impact on conflict management, peacebuilding, and security capabilities by bringing together leaders from the technical and peacebuilding communities. Its members are senior executives and experts from leading governmental organizations, universities, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations.</p> <p><br /> Its principal goals are: 1. To accelerate the application of science and technology to the process of peacebuilding and stabilization; 2. To promote systematic, high-level communication between peacebuilding and technical organizations on the problems faced and the technical capabilities required for successful peacebuilding; and 3. To collaborate in applying new science and technology to the most pressing challenges faced by local and international peacebuilders working in conflict zones. The Roundtable is strongly committed to action-oriented projects, and the long-term goal of each is to demonstrate viability with a successful field trial. The Roundtable has selected a portfolio of high-impact peacebuilding problems on which to focus its efforts: 1. Adapting agricultural extension services to peacebuilding, 2.Using data sharing to improve coordination in peacebuilding, 3. Sensing emerging conflicts, and 4. Harnessing systems methods for delivery of peacebuilding services.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13513">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/jXRheoIExvA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13513Building the U.S. Battery Industry for Electric Drive Vehicles: Summary of a Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13370#final2012-12-14T08:45:29-05:002012-12-14T08:45:50-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Since 1991, the National Research Council, under the auspices of the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy, has undertaken a program of activities to improve policymakers' understandings of the interconnections of science, technology, and economic policy and their importance for the American economy and its international competitive position. The Board's activities have corresponded with increased policy recognition of the importance of knowledge and technology to economic growth. The goal of the this symposium was to conduct two public symposia to review and analyze the potential contributions of public-private partnerships and identify other relevant issues for the Department of Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies, Energy Storage Team's activities in the energy storage research and development area. The symposia will also identify lessons from these and other domestic and international experiences to help inform DoE as to whether its activities are complete and appropriately focused. Additional topics that emerge in the course of the planning may also be addressed. <em>Building the U.S. Battery Industry for Electric Drive Vehicles: Summary of a Symposium</em> gathers representatives from leading battery manufacturers, automotive firms, university researchers, academic and industry analysts, congressional staff, and federal agency representatives. An individually-authored summary of each symposium will be issued.</p> <p>The symposium was held in Michigan in order to provide direct access to the policymakers and industrial participants drawn from the concentration of battery manufacturers and automotive firms in the region. The symposium reviewed the current state, needs, and challenges of the U.S. advanced battery manufacturing industry; challenges and opportunities in battery R&D, commercialization, and deployment; collaborations between the automotive industry and battery industry; workforce issues, and supply chain development. It also focused on the impact of DoE's investments and the role of state and federal programs in support of this growing industry. This task of this report is to summarize the presentations and discussions that took place at this symposium. Needless to say, the battery industry has evolved very substantially since the conference was held, and indeed some of the caveats raised by the speakers with regard to overall demand for batteries and the prospects of multiple producers now seem prescient. At the same time, it is important to understand that it is unrealistic to expect that all recipients of local, state, or federal support in a complex and rapidly evolving industry will necessarily succeed. A number of the firms discussed here have been absorbed by competitors, others have gone out of business, and others continue to progress.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13370">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=405'>Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=294'>Transportation</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/5jibnSSg-so" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13370Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Educationtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18184#final2012-11-21T16:03:56-05:002012-12-03T11:11:22-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The aim of this report is to encourage enhanced richness and relevance of the undergraduate engineering education experience, and thus produce better-prepared and more globally competitive graduates, by providing practical guidance for incorporating real world experience in US engineering programs. The report, a collaborative effort of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), builds on two NAE reports on The Engineer of 2020 that cited the importance of grounding engineering education in real world experience. This project also aligns with other NAE efforts in engineering education, such as the Grand Challenges of Engineering, Changing the Conversation, and Frontiers of Engineering Education.</p> <p>This publication presents 29 programs that have successfully infused real world experiences into engineering or engineering technology undergraduate education. The Real World Engineering Education committee acknowledges the vision of AMD in supporting this project, which provides useful exemplars for institutions of higher education who seek model programs for infusing real world experiences in their programs. The NAE selection committee was impressed by the number of institutions committed to grounding their programs in real world experience and by the quality, creativity, and diversity of approaches reflected in the submissions. A call for nominations sent to engineering and engineering technology deans, chairs, and faculty yielded 95 high-quality submissions. Two conditions were required of the nominations: (1) an accredited 4-year undergraduate engineering or engineering technology program was the lead institutions, and (2) the nominated program started operation no later than the fall 2010 semester. Within these broad parameters, nominations ranged from those based on innovations within a single course to enhancements across an entire curriculum or institution.</p> <p><em>Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education</em> is intended to provide sufficient information to enable engineering and engineering technology faculty and administrators to assess and adapt effective, innovative models of programs to their own institution's objectives. Recognizing that change is rarely trivial, the project included a brief survey of selected engineering deans concern in the adoption of such programs.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18184">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Z0rD2tr9ShQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18184Making Value: Integrating Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation to Thrive in the Changing Global Economytag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13504#final2012-11-02T00:00:00-04:002012-11-02T15:21:44-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Manufacturing is in a period of dramatic transformation. But in the United States, public and political dialogue is simplistically focused almost entirely on the movement of certain manufacturing jobs overseas to low-wage countries. The true picture is much more complicated, and also more positive, than this dialogue implies.</p> <p><br /> After years of despair, many observers of US manufacturing are now more optimistic. A recent uptick in manufacturing employment and output in the United States is one factor they cite, but the main reasons for optimism are much more fundamental. Manufacturing is changing in ways that may favor American ingenuity. Rapidly advancing technologies in areas such as biomanufacturing, robotics, smart sensors, cloud-based computing, and nanotechnology have transformed not only the factory floor but also the way products are invented and designed, putting a premium on continual innovation and highly skilled workers. A shift in manufacturing toward smaller runs and custom-designed products is favoring agile and adaptable workplaces, business models, and employees, all of which have become a specialty in the United States. Future manufacturing will involve a global supply web, but the United States has a potentially great advantage because of our tight connections among innovations, design, and manufacturing and also our ability to integrate products and services.</p> <p><br /> The National Academy of Engineering has been concerned about the issues surrounding manufacturing and is excited by the prospect of dramatic change. On June 11-12, 2012, it hosted a workshop in Washington, DC, to discuss the new world of manufacturing and how to position the United States to thrive in this world. The workshop steering committee focused on two particular goals. First, presenters and participants were to examine not just manufacturing but the broad array of activities that are inherently associated with manufacturing, including innovation and design. Second, the committee wanted to focus not just on making things but on making value, since value is the quality that will underlie high-paying jobs in America's future. <em>Making Value: Integrating Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation to Thrive in the Changing Global Economy </em>summarizes the workshop and the topics discussed by participants.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13504">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=405'>Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/WuyU0KfokeU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13504Adapting Agricultural Extension to Peacebuilding: Report of a Workshop by the National Academy of Engineering and the United States Institute of Peace: Roundtable on Technology, Science, and Peacebuildingtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13428#final2012-10-23T13:35:33-04:002012-10-23T14:04:05-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Societies have sought to improve the outputs of their agricultural producers for thousands of years. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts to convey agricultural knowledge to farmers became known as extension services, a term adopted from programs at Oxford and Cambridge designed to extend the knowledge generated at universities to surrounding communities. Traditionally, extension services have emphasized a top-down model of technology transfer that encourages and teaches producers to use crop and livestock varieties and agricultural practices that will increase food production. More recently, extension services have moved toward a facilitation model, in which extension agents work with producers to identify their needs and the best sources of expertise to help meet those needs.</p> <p>On May 1, 2012, the Roundtable on Science, Technology, and Peacebuilding held a workshop in Washington, DC, to explore whether and how extension activities could serve peacebuilding purposes. The Roundtable is a partnership between the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). It consists of senior executives and experts from leading governmental organizations, universities, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations, was established in 2011 to make a measurable and positive impact on conflict management, peacebuilding, and security capabilities. Its principal goals are:</p> <ol> <li>To accelerate the application of science and technology to the process of peacebuilding and stabilization;</li> <li>To promote systematic, high-level communication between peacebuilding and technical organizations on the problems faced and the technical capabilities required for successful peacebuilding; and</li> <li>To collaborate in applying new science and technology to the most pressing challenges for local and international peacebuilders working in conflict zones.</li> </ol> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13428">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=276'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=300'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/M2r5De95eI8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13428Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizationstag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13529#final2012-10-03T12:45:01-04:002012-10-03T12:50:00-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>Research and development (R&D) organizations are operated by government, business, academe, and independent institutes. The success of their parent organizations is closely tied to the success of these R&D organizations. In this report, organizations refers to an organization that performs research and/or development activities (often a laboratory), and parent refers to the superordinate organization of which the R&D organization is a part. When the organization under discussion is formally labeled a laboratory, it is referred to as such. The question arises: How does one know whether an organization and its programs are achieving excellence in the best interests of its parent? Does the organization have an appropriate research staff, facilities, and equipment? Is it doing the right things at high levels of quality, relevance, and timeliness? Does it lead to successful new concepts, products, or processes that support the interests of its parent?</p> <p><br /> This report offers assessment guidelines for senior management of organizations and of their parents. The report lists the major principles of assessment, noting that details will vary from one organization to another. It provides sufficient information to inform the design of assessments, but it does not prescribe precisely how to perform them, because different techniques are needed for different types of organizations. <br /> </p> <p><em>Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizations </em>covers three key factors that underpin the success of an R&D organization: (1) the mission of the organization and its alignment with that of the parents; (2) the relevance and impact of the organization's work; and (3) the resources provided to the organization, beginning with a high-quality staff and management.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13529">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/GcM_CYDu0e8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13529Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizations: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13527#final2012-09-28T12:45:22-04:002012-09-28T13:11:40-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)--recognizing that information and insights gained through continual examination of practices for organizational assessment are useful for decision makers at organizations across the deferral, industrial, academic, and national laboratory sectors-recently requested that the National Research Council (NRC) organize a panel to review best practices in assessment of research and development (R&D) organizations. In response, the NRC established the Panel for Review of Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizations.</p> <p>The panel was charged to consider means of assessing the following in a manner that satisfies the requirements of NIST to perform effective assessments but also identifies assessment methods that can be applied selectively to other R&D organizations. These methods include: technical merit and quality of the science and engineering work, the adequacy of the resources available to support high-quality work, the effectiveness of the agency's delivery of the services and products required to fulfill its goals, the degree to which the agency's current and planned R&D portfolio supports its mission, as well as the agency's flexibility to respond to changing economic, political, social and technological contexts.</p> <p>As one means of data gathering, among others that the panel is performing toward development of a final report of its findings, the panel organized a planning committee for a workshop on best practices in assessment of R&D organizations. <em>Best Practices in Assessment of Research and Development Organizations: Summary of a Workshop</em> reviews the workshop conducted at the Keck Center of the National Academies in Washington, D.C., on March 19, 2012.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13527">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/jOC2fgj1Q0k" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13527A Review of the Manufacturing-Related Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology: Fiscal Year 2012tag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13526#final2012-09-28T12:45:02-04:002012-10-11T12:07:11-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) enables NIST to provide broad support for the advancement of U.S. manufacturing. Research and services supporting manufacturing are intended to be an important component in all of the NIST laboratories. Moreover, since manufacturing is a major part of the U.S. economy, the growth or loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs is a very important issue. Clearly, the successful execution of NIST's programs supporting manufacturing will have a significant impact on manufacturing jobs in the United States. With the multidisciplinary, multisector, and crosscutting nature of manufacturing, the Director of NIST requested that the National Research Council (NRC) assess the manufacturing-related programs at NIST in 2012.<br /> </p> <p>Accordingly, a panel of experts was convened by the National Research Council to perform the assessment. The Panel on review of the Manufacturing-Related Programs at the national Institute of Standards and Technology visited the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on March 26-28, 2012. <em>A Review of the Manufacturing-related Programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology: Fiscal Year 2012</em> contains the results of the panel's assessment. <br /> </p> <p>The assessment considered manufacturing research at NIST broadly, with emphasis on the specific advanced manufacturing areas: Nanomanufacturing (including Flexible Electronics); Smart Manufacturing (including Robotics); and Next-Generation Materials Measurements, Modeling, and Simulation. The area of Biomanufacturing also reviewed as a subset of the Nanomanufacturing review. As is to be expected for programs covering such wide scope, the boundaries among these broad areas are not rigid and there is some overlap among them. On the basis of its assessment, the panel formed the observations and recommendations which are detailed in this report.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13526">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=405'>Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/JlskzvezE10" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13526Lifelong Learning Imperative in Engineering: Sustaining American Competitiveness in the 21st Centurytag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13503#final2012-09-28T12:40:52-04:002012-09-28T12:41:43-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The Lifelong Learning Imperative (LLI) project was initiated to assess current practices in lifelong learning for engineering professionals, reexamine the underlying assumptions behind those practices, and outline strategies for addressing unmet needs. The LLI project brought together leaders of U.S. industry, academia, government, and professional societies to assess the current state of lifelong learning of engineers; to examine the need for, and nature of, lifelong learning going forward; and to explore the responsibilities and potential actions for the primary stakeholders.</p> <p>The United States is facing a crisis in its engineering workforce just as global competition is becoming very intense. During the next several years there will be massive retirements of skilled and experiences engineers, and the United States has one of the lowest rates of graduation of bachelor-level engineers in the world: only 4.5 percent of our university graduates are engineers. The issue is especially acute in the national security industry because of citizenship requirements. Perhaps even more critical, the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, making the specifics of engineering education and skill development obsolete in short order. A critical part of our corporate and national strategy to address this looming crisis should be to ramp up the quality of engineers' professional life, improve their capacity to innovate, and widen their fields of opportunity.</p> <p>A project-framing workshop was organized by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in partnership with the National Academy of Engineering in June 2009 to examine the issues relevant to lifelong learning in engineering. A UIUC research team then conducted a survey-based assessment of the issues identified in the 2009 workshop. Preliminary findings from the UIUC study were examined more fully.<em> Lifelong Learning Imperative in Engineering </em>reflects the opinions of the authors based on the UIUS team's survey analysis and learning from the discussions at the 2011 workshop.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13503">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=406'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/882BuI8iZv4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13503Intelligent Human-Machine Collaboration: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13479#final2012-08-30T10:45:01-04:002013-01-09T11:13:46-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>On June 12-14, 2012, the Board on Global Science and Technology held an international, multidisciplinary workshop in Washington, D.C., to explore the challenges and advances in intelligent human-machine collaboration (IH-MC), particularly as it applies to unstructured environments. This workshop convened researchers from a range of science and engineering disciplines, including robotics, human-robot and human-machine interaction, software agents and multi-agentsystems, cognitive sciences, and human-machine teamwork. Participants were drawn from research organizations in Australia, China, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.</p> <p>The first day of the workshop participants worked to determine how advances in IH-MC over the next two to three years could be applied solving a variety of different real-world scenarios in dynamic unstructured environments, ranging from managing a natural disaster to improving small-lot agile manufacturing. On the second day of the workshop, participants organized into small groups for a deeper exploration of research topics that had arisen, discussion of common challenges, hoped-for breakthroughs, and the national, transnational, and global context in which this research occurs. Day three of the workshop consisted of small groups focusing on longer term research deliverables, as well as identifying challenges and opportunities from different disciplinary and cultural perspectives. In addition, ten participants gave presentations on their research, ranging from human-robot communication, to disaster response robots, to human-in-the-loop control of robot systems.</p> <p><em>Intelligent Human-Machine Collaboration: Summary of a Workshop</em> describes in detail the discussions and happenings of the three day workshop.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13479">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=279'>Computers and Information Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=319'>Computers</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/vIDqJJ4iau8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13479From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13392#final2012-08-14T00:00:00-04:002012-08-20T15:19:40-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Scientists, engineers, and medical professionals play a vital role in building the 21st- century science and technology enterprises that will create solutions and jobs critical to solving the large, complex, and interdisciplinary problems faced by society: problems in energy, sustainability, the environment, water, food, disease, and healthcare. As a growing percentage of the scientific and technological workforce, women need to participate fully not just in finding solutions to technical problems, but also in building the organizations responsible for the job creation that will bring these solutions to market and to bear on pressing issues. To accomplish this, it is important that more women in science and engineering become entrepreneurs in order to start new companies; create business units inside established organizations, mature companies, and the government; and/or function as social entrepreneurs focused on societal issues. Entrepreneurship represents a vital source of change in all facets of society, empowering individuals to seek opportunity where others see insurmountable problems.</p> <p><em>From Science to Business: Preparing Female Scientists and Engineers for Successful Transitions into Entrepreneurship</em> is the summary of an August 2009 workshop that assesses the current status of women undertaking entrepreneurial activity in technical fields, to better understand the nature of the barriers they encounter, and to identify what it takes for women scientists and engineers to succeed as entrepreneurs. This report focuses on women's career transitions from academic science and engineering to entrepreneurship, with a goal of identifying knowledge gaps in women's skills as well as experiences crucial to future success in business and critical for achieving leadership positions in entrepreneurial organizations.</p> <p><em>From Science to Business </em>makes the case that in addition to educating women scientists and engineers in rigorous problem solving, it is equally important to provide exposure and training to impart the skills that will enable more women to move from the role of expert to that of leader in dynamic new business enterprises. This book will be of interest to professionals in both academia and industry, graduate and post-graduate students, and organizations that advocate for a stronger economy.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13392">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Ed2lmpFQOJo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13392Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Developing Regional Innovation Environments: A Workshop Summarytag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13391#final2012-06-25T10:44:30-04:002012-06-25T10:44:40-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In October 2005, the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine released a policy report that served as a call to action. The report, <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future </em>observed that "the scientific and technological building blocks critical to the United States economic leadership are eroding at a time when many other nations are gathering strength." The report laid out 20 recommendations in four broad areas - K-12 education, science and engineering research, higher education, and economic and technology policy - and warned that a failure to take action could have dire economic consequences.</p> <p> <br /> <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm </em>sparked intense discussion among policy makers, industrial leaders, and the general public. Five years after the release of the <em>Gathering Storm</em> report, a second report, <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5</em>, assessed changes in America's competitive posture. This report concluded that "our nation's outlook has not improved, but rather has worsened" since the <em>Gathering Storm</em> report was released. The report noted examples of other nations that have upgraded their investments in education, technological infrastructure, and innovation systems to a greater extent than has the United States.</p> <p><br /> The ability of the states to drive innovation was the impetus behind a major workshop held in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 20-22, 2011. Titled "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Developing Regional Innovation Environments," the workshop brought together leaders in education, government, economic development, and industrial innovation to discuss state and regional initiatives to boost competitiveness through science, technology, and innovation. The conference was organized around four major themes:<br /> - Revitalizing K-12 Science and Mathematics Education<br /> - Strengthening Undergraduate Education in Science and Engineering<br /> - Building Effective Partnerships Among Governments, Universities, Companies, and Other Stakeholders<br /> - Fostering Regional Technology Development and Entrepreneurship</p> <p><br /> <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Developing Regional Innovation Environments: A Workshop Summary </em>gives an overview of the presentations, observations, and recommendations made during the workshop.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13391">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=350'>Math and Science Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/MD71j7q3PHA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13391Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase IIItag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13390#final2012-06-21T00:00:00-04:002012-09-17T10:09:53-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In 2009, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the report Warfighter Support: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding, which commented on the conduct of the test procedures governing acceptance of body armor vest-plate inserts worn by military service members. This GAO report, as well as other observations, led the Department of Defense Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, to request that the National Research Council (NRC) Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences conduct a three-phase study to investigate issues related to the testing of body armor materials for use by the U.S. Army and other military departments. Phase I and II resulted in two NRC letter reports: one in 2009 and one in 2010. This report is Phase III in the study.</p> <p><em>Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase III</em> provides a roadmap to reduce the variability of clay processes and shows how to migrate from clay to future solutions, as well as considers the use of statistics to permit a more scientific determination of sample sizes to be used in body armor testing. This report also develops ideas for revising or replacing the Prather study methodology, as well as reviews comments on methodologies and technical approaches to military helmet testing. <em>Testing of Body Armor Materials: Phase III</em> also considers the possibility of combining various national body armor testing standards.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13390">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/lGZRdi35N1Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13390Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Second Reporttag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13288#final2012-06-04T00:00:00-04:002012-06-05T19:06:46-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In July 2010, the National Research Council (NRC) appointed the Committee to Review the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Phase 2, to conduct an independent review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership (21CTP). The 21CTP is a cooperative research and development (R&D) partnership including four federal agencies-the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-and 15 industrial partners. The purpose of this Partnership is to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, increase heavy-duty vehicle safety, and support research, development, and demonstration to initiate commercially viable products and systems. This is the NRC's second report on the topic and it includes the committee's review of the Partnership as a whole, its major areas of focus, 21CTP's management and priority setting, efficient operations, and the new SuperTruck program.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13288">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=283'>Energy and Energy Conservation</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/5o9AT5JTdDI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13288Global Navigation Satellite Systems: Report of a Joint Workshop of the National Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Engineeringtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13292#final2012-03-28T16:58:22-04:002012-03-28T16:59:10-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The Global Positioning System (GPS) has revolutionized the measurement of position, velocity, and time. It has rapidly evolved into a worldwide utility with more than a billion receiver sets currently in use that provide enormous benefits to humanity: improved safety of life, increased productivity, and wide-spread convenience. Global Navigation Satellite Systems summarizes the joint workshop on Global Navigation Satellite Systems held jointly by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Engineering on May 24-25, 2011 at Hongqiao Guest Hotel in Shanghai, China.</p> <p>"We have one world, and only one set of global resources. It is important to work together on satellite navigation. Competing and cooperation is like Yin and Yang. They need to be balanced," stated Dr. Charles M. Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, in the workshop's opening remarks. Global Navigation Satellite Systems covers the objectives of the workshop, which explore issues of enhanced interoperability and interchangeability for all civil users aimed to consider collaborative efforts for countering the global threat of inadvertent or illegal interference to GNSS signals, promotes new applications for GNSS, emphasizing productivity, safety, and environmental protection.</p> <p>The workshop featured presentations chosen based on the following criteria: they must have relevant engineering/technical content or usefulness; be of mutual interest; offer the opportunity for enhancing GNSS availability, accuracy, integrity, and/or continuity; and offer the possibility of recommendations for further actions and discussions. Global Navigation Satellite Systems is an essential report for engineers, workshop attendees, policy makers, educators, and relevant government agencies.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13292">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=293'>Space and Aeronautics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=420'>Space Systems and Hardware</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/unluAc4GgvQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13292Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircrafttag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13277#final2012-03-27T00:00:00-04:002012-03-28T14:18:35-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Lightweighting is a concept well known to structural designers and engineers in all applications areas, from laptops to bicycles to automobiles to buildings and airplanes. Reducing the weight of structures can provide many advantages, including increased energy efficiency, better design, improved usability, and better coupling with new, multifunctional features. While lightweighting is a challenge in commercial structures, the special demands of military vehicles for survivability, maneuverability and transportability significantly stress the already complex process.</p> <p><em>Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft</em> assesses the current state of lightweighting implementation in land, sea, and air vehicles and recommends ways to improve the use of lightweight materials and solutions. This book considers both lightweight materials and lightweight design; the availability of lightweight materials from domestic manufacturers; and the performance of lightweight materials and their manufacturing technologies. It also considers the "trade space"--that is, the effect that use of lightweight materials or technologies can have on the performance and function of all vehicle systems and components. This book also discusses manufacturing capabilities and affordable manufacturing technology to facilitate lightweighting.</p> <p><em>Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft</em> will be of interest to the military, manufacturers and designers of military equipment, and decision makers.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13277">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=326'>Military and Defense Studies</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/9l7q2ISzask" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13277Report of a Workshop on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Defense Industrial Basetag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13318#final2012-02-21T00:00:00-05:002012-02-22T10:41:28-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p><i>Report of a Workshop on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Defense Industrial Base</i> is the summary of a workshop held August 11, 2011, as part of an 18-month study of the issue. This book assesses the STEM capabilities that the Department of Defense (DOD) needs in order to meet its goals, objectives, and priorities; to assess whether the current DOD workforce and strategy will meet those needs; and to identify and evaluate options and recommend strategies that the department could use to help meet its future STEM needs.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13318">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/TdZF3A_NiaY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13318Frontiers of Engineering 2011: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2011 Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13274#final2012-02-06T09:35:00-05:002012-02-06T09:35:29-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The practice of engineering is continually changing. Engineers today must be able not only to thrive in an environment of rapid technological change and globalization, but also to work on interdisciplinary teams. Cutting-edge research is being done at the intersections of engineering disciplines, and successful researchers and practitioners must be aware of developments and challenges in areas that may not be familiar to them. <br /> <br /> At the U.S. Frontiers of Engineer Symposium, engineers have the opportunity to learn from their peers about pioneering work being done in many areas of engineering. <i>Frontiers of Engineering 2011: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2011 Symposium</i> highlights the papers presented at the event. This book covers four general topics from the 2011 symposium: additive manufacturing, semantic processing, engineering sustainable buildings, and neuro-prosthetics. The papers from these presentations provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities of these fields of inquiry, and communicate the excitement of discovery.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13274">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=326'>Military and Defense Studies</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/GiqWDk2fPow" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13274Making Things: 21st Century Manufacturing and Design: Summary of a Forumtag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13313#final2012-02-02T16:33:53-05:002012-02-02T16:34:08-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>More than two decades ago, a commission of 17 MIT scientists and economists released a report, <em>Made in America</em>, which opened with the memorable phrase, "To live well, a nation must produce well." Is that still true? Or can the United States remain a preeminent nation while other countries increasingly make the products that once were made in America? </p> <p>These questions were at the center of a forum titled "Making Things: 21st Century Manufacturing and Design" held during the 2011 Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Engineering. In a wide-ranging and provocative conversation, seven leaders of business, government, and academia explored the many facets of manufacturing and design and outlined the many opportunities and responsibilities posed by manufacturing for the engineering profession.</p> <p><em>Making Things: 21st Century Manufacturing and Design</em> summarizes the discussions that took place during the 2011 forum. The report concludes with a forum agenda and each attendee's bibliography.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13313">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/u7PzWxAXQiY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13313An Assessment of the Science Proposed for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL)tag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13204#final2012-02-02T00:00:00-05:002012-02-03T10:52:34-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>According to the big bang theory, our Universe began in a state of unimaginably high energy and density, contained in a space of subatomic dimensions. At that time, unlike today, the fundamental forces of nature were presumably unified and the particles present were interacting at energies not attainable by present-day accelerators. Underground laboratories provide the conditions to investigate processes involving rare phenomena in matter and to detect the weak effects of highly elusive particles by replicating similar environments to those once harnessed during the earliest states of the Earth. These laboratories now appear to be the gateway to understanding the physics of the grand unification of the forces of nature.</p> <p>Built to shield extremely sensitive detectors from the noise of their surroundings and the signals associated with cosmic rays, underground facilities have been established during the last 30 years at a number of sites worldwide. To date, the United States' efforts to develop such facilities have been modest and consist primarily of small underground laboratories. However, the U.S. underground community has pushed for larger underground facilities on the scale of major laboratories in other countries. <em>An Assessment of the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory</em> (DUSEL) addresses this matter by evaluating the major physics questions and experiments that could be explored with the proposed DUSEL. Measuring the potential impact, this assessment also examines the broader effects of the DUSEL in regards to education and public outreach, and evaluates the need associated with developing U.S. programs similar to science programs in other regions of the world.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13204">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=411'>Physics</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=293'>Space and Aeronautics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=417'>Astronomy and Astrophysics</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/tuEu5iEbBhw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13204Predicting Outcomes from Investments in Maintenance and Repair for Federal Facilitiestag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13280#final2012-01-30T00:00:00-05:002013-01-29T15:51:43-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The deteriorating condition of federal facilities poses economic, safety, operational, and environmental risks to the federal government, to the achievement of the missions of federal agencies, and to the achievement of public policy goals. Primary factors underlying this deterioration are the age of federal facilities--about half are at least 50 years old--and decades of inadequate investment for their maintenance and repair. These issues are not new and there are no quick fixes. However, the current operating environment provides both the impetus and the opportunity to place investments in federal facilities' maintenance and repair on a new, more sustainable course for the 21st Century. Despite the magnitude of investments, funding for the maintenance and repair of federal facilities has been inadequate for many years, and myriad projects have been deferred.</p> <p><i>Predicting Outcomes of Investments in Maintenance and Repair of Federal Facilities</i> identifies processes and practices for transforming the current portfolio of federal facilities into one that is more economically, physically, and environmentally sustainable. This report addresses ways to predict or quantify the outcomes that can be expected from a given level of maintenance and repair investments in federal facilities or facilities' systems, and what strategies, measures, and data should be in place to determine the actual outcomes of facilities maintenance and repair investments.</p> <p> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13280">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/xCfQwfnpe_w" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13280Industrial Methods for the Effective Development and Testing of Defense Systemstag:nap.edu,2012:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13291#final2012-01-27T00:00:00-05:002012-01-30T11:42:32-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>During the past decade and a half, the National Research Council, through its Committee on National Statistics, has carried out a number of studies on the application of statistical methods to improve the testing and development of defense systems. These studies were intended to provide advice to the Department of Defense (DOD), which sponsored these studies. The previous studies have been concerned with the role of statistical methods in testing and evaluation, reliability practices, software methods, combining information, and evolutionary acquisition.</p> <p><i>Industrial Methods for the Effective Testing and Development of Defense Systems</i> is the latest in a series of studies, and unlike earlier studies, this report identifies current engineering practices that have proved successful in industrial applications for system development and testing. This report explores how developmental and operational testing, modeling and simulation, and related techniques can improve the development and performance of defense systems, particularly techniques that have been shown to be effective in industrial applications and are likely to be useful in defense system development. In addition to the broad issues, the report identifies three specific topics for its focus: finding failure modes earlier, technology maturity, and use of all relevant information for operational assessments.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13291">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/fJZjQNHuxGg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13291Achieving High-Performance Federal Facilities: Strategies and Approaches for Transformational Changetag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13140#final2011-11-07T00:00:00-05:002012-06-12T11:52:20-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The design, construction, operation, and retrofit of buildings is evolving in response to ever-increasing knowledge about the impact of indoor environments on people and the impact of buildings on the environment. Research has shown that the quality of indoor environments can affect the health, safety, and productivity of the people who occupy them. Buildings are also resource intensive, accounting for 40 percent of primary energy use in the United States, 12 percent of water consumption, and 60 percent of all non-industrial waste. The processes for producing electricity at power plants and delivering it for use in buildings account for 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>The U.S. federal government manages approximately 429,000 buildings of many types with a total square footage of 3.34 billion worldwide, of which about 80 percent is owned space. More than 30 individual departments and agencies are responsible for managing these buildings. The characteristics of each agency's portfolio of facilities are determined by its mission and its programs.</p> <p>In 2010, GSA's Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings asked the National Academies to appoint an ad hoc committee of experts to conduct a public workshop and prepare a report that identified strategies and approaches for achieving a range of objectives associated with high-performance green federal buildings. <em>Achieving High-Performance Federal Facilities</em> identifies examples of important initiatives taking place and available resources. The report explores how these examples could be used to help make sustainability the preferred choice at all levels of decision making. </p> <p><em>Achieving High-Performance Federal Facilities</em> can serve as a valuable guide federal agencies with differing missions, types of facilities, and operating procedures.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13140">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/VVTC7VPocM0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13140An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research: Fiscal Year 2011tag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13252#final2011-10-14T00:00:00-04:002011-11-02T14:36:27-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Since 1959, the National Research Council (NRC), at the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has annually assembled panels of experts to assess the quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories. In 2011, the NRC evaluated three of the six NIST laboratories: the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Each of these was addressed individually by a separate panel of experts; this report assesses NCNR.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13252">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/PU-csupxEdA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13252An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology: Fiscal Year 2011tag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13251#final2011-10-14T00:00:00-04:002011-11-02T14:35:35-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Since 1959, the National Research Council (NRC), at the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has annually assembled panels of experts to assess the quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories. In 2011, the NRC evaluated three of the six NIST laboratories: the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Each of these was addressed individually by a separate panel of experts; this report assesses CNST.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13251">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=405'>Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/SmFJBIAhYv8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13251An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2011tag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13250#final2011-10-14T00:00:00-04:002011-11-02T14:34:43-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Since 1959, the National Research Council (NRC), at the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has annually assembled panels of experts to assess the quality and effectiveness of the NIST measurements and standards laboratories. In 2011, the NRC evaluated three of the six NIST laboratories: the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST), the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Each of these was addressed individually by a separate panel of experts; this report assesses ITL.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13250">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/67hGv7XJUHA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13250Grand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research: A Community Workshop Reporttag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13167#final2011-09-30T00:00:00-04:002011-10-04T10:47:59-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>As geological threats become more imminent, society must make a major commitment to increase the resilience of its communities, infrastructure, and citizens. Recent earthquakes in Japan, New Zealand, Haiti, and Chile provide stark reminders of the devastating impact major earthquakes have on the lives and economic stability of millions of people worldwide. The events in Haiti continue to show that poor planning and governance lead to long-term chaos, while nations like Chile demonstrate steady recovery due to modern earthquake planning and proper construction and mitigation activities. </p> <p>At the request of the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council hosted a two-day workshop to give members of the community an opportunity to identify "Grand Challenges" for earthquake engineering research that are needed to achieve an earthquake resilient society, as well as to describe networks of earthquake engineering experimental capabilities and cyberinfrastructure tools that could continue to address ongoing areas of concern. <em>Grand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research: A Community Workshop Report </em>explores the priorities and problems regions face in reducing consequent damage and spurring technological preparedness advances. </p> <p>Over the course of the <em>Grand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research </em>workshop, 13 grand challenge problems emerged and were summarized in terms of five overarching themes including: community resilience framework, decision making, simulation, mitigation, and design tools. Participants suggested 14 experimental facilities and cyberinfrastructure tools that would be needed to carry out testing, observations, and simulations, and to analyze the results. The report also reviews progressive steps that have been made in research and development, and considers what factors will accelerate transformative solutions.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13167">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=281'>Earth Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=340'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/jl3SN_IrhcA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13167Naval Engineering in the 21st Century: The Science and Technology Foundation for Future Naval Fleets -- Special Report 306tag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13191#final2011-09-02T00:00:00-04:002011-10-04T12:16:28-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>TRB<em> Special Report 306: Naval Engineering in the 21st Century: The Science and Technology Foundation for Future Naval Fleets</em> examines the state of basic and applied research in the scientific fields that support naval engineering and explores whether Office of Naval Research (ONR) activities, under its National Naval Responsibility for Naval Engineering (NNR-NE) initiative, have been effective in sustaining these fields.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The committee developed a series of conclusions and recommendations in five areas--the value of the NNR-NE, the state of science and technology supporting naval engineering, the wholeness of the NNR-NE research portfolio, opportunities for enhancement of research and education, and the effectiveness of the NNR-NE initiative.</p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The report's recommendations are addressed to the administrators of the NNR-NE initiative and of ONR.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13191">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=294'>Transportation</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/crxrHzhfEw8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13191Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Healthtag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13115#final2011-08-31T00:00:00-04:002011-10-11T16:14:44-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The indoor environment affects occupants' health and comfort. Poor environmental conditions and indoor contaminants are estimated to cost the U.S. economy tens of billions of dollars a year in exacerbation of illnesses like asthma, allergic symptoms, and subsequent lost productivity. Climate change has the potential to affect the indoor environment because conditions inside buildings are influenced by conditions outside them.</p> <p><em>Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health</em> addresses the impacts that climate change may have on the indoor environment and the resulting health effects. It finds that steps taken to mitigate climate change may cause or exacerbate harmful indoor environmental conditions. The book discusses the role the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should take in informing the public, health professionals, and those in the building industry about potential risks and what can be done to address them. The study also recommends that building codes account for climate change projections; that federal agencies join to develop or refine protocols and testing standards for evaluating emissions from materials, furnishings, and appliances used in buildings; and that building weatherization efforts include consideration of health effects.</p> <p><em>Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Healt</em>h is written primarily for the EPA and other federal agencies, organizations, and researchers with interests in public health; the environment; building design, construction, and operation; and climate issues.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13115">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=288'>Health and Medicine</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=389'>Environmental Health</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=372'>Pollutants and Toxics</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=369'>Environmental Health and Safety</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/c1Eu6SMP2e4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13115Waste Forms Technology and Performance: Final Reporttag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13100#final2011-08-05T00:00:00-04:002011-08-10T14:40:42-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) is responsible for cleaning up radioactive waste and environmental contamination resulting from five decades of nuclear weapons production and testing. A major focus of this program involves the retrieval, processing, and immobilization of waste into stable, solid waste forms for disposal. <em>Waste Forms Technology and Performance</em>, a report requested by DOE-EM, examines requirements for waste form technology and performance in the cleanup program. The report provides information to DOE-EM to support improvements in methods for processing waste and selecting and fabricating waste forms. W<em>aste Forms Technology and Performance</em> places particular emphasis on processing technologies for high-level radioactive waste, DOE's most expensive and arguably most difficult cleanup challenge. The report's key messages are presented in ten findings and one recommendation.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13100">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=376'>Waste Disposal and Clean Up</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/cxrjhT2yFLk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13100Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applicationstag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13157#final2011-07-27T00:00:00-04:002011-08-01T12:58:43-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>Armor plays a significant role in the protection of warriors. During the course of history, the introduction of new materials and improvements in the materials already used to construct armor has led to better protection and a reduction in the weight of the armor. But even with such advances in materials, the weight of the armor required to manage threats of ever-increasing destructive capability presents a huge challenge.<br /> <br /> <em>Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applications</em> explores the current theoretical and experimental understanding of the key issues surrounding protection materials, identifies the major challenges and technical gaps for developing the future generation of lightweight protection materials, and recommends a path forward for their development. It examines multiscale shockwave energy transfer mechanisms and experimental approaches for their characterization over short timescales, as well as multiscale modeling techniques to predict mechanisms for dissipating energy. The report also considers exemplary threats and design philosophy for the three key applications of armor systems: (1) personnel protection, including body armor and helmets, (2) vehicle armor, and (3) transparent armor. <br /> <br /> <em>Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology for Future Army Applications </em>recommends that the Department of Defense (DoD) establish a defense initiative for protection materials by design (PMD), with associated funding lines for basic and applied research. The PMD initiative should include a combination of computational, experimental, and materials testing, characterization, and processing research conducted by government, industry, and academia.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13157">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/hC3JV1LhPTw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13157Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroadstag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12984#final2011-06-29T00:00:00-04:002011-07-01T13:22:26-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. <em>Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation </em>explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority.</p> <p><em>Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation </em>analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding <em>Underrepresented Minority Participation </em>suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training.</p> <p>The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.</p> <p><br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12984">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=350'>Math and Science Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=412'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=407'>Workforce and Labor Issues</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/GMcJ85FwrZg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12984Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematicstag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13158#final2011-06-23T10:45:01-04:002011-06-23T10:47:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are cultural achievements that reflect our humanity, power our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives as citizens, consumers, parents, and members of the workforce. Providing all students with access to quality education in the STEM disciplines is important to our nation's competitiveness. However, it is challenging to identify the most successful schools and approaches in the STEM disciplines because success is defined in many ways and can occur in many different types of schools and settings. In addition, it is difficult to determine whether the success of a school's students is caused by actions the school takes or simply related to the population of students in the school.</p> <p><em>Successful K-12 STEM Education</em> defines a framework for understanding "success" in K-12 STEM education. The book focuses its analysis on the science and mathematics parts of STEM and outlines criteria for identifying effective STEM schools and programs. Because a school's success should be defined by and measured relative to its goals, the book identifies three important goals that share certain elements, including learning STEM content and practices, developing positive dispositions toward STEM, and preparing students to be lifelong learners. A successful STEM program would increase the number of students who ultimately pursue advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields, enhance the STEM-capable workforce, and boost STEM literacy for all students. It is also critical to broaden the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields.</p> <p><em>Successful K-12 STEM Education </em>examines the vast landscape of K-12 STEM education by considering different school models, highlighting research on effective STEM education practices, and identifying some conditions that promote and limit school- and student-level success in STEM. The book also looks at where further work is needed to develop appropriate data sources. The book will serve as a guide to policy makers; decision makers at the school and district levels; local, state, and federal government agencies; curriculum developers; educators; and parent and education advocacy groups.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13158">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=349'>K-12 Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=350'>Math and Science Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/8na7-LR4CUY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13158Materials Needs and Research and Development Strategy for Future Military Aerospace Propulsion Systemstag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13144#final2011-06-20T00:00:00-04:002011-06-24T13:03:13-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The ongoing development of military aerospace platforms requires continuous technology advances in order to provide the nation's war fighters with the desired advantage. Significant advances in the performance and efficiency of jet and rocket propulsion systems are strongly dependent on the development of lighter more durable high-temperature materials. Materials development has been significantly reduced in the United States since the early 1990s, when the Department of Defense (DOD), the military services, and industry had very active materials development activities to underpin the development of new propulsion systems. This resulted in significant improvements in all engine characteristics and established the United States in global propulsion technology. </p> <p>Many of the significant advances in aircraft and rocket propulsion have been enabled by improved materials and, materials manufacturing processes. To improve efficiency further, engine weight must be reduced while preserving thrust. <em>Materials Needs and Research and Development Strategy for Future Military Aerospace Propulsion Systems</em> examines whether current and planned U.S. efforts are sufficient to meet U.S. military needs while keeping the U.S. on the leading edge of propulsion technology. This report considers mechanisms for the timely insertion of materials in propulsion systems and how these mechanisms might be improved, and describes the general elements of research and development strategies to develop materials for future military aerospace propulsion systems. The conclusions and recommendations asserted in this report will enhance the efficiency, level of effort, and impact of DOD materials development activities.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13144">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=293'>Space and Aeronautics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=418'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/pkfjCjAfV4M" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13144NAKFI Seeing the Future with Imaging Science: Interdisciplinary Research Team Summariestag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13110#final2011-05-27T10:45:01-04:002011-05-27T10:45:11-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Imaging science has the power to illuminate regions as remote as distant galaxies, and as close to home as our own bodies. Many of the disciplines that can benefit from imaging share common technical problems, yet researchers often develop ad hoc methods for solving individual tasks without building broader frameworks that could address many scientific problems. At the 2010 National Academies Keck <em>Futures Initiative </em>Conference on Imaging Science, researchers from academia, industry, and government formed 14 interdisciplinary teams created to find a common language and structure for developing new technologies, processing and recovering images, mining imaging data, and visualizing it effectively.</p> <p>The teams spent nine hours over two days exploring diverse challenges at the interface of science, engineering, and medicine. <em>NAKFI Seeing the Future with Imaging Science</em> contains the summaries written by each team. These summaries describe the problem and outline the approach taken, including what research needs to be done to understand the fundamental science behind the challenge, the proposed plan for engineering the application, the reasoning that went into it, and the benefits to society of the problem solution.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13110">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=278'>Biology and Life Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=313'>Biology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/vrLkH3lRDlw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13110Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Futuretag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11463#final2011-05-09T11:53:25-04:002011-05-12T16:52:38-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy: <br><br> 1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education; <br> 2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research; <br> 3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and <br> 4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation. <br> <br> Some actions will involve changing existing laws, while others will require financial support that would come from reallocating existing budgets or increasing them. <i>Rising Above the Gathering Storm</i> will be of great interest to federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, public decision makers, research sponsors, regulatory analysts, and scholars. <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11463">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=304'>Economics</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=352'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=407'>Workforce and Labor Issues</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/PbB9STnGxJo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11463How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet: A Summary of the June 3, 2010, Workshop of the Disasters Roundtabletag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13162#final2011-05-03T09:45:02-04:002011-05-03T09:45:06-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>During and after a disaster, text messages, tweets, Smartphone apps, and social networks, along with 24-hour cable news and other media, deliver relevant information to emergency responders, decision makers, and the general public. Participants in the workshop "How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet" identified ways to use these technologies to communicate the risk associated with an emergency or disaster event, identify and assess real-time conditions in impacted areas, and inform the efforts of responders. This workshop was one session in the World Bank's conference on "Understanding Risk: Innovation in Disaster Risk Assessment."</p> <p>Workshop participants emphasized three core messages: (1) the need to integrate bottom-up communications from citizens to keep emergency responders and managers informed of changing conditions; (2) the need to prepare people for disaster and emergency situations, including expected emotional reactions, developing and practicing emergency plans, and improving communications and preparedness; and (3) the importance of virtual and personal social networks in increasing resilience and connecting the technological risk assessments with increased resilience to emergency and disaster events.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13162">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/DDKUYnsQIOI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13162Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5: Condensed Versiontag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13151#final2011-04-18T14:08:32-04:002011-04-18T14:08:37-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>In 2005 the National Academies<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>released <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm</em>, a book focused on the ability of all Americans to compete for quality jobs in the evolving global economy. <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm</em> concluded that a primary driver of the future economy and concomitant creation of jobs in the 21st century will be innovation, largely derived from advances in science and engineering. It proposed four overarching recommendations, underpinned by 20 specific implementing actions. The America COMPETES Act approved many of the recommendations set forth in <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm</em>. </p> <p>In 2010, the National Academies released <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited</em>, an updated volume that outlines the work of the government and the private sector in the past five years. This volume also presents a series of thought-provoking factoids about the state of science and innovation in America. It asserts that the 20 actions previously endorsed should be fully implemented. </p> <p>This report is a condensed version of <em>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited</em>.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13151">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id='></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/XisBLPX6Xvs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13151Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2010 Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13043#final2011-02-07T14:45:02-05:002011-02-07T14:45:18-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>This volume highlights the papers presented at the National Academy of Engineering's 2010 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Every year, the symposium brings together 100 outstanding young leaders in engineering to share their cutting-edge research and technical work. The 2010 symposium was held September 23 - 25, and hosted by IBM at the IBM Learning Center in Armonk, New York. Speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, which are reprinted here. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13043">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=293'>Space and Aeronautics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=419'>Space Exploration and Development</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/dIxMCWGMxkc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13043Research Opportunities in Corrosion Science and Engineeringtag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13032#final2011-01-27T00:00:00-05:002011-01-28T12:34:57-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The field of corrosion science and engineering is on the threshold of important advances. Advances in lifetime prediction and technological solutions, as enabled by the convergence of experimental and computational length and timescales and powerful new modeling techniques, are allowing the development of rigorous, mechanistically based models from observations and physical laws.</p> <p>Despite considerable progress in the integration of materials by design into engineering development of products, corrosion considerations are typically missing from such constructs. Similarly, condition monitoring and remaining life prediction (prognosis) do not at present incorporate corrosion factors. Great opportunities exist to use the framework of these materials design and engineering tools to stimulate corrosion research and development to achieve quantitative life prediction, to incorporate state-of-the-art sensing approaches into experimentation and materials architectures, and to introduce environmental degradation factors into these capabilities.</p> <p><em>Research Opportunities in Corrosion Science and Engineering</em> identifies grand challenges for the corrosion research community, highlights research opportunities in corrosion science and engineering, and posits a national strategy for corrosion research. It is a logical and necessary complement to the recently published book, <em>Assessment of Corrosion Education,</em> which emphasized that technical education must be supported by academic, industrial, and government research. Although the present report focuses on the government role, this emphasis does not diminish the role of industry or academia.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13032">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/nIQ6T8WdiIs" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13032Evaluating Testing, Costs, and Benefits of Advanced Spectroscopic Portals: Final Report (Abbreviated Version)tag:nap.edu,2011:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13082#final2011-01-25T00:00:00-05:002011-01-25T17:19:49-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>This letter is the abbreviated version of an update of the interim report on testing, evaluation, costs, and benefits of advanced spectroscopic portals (ASPs), issued by the National Academies' Committee on Advanced Spectroscopic Portals in June 2009 (NRC 2009). This letter incorporates findings of the committee since that report was written, and it sharpens and clarifies the messages of the interim report based on subsequent committee investigations of more recent work by the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). The key messages in this letter, which is the final report from the committee, are stated briefly in the synopsis on the next page and described more fully in the sections that follow. The committee provides the context for this letter, and then gives advice on: testing, evaluation, assessing costs and benefits, and deployment of advanced spectroscopic portals. The letter closes with a reiteration of the key points. </p> <p>The letter is abbreviated in that a small amount of information that may not be released publicly for security or law-enforcement reasons has been redacted from the version delivered to you in October 2010, but the findings and recommendations remain intact.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13082">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=328'>Prevention, Security and Response</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Rr1RMUgtTnw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13082Interim Report on Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout and Ways to Prevent Such Eventstag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13047#final2010-11-17T09:55:51-05:002010-11-22T09:00:42-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council have released the interim report of the Committee on the Analysis of Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Explosion, Fire, and Oil Spill to Identify Measures to Prevent Similar Accidents in the Future. The interim report includes the committee's preliminary findings and observations on various actions and decisions including well design, cementing operations, well monitoring, and well control actions. The interim report also considers management, oversight, and regulation of offshore operations. <br /> <br /> At the request of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Academy of Engineering/National Research Council (NAE/NRC) committee is examining the probable causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire, and oil spill in order to identify measures for preventing similar harm in the future. The study is organized under the auspices of the NAE and the NRC's Transportation Research Board, through its Marine Board, and the Division on Earth and Life Studies, with assistance from the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences. <br /> <br /> The study will address the performance of technologies and practices involved in the probable causes of the Macondo well blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. It will also identify and recommend available technology, industry best practices, best available standards, and other measures in use around the world in deepwater exploratory drilling and well completion to avoid future occurrence of such events. The full scope and schedule for this project are available on our Current Projects Web site. <br /> <br /> The study does not address any issues associated with the subsequent fire and release of oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico, such as the rescue and fire response, plans for the spill response, spill response and clean up, or the related consequences of the oil spill on the environment or human health. <br /> <br /> An NAE website provides information about this study and links to information about committee meetings and the composition of the committee. After meetings are held, information presented to the committee is posted on the site. The site also provides an opportunity for public comment on the topics of the study.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13047">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=372'>Pollutants and Toxics</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/ydpJa9ztvMQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13047Biometric Recognition: Challenges and Opportunitiestag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12720#final2010-11-12T00:00:00-05:002010-11-15T14:24:30-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>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. <br /> <br /> 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. <br /> <br /> <i>Biometric Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities</i> 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.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12720">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=279'>Computers and Information Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=320'>Information Security and Privacy</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=328'>Prevention, Security and Response</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/B_tgjofnax0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12720An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research: Fiscal Year 2010tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13012#final2010-10-27T00:00:00-04:002010-10-28T11:44:53-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national user facility whose mission is to ensure the availability of neutron measurement capabilities in order to meet the needs of U.S. researchers from industry, academia, and government agencies. This mission is aligned with the mission of NIST, which is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life. <br /> <br /> As requested by the Deputy Director of NIST, this book assesses NCNR, based on the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory technical programs; and (3) the degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13012">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/WOnqOqTs7pQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13012An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2010tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13009#final2010-10-27T00:00:00-04:002010-10-28T11:41:34-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The mission of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is to promote innovation and the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing through measurement science, measurement services, and critical technical contributions to standards. The MEL is organized in five divisions: Intelligent Systems, Manufacturing Metrology, Manufacturing Systems Integration, Precision Engineering, and Fabrication Technology. A panel of experts appointed by the National Research Council (NRC) assessed the first four divisions.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13009">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/G7IMAbsRCns" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13009An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Building and Fire Research Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2010tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13011#final2010-10-27T00:00:00-04:002010-10-28T11:44:05-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
A panel of experts appointed by the National Research Council assessed the scientific and technical work of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The scope of the assessment included the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to the current state of the art worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory technical programs; and (3) the degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13011">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/PK0GSPK7-gA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13011Precise Geodetic Infrastructure: National Requirements for a Shared Resourcetag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12954#final2010-10-25T00:00:00-04:002010-10-26T11:26:41-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding three fundamental properties of Earth: its geometric shape, its orientation in space, and its gravity field, as well as the changes of these properties with time. Over the past half century, the United States, in cooperation with international partners, has led the development of geodetic techniques and instrumentation. Geodetic observing systems provide a significant benefit to society in a wide array of military, research, civil, and commercial areas, including sea level change monitoring, autonomous navigation, tighter low flying routes for strategic aircraft, precision agriculture, civil surveying, earthquake monitoring, forest structural mapping and biomass estimation, and improved floodplain mapping. <br /> <br /> Recognizing the growing reliance of a wide range of scientific and societal endeavors on infrastructure for precise geodesy, and recognizing geodetic infrastructure as a shared national resource, this book provides an independent assessment of the benefits provided by geodetic observations and networks, as well as a plan for the future development and support of the infrastructure needed to meet the demand for increasingly greater precision. Precise Geodetic Infrastructure makes a series of focused recommendations for upgrading and improving specific elements of the infrastructure, for enhancing the role of the United States in international geodetic services, for evaluating the requirements for a geodetic workforce for the coming decades, and for providing national coordination and advocacy for the various agencies and organizations that contribute to the geodetic infrastructure.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12954">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=293'>Space and Aeronautics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=420'>Space Systems and Hardware</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=281'>Earth Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=335'>Geography and Mapping</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/cJ1QU4Pgypw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12954Technology for a Quieter Americatag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12928#final2010-10-07T09:45:02-04:002010-10-07T10:47:03-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Exposure to noise at home, at work, while traveling, and during leisure activities is a fact of life for all Americans. At times noise can be loud enough to damage hearing, and at lower levels it can disrupt normal living, affect sleep patterns, affect our ability to concentrate at work, interfere with outdoor recreational activities, and, in some cases, interfere with communications and even cause accidents. Clearly, exposure to excessive noise can affect our quality of life. <br /> <br /> As the population of the United States and, indeed, the world increases and developing countries become more industrialized, problems of noise are likely to become more pervasive and lower the quality of life for everyone. Efforts to manage noise exposures, to design quieter buildings, products, equipment, and transportation vehicles, and to provide a regulatory environment that facilitates adequate, cost-effective, sustainable noise controls require our immediate attention. <br /> <br /> <i>Technology for a Quieter America</i> looks at the most commonly identified sources of noise, how they are characterized, and efforts that have been made to reduce noise emissions and experiences. The book also reviews the standards and regulations that govern noise levels and the federal, state, and local agencies that regulate noise for the benefit, safety, and wellness of society at large. In addition, it presents the cost-benefit trade-offs between efforts to mitigate noise and the improvements they achieve, information sources available to the public on the dimensions of noise problems and their mitigation, and the need to educate professionals who can deal with these issues. <br /> <br /> Noise emissions are an issue in industry, in communities, in buildings, and during leisure activities. As such, <i>Technology for a Quieter America</i> will appeal to a wide range of stakeholders: the engineering community; the public; government at the federal, state, and local levels; private industry; labor unions; and nonprofit organizations. Implementation of the recommendations in <i>Technology for a Quieter America</i> will result in reduction of the noise levels to which Americans are exposed and will improve the ability of American industry to compete in world markets paying increasing attention to the noise emissions of products.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12928">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=369'>Environmental Health and Safety</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Sdf__PwdJpM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12928Protecting Buildings from Bomb Damage: Transfer of Blast-Effects Mitigation Technologies from Military to Civilian Applicationstag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5021#final2010-10-04T10:58:51-04:001969-12-31T19:00:00-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
This report examines design methodologies and construction techniques developed for the protection of military facilities, and specifically whether or not such practices could be beneficially applied to civilian architecture. Three main tasks are addressed: (1) review the existing knowledge on blast-effects mitigation technology, (2) assess the applicability of this technology to civilian buildings and identify gaps in knowledge and needs for research and development, and (3) provide recommendations recommend courses of action to implement technology transfer. <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5021">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=328'>Prevention, Security and Response</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/kVNPhHxRHwI" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5021Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Facultytag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12062#final2010-10-04T10:58:51-04:001969-12-31T19:00:00-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p><i>Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty</i> presents new and surprising findings about career differences between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in science, engineering, and mathematics at the nation's top research universities. Much of this congressionally mandated book is based on two unique surveys of faculty and departments at major U.S. research universities in six fields: biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. A departmental survey collected information on departmental policies, recent tenure and promotion cases, and recent hires in almost 500 departments. A faculty survey gathered information from a stratified, random sample of about 1,800 faculty on demographic characteristics, employment experiences, the allocation of institutional resources such as laboratory space, professional activities, and scholarly productivity.</p> <p>This book paints a timely picture of the status of female faculty at top universities, clarifies whether male and female faculty have similar opportunities to advance and succeed in academia, challenges some commonly held views, and poses several questions still in need of answers. This book will be of special interest to university administrators and faculty, graduate students, policy makers, professional and academic societies, federal funding agencies, and others concerned with the vitality of the U.S. research base and economy.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12062">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=277'>Behavioral and Social Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=309'>Women and Minorities</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=407'>Workforce and Labor Issues</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=348'>Higher Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=350'>Math and Science Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/3zmqiQty490" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12062S&T Strategies of Six Countries: Implications for the United Statestag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12920#final2010-10-04T00:00:00-04:002010-10-05T09:52:32-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>An increase in global access to goods and knowledge is transforming world-class science and technology (S&T) by bringing it within the capability of an unprecedented number of global parties who must compete for resources, markets, and talent. In particular, globalization has facilitated the success of formal S&T plans in many developing countries, where traditional limitations can now be overcome through the accumulation and global trade of a wide variety of goods, skills, and knowledge. As a result, centers for technological research and development (R&D) are now globally dispersed, setting the stage for greater uncertainty in the political, economic, and security arenas.<br /> <br /> These changes will have a potentially enormous impact for the U.S. national security policy, which for the past half century was premised on U.S. economic and technological dominance. As the U.S. monopoly on talent and innovation wanes, arms export regulations and restrictions on visas for foreign S&T workers are becoming less useful as security strategies. The acute level of S&T competition among leading countries in the world today suggests that countries that fail to exploit new technologies or that lose the capability for proprietary use of their own new technologies will find their existing industries uncompetitive or obsolete. The increased access to information has transformed the 1950s' paradigm of "control and isolation" of information for innovation control into the current one of "engagement and partnerships" between innovators for innovation creation. Current and future strategies for S&T development need to be considered in light of these new realities.<br /> <br /> This book analyzes the S&T strategies of Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Singapore (JBRICS), six countries that have either undergone or are undergoing remarkable growth in their S&T capabilities for the purpose of identifying unique national features and how they are utilized in the evolving global S&T environment.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12920">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=406'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/AkEQSEZvlQY" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12920Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12990#final2010-09-29T10:45:13-04:002010-09-30T10:04:36-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>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. <br /> <br /> 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.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12990">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/yUrHOt0DL9A" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12990Seeing Photons: Progress and Limits of Visible and Infrared Sensor Arraystag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12896#final2010-09-28T00:00:00-04:002010-09-29T10:11:08-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The Department of Defense recently highlighted intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as a top priority for U.S. warfighters. Contributions provided by ISR assets in the operational theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan have been widely documented in press reporting. While the United States continues to increase investments in ISR capabilities, other nations not friendly to the United States will continue to seek countermeasures to U.S. capabilities.<br /> <br /> The Technology Warning Division of the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Defense Warning Office (DWO) has the critical responsibility, in collaborations with other components of the intelligence community (IC), for providing U.S. policymakers insight into technological developments that may impact future U.S. warfighting capabilities. <br /> <br /> To this end, the IC requested that the National Research Council (NRC) investigate and report on key visible and infrared detector technologies, with potential military utility, that are likely to be developed in the next 10-15 years. This study is the eighth in a series sponsored by the DWO and executed under the auspices of the NRC TIGER (Technology Insight-Gauge, Evaluate, and Review) Standing Committee.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12896">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/u1BhAEY9L2A" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12896Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12999#final2010-09-23T13:45:01-04:002011-01-14T12:41:37-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In the face of so many daunting near-term challenges, U.S. government and industry are letting the crucial strategic issues of U.S. competitiveness slip below the surface. Five years ago, the National Academies prepared <i>Rising Above the Gathering Storm</i>, a book that cautioned: "Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of our competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position." Since that time we find ourselves in a country where much has changed--and a great deal has not changed.</p> <p>So where <i>does</i> America stand relative to its position of five years ago when the <i>Gathering Storm</i> book was prepared? The unanimous view of the authors is that our nation's outlook has worsened. The present volume, <i>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited</i>, explores the tipping point America now faces. Addressing America's competitiveness challenge will require many years if not decades; however, the requisite federal funding of much of that effort is about to terminate.</p> <p><i>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited</i> provides a snapshot of the work of the government and the private sector in the past five years, analyzing how the original recommendations have or have not been acted upon, what consequences this may have on future competitiveness, and priorities going forward. In addition, readers will find a series of thought- and discussion-provoking factoids--many of them alarming--about the state of science and innovation in America.</p> <p><i>Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited</i> is a wake-up call. To reverse the foreboding outlook will require a sustained commitment by both individual citizens and government officials--at all levels. This book, together with the original <i>Gathering Storm</i> volume, provides the roadmap to meet that goal. While this book is essential for policy makers, anyone concerned with the future of innovation, competitiveness, and the standard of living in the United States will find this book an ideal tool for engaging their government representatives, peers, and community about this momentous issue.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12999">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=345'>Education Research and Theory</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=304'>Economics</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/FoWUFSJ3gz8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12999Views of the NAS and NAE on Agenda Items at Issue at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13000#prepub2010-09-08T10:45:24-04:002010-09-08T10:45:31-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Prepublication Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The passive, receive-only Radio Astronomy Service (RAS) and the Earth Exploration-Satellite Service (EESS) provide otherwise impossible scientific observations of the Universe and Earth through the use of advanced receiver technology with extreme sensitivity and the employment of complex noise reduction algorithms. Even with such technology, RAS and EESS are quite adversely affected by what most active services would consider low noise levels.<br /> <br /> To ensure their ability to use the radio spectrum for scientific purposes, scientists must be party to the discussion in the lead-up to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), which will next be held in January and February 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland. By request of the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Research Council was convened to provide guidance to the U.S. spectrum managers and policymakers as they prepare for the WRC in order to protect the scientific exploration of the Earth and Universe using the radio spectrum. While the resulting document is targeted at U.S. agencies, representatives of foreign governments and foreign scientific users will find its contents useful as they plan their own WRC positions.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13000">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'></a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/kv10lu8yuRg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13000Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies--Report 2tag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12834#final2010-07-02T00:00:00-04:002010-07-22T07:39:59-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The term "disruptive technology" describes a technology that results in a sudden change affecting already established technologies or markets. Disruptive technologies cause one or more discontinuities in the normal evolutionary life cycle of technology. This may lead to an unexpected destabilization of an older technology order and an opportunity for new competitors to displace incumbents. Frequently cited examples include digital photography and desktop publishing. <br /> <br /> The first report of the series, <em>Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies</em>, discussed how technology forecasts were historically made, assessed various existing forecasting systems, and identified desirable attributes of a next-generation persistent long-term forecasting system for disruptive technologies. This second book attempts to sketch out high-level forecasting system designs. In addition, the book provides further evaluation of the system attributes defined in the first report, and evidence of the feasibility of creating a system with those attributes. Together, the reports are intended to help the Department of Defense and the intelligence community identify and develop a forecasting system that will assist in detecting and tracking global technology trends, producing persistent long-term forecasts of disruptive technologies, and characterizing their potential impact on future U.S. warfighting and homeland defense capabilities.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12834">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/ApR2POs2gmc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12834Achieving Effective Acquisition of Information Technology in the Department of Defensetag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12823#final2010-06-30T13:38:24-04:002010-06-30T13:38:24-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In the military, information technology (IT) has enabled profound advances in weapons systems and the management and operation of the defense enterprise. A significant portion of the Department of Defense (DOD) budget is spent on capabilities acquired as commercial IT commodities, developmental IT systems that support a broad range of warfighting and functional applications, and IT components embedded in weapons systems. The ability of the DOD and its industrial partners to harness and apply IT for warfighting, command and control and communications, logistics, and transportation has contributed enormously to fielding the world's best defense force. <br /> <br /> However, despite the DOD's decades of success in leveraging IT across the defense enterprise, the acquisition of IT systems continues to be burdened with serious problems. To address these issues, the National Research Council assembled a group of IT systems acquisition and T&E experts, commercial software developers, software engineers, computer scientists and other academic researchers. The group evaluated applicable legislative requirements, examined the processes and capabilities of the commercial IT sector, analyzed DOD's concepts for systems engineering and testing in virtual environments, and examined the DOD acquisition environment. The present volume summarizes this analysis and also includes recommendations on how to improve the acquisition, systems engineering, and T&E processes to achieve the DOD's network-centric goals.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12823">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/oAMj67dRL9s" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=1282321st Century Innovation Systems for Japan and the United States: Lessons from a Decade of Change: Report of a Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12194#final2010-06-18T13:59:14-04:002010-06-18T13:59:14-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Recognizing that a capacity to innovate and commercialize new high-technology products is increasingly a key for the economic growth in the environment of tighter environmental and resource constraints, governments around the world have taken active steps to strengthen their national innovation systems.<br /> These steps underscore the belief of these governments that the rising costs and risks associated with new potentially high-payoff technologies, their spillover or externality-generating effects and the growing global competition, require national R&D programs to support the innovations by new and existing high-technology firms within their borders.<br /> <br /> The National Research Council's Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy (STEP) has embarked on a study of selected foreign innovation programs in comparison with major U.S. programs. The "21st Century Innovation Systems for the United States and Japan: Lessons from a Decade of Change" symposium reviewed government programs and initiatives to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises, government-university- industry collaboration and consortia, and the impact of the intellectual property regime on innovation. This book brings together the papers presented at the conference and provides a historical context of the issues discussed at the symposium.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12194">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/7AExdw-PzaU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12194Engineering, Social Justice, and Sustainable Community Development: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12887#final2010-06-14T00:00:00-04:002010-04-15T10:46:09-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p><i>Engineering, Social Justice, and Sustainable Community Development</i> is the first in a series of biennial workshops on the theme of engineering ethics and engineering leadership. This workshop addresses conflicting positive goals for engineering projects in impoverished areas and areas in crisis. These conflicts arise domestically as well as in international arenas. The goals of project sponsors and participants, which are often implicit, include protecting human welfare, ensuring social justice, and striving for environmental sustainability alongside the more often explicit goal of economic development or progress.</p> <p>The workshop, summarized in this volume, discussed how to achieve the following:<ul> <li>Improve research in engineering ethics.</li> <li>Improve engineering practice in situations of crisis and conflict. </li><li>Improve engineering education in ethics and social issues. </li><li>Involve professional societies in these efforts. </li></ul></p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12887">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=375'>Sustainable Development</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=369'>Environmental Health and Safety</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/AaxJLJcrHpc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12887Lifelong Learning Imperative in Engineering: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12866#final2010-03-26T10:45:01-04:002010-03-26T10:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The 21st century is witnessing a rapid increase in the pace of knowledge creation in the sciences and engineering. Competing in this global economy requires a science and engineering workforce that is consistently at the technological forefront. Dr. Charles Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, in a speech at the University of Michigan on October 15, 2007, put it simply: prospering in the knowledge age requires people with knowledge. <br /> <br /> The purpose of the Lifelong Learning Imperative Workshop, summarized in this volume, was to consider learning opportunities for the engineering professional. The participants in the workshop addressed the necessity of lifelong learning, the history of continuing education, possible delivery systems, systems used by other professions, and the current state of learning when viewed in the light of the rapid rate of technological change.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12866">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=354'>Testing, Assessments and Standards</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/TSMor1-K4RU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12866Spectrum Management for Science in the 21st Centurytag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12800#final2010-02-25T00:00:00-05:002009-11-02T10:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Radio observations of the cosmos are gathered by geoscientists using complex earth-orbiting satellites and ground-based equipment, and by radio astronomers using large ground-based radio telescopes. Signals from natural radio emissions are extremely weak, and the equipment used to measure them is becoming ever-more sophisticated and sensitive. <br /> <br /> The radio spectrum is also being used by radiating, or "active," services, ranging from aircraft radars to rapidly expanding consumer services such as cellular telephones and wireless internet. These valuable active services transmit radio waves and thereby potentially interfere with the receive-only, or "passive," scientific services. Transmitters for the active services create an artificial "electronic fog" which can cause confusion, and, in severe cases, totally blinds the passive receivers. <br /> <br /> Both the active and the passive services are increasing their use of the spectrum, and so the potential for interference, already strong, is also increasing. This book addresses the tension between the active services' demand for greater spectrum use and the passive users' need for quiet spectrum. The included recommendations provide a pathway for putting in place the regulatory mechanisms and associated supporting research activities necessary to meet the demands of both users.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12800">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=279'>Computers and Information Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=323'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/t-omb_JjYys" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12800Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2009 Symposiumtag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12821#final2010-02-04T13:34:10-05:002010-02-04T13:34:10-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>In 1995, the National Academy of Engineering initiated the Frontiers of Engineering Program, which brings together about 100 young engineering leaders at annual symposia to learn about cutting-edge research and technical work in a variety of engineering fields. The 2009 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium was held at The National Academies' Arnold O. and Mabel Beckman Center on September 10-12. Speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, which are reprinted in this volume. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight cutting-edge developments in engineering research and technical work.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12821">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=288'>Health and Medicine</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=392'>Healthcare and Quality</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/ZwH-OZjRLnc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12821Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologiestag:nap.edu,2010:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12557#final2010-01-15T00:00:00-05:002009-09-28T10:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>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.</p> <p>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. <em>Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies</em> is a useful text for the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the Intelligence community and other defense agencies across the nation.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12557">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/vfIOZAb_vKw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12557Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12824#final2009-12-29T10:45:01-05:002009-12-29T10:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
In April 2009 a workshop was held to explore how engineering curricula could be enhanced to better prepare future engineers. The workshop, summarized in this volume, included individuals from industry, academia, government agencies, and professional societies.<br><br> During the workshop participants addressed the rationale for the scope and sequence of current engineering curricula, considering both the positive aspects as well as those aspects that have outlived their usefulness. Other topics of discussion included the potential to enhance engineering curricula through creative uses of instructional technologies; the importance of inquiry-based activities as well as authentic learning experiences grounded in real world contexts; and the opportunities provided by looking more deeply at what personal and professional outcomes result from studying engineering.<br><br> General themes that appeared to underlie the workshop attendees' discussions included desires to (a) restructure engineering curricula to focus on inductive teaching and learning, (b) apply integrated, just-in-time learning of relevant topics across STEM fields, and (c) make more extensive use and implementation of learning technologies. During breakout discussions, many additional suggestions were offered for means by which to facilitate curricular innovation. <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12824">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/L1qAfjzO07A" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12824Enhancing the Effectiveness of Sustainability Partnerships: Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12541#final2009-12-17T00:00:00-05:002009-05-04T10:45:02-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Sustainable development--meeting human needs while nurturing and restoring the planet's life support systems--requires a continuous process of scientific innovation, new knowledge and learning, and collaborative approaches to implementing technologies and policies. To address these challenges, different stakeholder groups are increasingly seeking to ally themselves through partnership, in order to implement projects, deliver services, establish secure funding mechanisms, and achieve on the ground results. Advocates of this collaborative approach point to the failure of governmental regulations, international commitments, or business as usual. However, skeptics often question the effectiveness of partnerships at achieving sustainable development goals and, in the absence of demonstrated results, wonder where partnerships are adding value. <br /> A symposium held in June 2008 and summarized in this volume, attempted to advance the dialogue on partnerships for sustainability in order to catalyze existing knowledge and inform future efforts. Ideas that came out of discussions at the symposium will help leaders in government, the private sector, foundations and NGOs, and universities, both in the United States and internationally, as they develop and participate in new partnerships for sustainability. <br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12541">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=423'>Policy for Science and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/ychA3EOQXwE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12541Review of the Bureau of Reclamation's Corrosion Prevention Standards for Ductile Iron Pipetag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12593#final2009-11-19T00:00:00-05:002009-01-30T10:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Ductile iron pipe (DIP) was introduced about 50 years ago as a more economical and better-performing product for water transmission and distribution. As with iron or steel pipes, DIP is subject to corrosion, the rate of which depends on the environment in which the pipe is placed. Corrosion mitigation protocols are employed to slow the corrosion process to an acceptable rate for the application. When to use corrosion mitigation systems, and which system, depends on the corrosivity of the soils in which the pipeline is buried. <br /> <br /> The Bureau of Reclamation's specification for DIP in highly corrosive soil has been contested by some as an overly stringent requirement, necessitating the pipe to be modified from its as-manufactured state and thereby adding unnecessary cost to a pipeline system.<br /> <br /> This book evaluates the specifications in question and presents findings and recommendations. Specifically, the authoring committee answers the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Does polyethylene encasement with cathodic protection work on ductile iron pipe installed in highly corrosive soils?</li> <li>Will polyethylene encasement and cathodic protection reliably provide a minimum service life of 50 years?</li> <li>What possible alternative corrosion mitigation methods for DIP would provide a service life of 50 years?<br /> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12593">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=294'>Transportation</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=447'>Bridges and Other Structures</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/GspnBqnAQHw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12593Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. Construction Industrytag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12717#final2009-11-09T00:00:00-05:002009-07-23T10:45:07-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Construction productivity--how well, how quickly, and at what cost buildings and infrastructure can be constructed--directly affects prices for homes and consumer goods and the robustness of the national economy. Industry analysts differ on whether construction industry productivity is improving or declining. Still, advances in available and emerging technologies offer significant opportunities to improve construction efficiency substantially in the 21st century and to help meet other national challenges, such as environmental sustainability.<br /> <br /> <em>Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. Construction Industry </em>identifies five interrelated activities that could significantly improve the quality, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of construction projects. <br /> <br /> These activities include widespread deployment and use of interoperable technology applications; improved job-site efficiency through more effective interfacing of people, processes, materials, equipment, and information; greater use of prefabrication, preassembly, modularization, and off-site fabrication techniques and processes; innovative, widespread use of demonstration installations; and effective performance measurement to drive efficiency and support innovation. The book recommends that the National Institute of Standards and Technology work with industry leaders to develop a collaborative strategy to fully implement and deploy the five activities<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12717">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/mUts68ZPLug" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12717Frontiers in Crystalline Matter: From Discovery to Technologytag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12640#final2009-10-27T00:00:00-04:002009-04-13T10:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>For much of the past 60 years, the U.S. research community dominated the discovery of new crystalline materials and the growth of large single crystals, placing the country at the forefront of fundamental advances in condensed-matter sciences and fueling the development of many of the new technologies at the core of U.S. economic growth. The opportunities offered by future developments in this field remain as promising as the achievements of the past. However, the past 20 years have seen a substantial deterioration in the United States' capability to pursue those opportunities at a time when several European and Asian countries have significantly increased investments in developing their own capacities in these areas. This book seeks both to set out the challenges and opportunities facing those who discover new crystalline materials and grow large crystals and to chart a way for the United States to reinvigorate its efforts and thereby return to a position of leadership in this field.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12640">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=290'>Math, Chemistry and Physics</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=411'>Physics</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/JL0DzfybeaE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12640An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research: Fiscal Year 2009tag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12765#final2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:002009-09-30T10:45:28-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
The National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a national user facility whose mission is to ensure the availability of neutron measurement capabilities in order to meet the needs of U.S. researchers from industry, academia, and government agencies. This mission is aligned with the mission of NIST, which is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life. <br><br> As requested by the Deputy Director of NIST, this book assesses NCNR, based on the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory technical programs; and (3) the degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12765">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/oYM3gJV1Frg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12765An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology: Fiscal Year 2009tag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12766#final2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:002009-09-30T10:45:36-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) was founded on May 1, 2007, and remains in development with respect to projects and staffing. It aspires to be recognized both as a world leader in each of its research areas and as an organization providing ready access to unexcelled nanoscale measurement and fabrication facilities. <br /> <br /> <i>An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology</i> evaluates the overall CNST accomplishments and operations for FY 2009. As requested by the Deputy Director of NIST, the scope of the assessment included the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory's technical programs; and (3) the degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12766">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=289'>Industry and Labor</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=405'>Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/vh61sd_1aQo" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12766An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2009tag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12767#final2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:002009-09-30T10:45:45-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, carries out its mission of promoting U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by developing and applying technology, measurements, and standards across nationally and strategically important industries. NIST is uniquely positioned to contribute to the development of U.S. industry and to technology deployment, and thereby to U.S. economic growth.<br /> <br /> This book contains the assessment by the Panel on Electronics and Electrical Engineering of NIST's Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory (EEEL), focusing on the scientific and technical work performed by the laboratory. The assessment is conducted biennially. The book examines the broad factors of technical merit of the laboratory's programs, the adequacy of facilities and resources, and the achievement of desired impacts.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12767">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/bAvMaTxQPYg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12767An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2009tag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12768#final2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:002009-09-30T10:45:56-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p><i>An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Information Technology Laboratory</i> evaluates The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Six divisions of the laboratory were visited and reviewed. The scope of the assessment includes the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory's technical programs; and (3) the degree to which the laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact. Based on the assessment, and using these criteria, the book outlines several observations and recommendations for ITL.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12768">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/CBKN-t42TQw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12768An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2009tag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12769#final2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:002009-09-30T10:46:05-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p><em>An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory </em>examines the operations of the Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory (CSTL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).<br /> <br /> This book assesses the CSTL, based on the following criteria: (1) the technical merit of the current laboratory programs relative to current state-of-the-art programs worldwide; (2) the adequacy of the laboratory budget, facilities, equipment, and human resources, as they affect the quality of the laboratory's technical programs; and (3) the degree to which laboratory programs in measurement science and standards achieve their stated objectives and desired impact."<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12769">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/Mi02Dp7iMZM" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12769Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospectstag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12635#final2009-09-08T08:45:01-04:002009-09-08T08:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other STEM subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, boost youth interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and increase the technological literacy of all students. The teaching of STEM subjects in U.S. schools must be improved in order to retain U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and to develop a workforce with the knowledge and skills to address technical and technological issues.<br /> <br /> <em>Engineering in K-12 Education</em> reviews the scope and impact of engineering education today and makes several recommendations to address curriculum, policy, and funding issues. The book also analyzes a number of K-12 engineering curricula in depth and discusses what is known from the cognitive sciences about how children learn engineering-related concepts and skills.<br /> <br /> <em>Engineering in K-12 Education</em> will serve as a reference for science, technology, engineering, and math educators, policy makers, employers, and others concerned about the development of the country's technical workforce. The book will also prove useful to educational researchers, cognitive scientists, advocates for greater public understanding of engineering, and those working to boost technological and scientific literacy.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12635">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=349'>K-12 Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/YHUnH32Mo6M" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12635Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research: What's Been Learned? What Should Be Done? Summary of a Workshoptag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12695#final2009-07-24T10:45:02-04:002009-07-24T10:45:02-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>Increasing complexity and competitiveness in research environments, the prevalence of interdisciplinary and international involvement in research projects, and the close coupling of commerce and academia have created an ethically challenging environment for young scientists and engineers. For the past several decades, federal research agencies have supported projects to meet the need for mentoring and ethics training in graduate education in research, often called training in the responsible conduct of research. Recently, these agencies have supported projects to identify ethically problematic behaviors and assess the efficacy of ethics education in addressing them.<br /> With support from the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Engineering Center for Engineering, Ethics, and Society held the workshop "Ethics Education and Scientific and Engineering Research: What's Been Learned? What Should Be Done?" on August 25 and 26, 2008.<br /> The workshop, summarized in this volume, discussed the social environment of science and engineering education; the need for ethics education for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in science and engineering; models for effective programs; and assessment of approaches to ethics education, among other topics.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12695">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=348'>Higher Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=350'>Math and Science Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/2KYXUzO1UEg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12695Sustainable Critical Infrastructure Systems: A Framework for Meeting 21st Century Imperativestag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12638#final2009-07-01T00:00:00-04:002009-04-03T10:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>For the people of the United States, the 20th century was one of unprecedented population growth, economic development, and improved quality of life. The critical infrastructure systems-water, wastewater, power, transportation, and telecommunications-built in the 20th century have become so much a part of modern life that they are taken for granted. By 2030, 60 million more Americans will expect these systems to deliver essential services.<br /> <br /> Large segments and components of the nation's critical infrastructure systems are now 50 to 100 years old, and their performance and condition are deteriorating. Improvements are clearly necessary. However, approaching infrastructure renewal by continuing to use the same processes, practices, technologies, and materials that were developed in the 20th century will likely yield the same results: increasing instances of service disruptions, higher operating and repair costs, and the possibility of catastrophic, cascading failures. If the nation is to meet some of the important challenges of the 21st century, a new paradigm for the renewal of critical infrastructure systems is needed.<br /> <br /> This book discusses the essential components of this new paradigm, and outlines a framework to ensure that ongoing activities, knowledge, and technologies can be aligned and leveraged to help meet multiple national objectives. <br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12638">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=281'>Earth Sciences</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=342'>Water and Hydrology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/h79L4ak6ScA" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12638Assessment of Explosive Destruction Technologies for Specific Munitions at the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plantstag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12482#final2009-04-22T00:00:00-04:002009-03-09T10:45:37-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>The Army's ability to meet public and congressional demands to destroy expeditiously all of the U.S. declared chemical weapons would be enhanced by the selection and acquisition of appropriate explosive destruction technologies (EDTs) to augment the main technologies to be used to destroy the chemical weapons currently at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Kentucky and the Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD) in Colorado. The Army is considering four EDTs for the destruction of chemical weapons: three from private sector vendors, and a fourth, Army-developed explosive destruction system (EDS). <br /> <br /> This book updates earlier evaluations of these technologies, as well as any other viable detonation technologies, based on several considerations including process maturity, process efficacy, process throughput, process safety, public and regulatory acceptability, and secondary waste issues, among others. It also provides detailed information on each of the requirements at BGAD and PCD and rates each of the existing suitable EDTs plus the Army's EDS with respect to how well it satisfies these requirements.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12482">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=376'>Waste Disposal and Clean Up</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/r86G18XMUMc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12482Developing Metrics for Assessing Engineering Instruction: What Gets Measured is What Gets Improvedtag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12636#final2009-04-15T00:00:00-04:002009-04-09T09:45:01-04:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Faculty in all disciplines must continually prioritize their time to reflect the many demands of their faculty obligations, but they must also prioritize their efforts in ways that will improve the prospects of career advancement. The current perception is that research contributions are the most important measure with respect to faculty promotion and tenure decisions, and that teaching effectiveness is less valued--regardless of the stated weighting of research, teaching and service. In addition, methods for assessing research accomplishments are well established, even though imperfect, whereas metrics for assessing teaching, learning, and instructional effectiveness are not as well defined or well established.<br /> <br /> <em>Developing Metrics for Assessing Engineering Instruction</em> provides a concise description of a process to develop and institute a valid and acceptable means of measuring teaching effectiveness in order to foster greater acceptance and rewards for faculty efforts to improve their performance of the teaching role that makes up a part of their faculty responsibility. Although the focus of this book is in the area of engineering, the concepts and approaches are applicable to all fields in higher education.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12636">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=282'>Education</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=347'>Engineering Education</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/MWhw3xc8Jo8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12636Scientific Assessment of High-Power Free-Electron Laser Technologytag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12484#final2009-03-06T00:00:00-05:002008-12-23T10:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>This book presents a scientific assessment of free-electron-laser technology for naval applications. The charge from the Office of Naval Research was to assess whether the desired performance capabilities are achievable or whether fundamental limitations will prevent them from being realized.<br /> The present study identifies the highest-priority scientific and technical issues that must be resolved along the development path to achieve a megawatt-class free-electron laser. In accordance with the charge, the committee considered (and briefly describes) trade-offs between free-electron lasers and other types of lasers and weapon systems to show the advantages free-electron lasers offer over other types of systems for naval applications as well as their drawbacks. <br /> The primary advantages of free-electron lasers are associated with their energy delivery at the speed of light, selectable wavelength, and all-electric nature, while the trade-offs for free-electron lasers are their size, complexity, and relative robustness. Also, Despite the significant technical progress made in the development of high-average-power free-electron lasers, difficult technical challenges remain to be addressed in order to advance from present capability to megawatt-class power levels. </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12484">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=280'>Conflict and Security Issues</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=329'>Weapons and Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/hbnLJCMBTAU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12484Systems Engineering to Improve Traumatic Brain Injury Care in the Military Health System Workshop Summarytag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12504#final2009-03-03T00:00:00-05:002008-11-20T10:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
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<p>This book makes a strong case for taking advantage of the best of two disciplines--health care and operational systems engineering (a combination of science and mathematics to describe, analyze, plan, design, and integrate systems with complex interactions among people, processes, materials, equipment, and facilities)-to improve the efficiency and quality of health care delivery, as well as health care outcomes.<br /> <br /> Those most interested in pursuing this approach include leaders in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs, who are committed to finding ways of improving the quality of care for military personnel, veterans, and their families. Intrigued by the possibilities, DOD decided to sponsor a series of workshops to explore the potential of operational systems engineering principals and tools for military health care, beginning with the diagnosis and care of traumatic brain injury (TBI), one of the most prevalent, difficult and challenging injuries suffered by warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan. <br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12504">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=288'>Health and Medicine</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=396'>Military and Veterans</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/41oOOBgYdu0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12504Computational Technology for Effective Health Care: Immediate Steps and Strategic Directionstag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12572#final2009-02-24T00:00:00-05:002009-01-09T10:45:02-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>Despite a strong commitment to delivering quality health care, persistent problems involving medical errors and ineffective treatment continue to plague the industry. Many of these problems are the consequence of poor information and technology (IT) capabilities, and most importantly, the lack cognitive IT support. Clinicians spend a great deal of time sifting through large amounts of raw data, when, ideally, IT systems would place raw data into context with current medical knowledge to provide clinicians with computer models that depict the health status of the patient.<br /> <br /> <em>Computational Technology for Effective Health Care</em> advocates re-balancing the portfolio of investments in health care IT to place a greater emphasis on providing cognitive support for health care providers, patients, and family caregivers; observing proven principles for success in designing and implementing IT; and accelerating research related to health care in the computer and social sciences and in health/biomedical informatics.<br /> <br /> Health care professionals, patient safety advocates, as well as IT specialists and engineers, will find this book a useful tool in preparation for crossing the health care IT chasm.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12572">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=279'>Computers and Information Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=321'>Information Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=360'>Applications of Technology</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=288'>Health and Medicine</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=393'>Medical Technologies and Treatments</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/63ZfHtSXxH8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12572Review of Federal Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Researchtag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12559#final2009-02-17T00:00:00-05:002008-12-10T08:45:01-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>This new book from the National Research Council finds serious weaknesses in the government's plan for research on the potential health and environmental risks posed by nanomaterials, which are increasingly being used in consumer goods and industry. An effective national plan for identifying and managing potential risks is essential to the successful development and public acceptance of nanotechnology-enabled products.<br /> <br /> The book recommends a robust national strategic plan for addressing nanotechnology-related EHS risks, which will need to focus on promoting research that can assist all stakeholders, including federal agencies, in planning, controlling, and optimizing the use of engineered nanomaterials while minimizing EHS effects of concern to society. Such a plan will ensure the timely development of engineered nanoscale materials that will bring about great improvements in the nation's health, its environmental quality, its economy, and its security.<br /> </p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12559">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=365'>Policy, Reviews and Evaluations</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=288'>Health and Medicine</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=399'>Public Health and Prevention</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=285'>Environment and Environmental Studies</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=369'>Environmental Health and Safety</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/1P1erTWElt4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12559Assessment of Corrosion Educationtag:nap.edu,2009:http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12560#final2009-02-12T00:00:00-05:002008-12-15T10:45:16-05:00The National Academies Presshttp://www.nap.edu
<p><strong>Final Book Now Available</strong></p>
<p>The threat from the degradation of materials in the engineered products that drive our economy, keep our citizenry healthy, and keep us safe from terrorism and belligerent threats has been well documented over the years. And yet little effort appears to have been made to apply the nation's engineering community to developing a better understanding of corrosion and the mitigation of its effects.</p> <p>The engineering workforce must have a solid understanding of the physical and chemical bases of corrosion, as well as an understanding of the engineering issues surrounding corrosion and corrosion abatement. Nonetheless, corrosion engineering is not a required course in the curriculum of most bachelor degree programs in MSE and related engineering fields, and in many programs, the subject is not even available. As a result, most bachelor-level graduates of materials- and design-related programs have an inadequate background in corrosion engineering principles and practices.</p> <p>To combat this problem, the book makes a number of short- and long-term recommendations to industry and government agencies, educational institutions, and communities to increase education and awareness, and ultimately give the incoming workforce the knowledge they need.</p> <p>[<a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12560">Read the full report</a>]</p> <p><strong>Topics:</strong> <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=364'>Materials</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=362'>Engineering Education</a> | <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=284'>Engineering and Technology</a> » <a href='http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?id=361'>Construction: Design, Research, Planning</a></p><br />
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nap/new/topic/284/~4/J_Zj3PX5iI8" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12560