On Being A Scientist:  A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research, Third Edition (2009)
This third edition of On Being a Scientist  reflects developments since the publication of the original edition in 1989 and a second edition in 1995. A continuing feature of this edition is the inclusion of a number of hypothetical scenarios offering guidance in thinking about and discussing these scenarios.  On Being a Scientist is aimed primarily at graduate students and beginning researchers, but its lessons apply to all scientists at all stages of their scientific careers.

Rising Above the Gathering Storm Two Years Later: Accelerating Progress Toward a Brighter Economic Future (2009)
Rising Above the Gathering Storm Two Years Later: Accelerating Progress Toward a Brighter Economic Future summarizes a convocation held in April 2008 to commemorate the release of the original Gathering Storm report. The convocation featured participation by Members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, leaders from industry and academia, and other experts. The discussions reviewed progress made thus far in implementing the Gathering Storm recommendations to strengthen K-12 education in math and science, research, higher education, and the environment for innovation. Participants also noted that much additional work is needed to ensure that America remains a leader in science and engineering in the long term.


 

Science and Technology for America's Progress (2008)
The new Obama administration and the 110th Congress elected in November 2008 will face immediate challenges. Events will not permit a leisurely leadership transition. The prompt appointment of a Presidential science adviser and the nomination of top officials in the new administration with the knowledge and experience to address complex problems will be essential. The concerns of the nation regarding jobs and economic growth, health care, national security, energy, and the environment demand informed action. Each of these concerns-from national security, economic development, health care, and the environment, to education, energy, and natural resources-is touched in essential ways by the nation's science and technology enterprise.  This is the fourth in a series of books from the National Academies on the presidential appointment process, each delivered during a presidential election year with the goal of providing recommendations to the President-elect about appointing his senior science and technology leadership and pursuing sustained improvements in the appointments process.                          

Evaluating Research Efficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2008)
A new book from the National Research Council recommends changes in how the federal government evaluates the efficiency of research at EPA and other agencies. Assessing efficiency should be considered only one part of gauging a program's quality, relevance, and effectiveness. The efficiency of research processes and that of investments should be evaluated using different approaches. Investment efficiency should examine whether an agency's R&D portfolio, including the budget, is relevant, of high quality, matches the agency's strategic plan. These evaluations require panels of experts. In contrast, process efficiency should focus on "inputs" (the people, funds, and facilities dedicated to research) and "outputs" (the services, grants, publications, monitoring, and new techniques produced by research), as well as their timelines and should be evaluated using quantitative measures. The committee recommends that the efficiency of EPA's research programs be evaluated according to the same standards used at other agencies. To ensure this, OMB should train and oversee its budget examiners so that the PART questionnaire is implemented consistently and equitably across agencies.              

Beyond Bias and Barriers:  Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (2006)
The United States economy relies on the productivity, entrepreneurship, and creativity of its people. To maintain its scientific and engineering leadership amid increasing economic and educational globalization, the United States must aggressively pursue the innovative capacity of all its people—women and men. However, women face barriers to success in every field of science and engineering; obstacles that deprive the country of an important source of talent. Without a transformation of academic institutions to tackle such barriers, the future vitality of the U.S. research base and economy are in jeopardy.  Beyond Bias and Barriers explains that eliminating gender bias in academia requires immediate overarching reform, including decisive action by university administrators, professional societies, federal funding agencies and foundations, government agencies, and Congress. If implemented and coordinated across public, private, and government sectors, the recommended actions will help to improve workplace environments for all employees while strengthening the foundations of America's competitiveness. 
 

Advanced Research Instrumentation and Facilities (2006)
In recent years, the instrumentation needs of the nation's research communities have changed and expanded. The need for particular instruments has become broader, crossing scientific and engineering disciplines. The growth of interdisciplinary research that focuses on problems defined outside the boundaries of individual disciplines demands more instrumentation. Instruments that were once of interest only to specialists are now required by a wide array of scientists to solve critical research problems. The need for entirely new types of instruments' such as distributed networks, cybertools, and sensor arrays' is increasing. Researchers are increasingly dependent on advanced instruments that require highly specialized knowledge and training for their proper operation and use. The National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy Committee on Advanced Research Instrumentation was asked to describe the current programs and policies of the major federal research agencies for advanced research instrumentation, the current status of advanced mid-sized research instrumentation on university campuses, and the challenges faced by each. The committee was then asked to evaluate the utility of existing federal programs and to determine the need for and, if applicable, the potential components of an interagency program for advanced research instrumentation. 

Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizine and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2005)

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:

1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education;
2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research;
3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and
4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation.

Some actions will involve changing existing laws, while others will require financial support that would come from reallocating existing budgets or increasing them. Rising Above the Gathering Storm will be of great interest to federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, public decision makers, research sponsors, regulatory analysts, and scholars.

Older Publications:

• Nat'l Academies Press: Setting Priorities for Large Research Facility Projects Supported by the National Science Foundation (2004)
• Nat'l Acad Press Catalog: Observations on the President's Fiscal Year 2003 Federal Science and Technology Budget
• Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning
• Observations on the President's Fiscal Year 2002 Federal Science and Technology Budget
• Implementing the Government Performance and Results Act for Research: A Status Report
• Science and Technology in the National Interest: The Presidential Appointment Process, 2000
• Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisors, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies, 2000
• Observations on the President's Fiscal Year 2001 Federal Science and Technology Budget, 2000
• Experiments in International Benchmarking of U.S. Research Fields , 2000 (Chair's Statement)
• Observations on the President's Fiscal Year 2000 Federal Science and Technology Budget, 1999
• Observations on the President's Fiscal Year 1999 Federal Science and Technology Budget, 1998
• Capitalizing on Investments in Science and Technology,1999
• Research Briefings 1987 and Research Briefings 1986
• Evaluating Federal Research Programs: Research and theGovernment Performance and Results Act,1999
• Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering, 1997
• Proceedings of the National Convocation on Science and Engineering Doctoral Education, 1996
• An Assessment of the National Science Foundation's Science and Technology Centers Program, 1996
• Careers in Science and Engineering: A Student Planning Guide to Grad School and Beyond, 1996
• Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers, 1995
• On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research, 1995
• Major Award Decisionmaking at the National Science Foundation, 1994 - Online Report
• Science, Technology, and the Federal Government: National Goals for a New Era, 1993
• Responsible Science Volume 2: Background Papers and Resource Documents, 1993
• Responsible Science Volume 1: Ensuring the Integrity of the Research Process, 1992
• The Government Role in Civilian Technology: Building a New Alliance, 1992
• Science and Technology Leadership in American Government : Ensuring the Best Presidential Appointments, 1992
• Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming: Mitigation, Adaption, and the Science Base, 1991
• Policy Implications of Greenhouse Warming (summary), 1991
• Finding Common Ground: U.S. Export Controls in a Changed Global Environment, 1991 - and Commissioned Papers
• Information Technology and the Conduct of Research: The User's View, 1989
• Technology and Employment: Innovation and Growth in the U.S. Economy, 1988
• Balancing the National Interest: U.S. National Security Export Controls and Global Economic Competition, 1987
• Scientific Communication and National Security - 1982