National Academy of Sciences

Meet Neil H. Shubin, the new president of the National Academy of Sciences. In his first video message, he shares his vision for the Academy and its enduring mission to deliver trusted scientific advice to the nation. Watch the full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM_B... @neilshubin.bsky.social

The future of cotton could lie in its wild past. A @pnas.org study by #NASmember Jonathan Wendel traces cotton's origins to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, revealing genetic diversity that could benefit crops. Read more in @houstonpublicmedia.bsky.social: www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

From storing carbon in soils to restoring ecosystems, microbes could be powerful allies in addressing #climatechange. Join ecologist Steven Allison on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. PDT for a Distinctive Voices lecture exploring the promise of microbiomes. Register: www.nasonline.org/event/distin...

Humanity is finally returning to the #Moon. Our new report identifies four of the most promising #lunar destinations beyond the poles for maximizing scientific discovery during future human missions.

Join @pnas.org in honoring exceptional scientific research! The Cozzarelli Prize recognizes six outstanding PNAS articles that have made significant contributions to their respective fields. Nominations are open through January 2, 2027. Learn more: www.pnas.org/about/cozzar...

Through the geochemistry of ancient soils, #NASmember Jay Quade uncovered clues to past climates and ecosystems, including the expansion of grasslands millions of years ago. Explore his newly published NAS Biographical Memoir: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Congratulations to #NASmembers Cory Abate-Shen, Marisa Bartolomei, Amy Bastian, Frederic de Sauvage, Susan Kaech, Jennifer Lewis, Ali Shilatifard, Matthew Tirrell, and Shimon Sakaguchi on their election to the @nam.edu! See the full list of new members: nam.edu/news-and-ins...

For #EarthScienceWeek, explore the intersection of critical mineral mining, renewable energy, and environmental stewardship in ATACAMA, a Cultural Programs of the NAS photography exhibition at the NAS Building. On view through March 4 via guided tours & special events: www.cpnas.org/event/atacama/

Rocks may seem unchanging, but they play a dynamic role in shaping our planet. For #EarthScienceWeek, #NASmember Susan Brantley explains how rocks interact with water and life, and why they matter to our everyday lives. Read the Member Spotlight Q&A: www.nasonline.org/news/the-hid... #Geochemistry

It’s #SpaceScienceWeek! For more than 60 years, our decadal surveys have helped guide the future of #SpaceScience, setting priorities for research, missions, technology, and more across five major disciplines. Explore the reports: https://ow.ly/UZ2650ZVBG5

Three in four Americans live with chronic diseases, according to the CDC. Hear experts discuss the latest in chronic disease research, prevention, and treatment at @nam.edu Annual Meeting on 10/19. Register to attend virtually or in person: nam.edu/event/2026-a... #NAMmtg

The nomination period for the 2027 NAS Awards has closed.🏅 Stay tuned for our announcement of the recipients in January, and be the first to know by signing up for our Connect with Awards newsletter: www.nasonline.org/awards/conne... #NASaward

The 2026 #NobelPrize in Physics has been awarded to #NASmember Francis Halzen! Halzen is recognized for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. Learn more: www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physi...

Today’s #NobelPrize recognizes discoveries that gave scientists new ways to study the brain. In 1981, #NASmember David Hubel earned the prize for discoveries revealing how neurons in the visual cortex process what we see. Read his NAS memoir: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Last call to submit your nominations for the 2027 NAS Awards! The deadline is tonight at 11:59 PM ET. #NASaward Nominate now: awards-nasonline.secure-platform.com/a/organizati...

Congratulations to #NASmembers Karl Deisseroth and Peter Hegemann on receiving the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine! They are honored alongside Georg Nagel for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. Left photo by @christophermichel.com

Time is running out to nominate for the 2027 NAS Awards! ⏲️ Submit your nominations by Monday, October 5, to help us recognize outstanding contributions to science and encourage innovative research.🏅 #NASaward Learn more and nominate: www.nasonline.org/awards/curre...

Do you know a researcher who has made important services to #geology and #paleontology? Nominate them today for the 2027 NAS Award in the Evolution of Earth and Life – Mary Clark Thompson Medal! www.nasonline.org/award/nas-aw...

Recipients of the Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal have transformed phycology, exploring algal diversity, genetics and ecological impacts. Discover their contributions and nominate someone for the 2027 award today! www.nasonline.org/award/gilber... #NASaward

Discovery is one of the great joys of research — but it comes with responsibilities. National Academy of Sciences President Neil Shubin discuss how the new edition of "On Being a Scientist" can help researchers navigate today’s complex research landscape. https://ow.ly/anW450ZRBB3

The presidents of the U.S. National Academies condemn the strike on the home of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and reaffirm our commitment to supporting our Ukrainian colleagues and research community. Read the full statement: https://ow.ly/Ff7P50ZSqwf

Born #OnThisDay in 1934, biochemist William Lennarz helped uncover the mechanisms underlying glycoprotein biosynthesis, making lasting contributions to the emerging field of glycobiology. Explore his life and legacy in his NAS memoir: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Love seafood? There’s a complex ocean ecosystem behind every bite. Join @scrippsocean.bsky.social's Colleen Petrik on Sept 30 for a #DistinctiveVoices talk on how ecosystem modeling can help us understand marine life and support sustainable fisheries. Learn more: www.nasonline.org/event/distin...

The deadline is approaching to nominate for the 2027 NAS Awards! Submit your nominations by Monday, October 5 to help us recognize outstanding contributions to science and encourage innovative research.🏅 #NASawards Learn more and nominate: www.nasonline.org/awards/curre...

Past winners of the J. Lawrence Smith Medal have advanced our understanding of meteoric bodies, the evolution of the solar system, cosmochemistry, and more. Which out-of-this-world discovery will be honored with the 2027 award? Nominate today!☄️ www.nasonline.org/award/j-lawr... #NASaward

What do elephants, manatees, flamingos, and carnivorous plants have in common? In @labx.org's new “Tree of Life" series, #NASmember Doug Soltis explores the unexpected connections among species across 14 short episodes. 🌳 Watch here: labx.org/our-programs... #TreeofLife #Evolution

Established nearly a century ago at the bequest of physicist and psychologist Leonard Troland, the Troland Research Award honors early-career researchers and advances empirical research in experimental psychology. Nominate for the 2027 awards: www.nasonline.org/award/trolan... #NASaward

A developing #ElNino could put marine ecosystems to the test, as well as offer a rare opportunity to learn from extreme ocean warming. A new @pnas.org editorial from the recent US-UK Scientific Forum explores what scientists can do to prepare and learn from the event: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Across geometry, physics, and dynamical systems, #NASmember Shlomo Sternberg uncovered connections that revealed new possibilities in #mathematics. Read a new NAS memoir on his influential work: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Since 1968, the Selman A. Waksman Award has recognized major advances in #microbiology, such as studies on the mode of action of antibiotics, microbial symbiosis, and bacterial genome evolution. Help us honor a microbiologist in 2027: www.nasonline.org/award/selman... #NASaward

To nourish a growing child, we may need to nourish the microbes within them. For #MalnutritionAwarenessWeek, Jeffrey Gordon of @washumedicine.bsky.social discusses how the gut microbiome shapes healthy growth and how this insight could transform nutritional therapy: www.nasonline.org/news/beyond-...

Since most scientific prizes are field-specific, scientists who work across domains are often overlooked. The James Prize in Science and Technology honors researchers who integrate knowledge from two or more fields to solve a major challenge. Nominate: www.nasonline.org/award/james-... #NASaward

How are countries around the world rethinking math education for an AI-driven future? Join @nationalacademies.org on Sept 17 for a discussion on how 17 countries are incorporating data science, computational thinking & AI into K–12 math curricula. Register: www.nationalacademies.org/projects/PGA...

A pioneering plant pathologist and beloved teacher, #NASmember Luis Sequeira made seminal contributions to the study of plant-bacterial interactions. 🌱 Read a new NAS memoir honoring his life and research: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Do you know a mid-career neuroscientist whose work is making major contributions to our understanding of the nervous system? Nominate them for the 2027 Pradel Research Award! This #NASaward is presented with $50,000 to support #neuroscience research. www.nasonline.org/award/pradel...

In a new statement marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the presidents of the National Academies honor those who lost their lives, their families, first responders, and those who served in the military after the attacks. https://ow.ly/GXbz50ZMBEU

In addition to honoring scientific excellence in #biology and #medicine, the Richard Lounsbery Award is intended to stimulate research and encourage reciprocal scientific exchanges between the United States and France. Nominate for the 2027 award: www.nasonline.org/award/richar... #NASaward

Congratulations to the 2026 Lasker Award winners! 🏆 These awards honor discoveries in #biology and #medicine that advance human health. #NASmembers Emmanuel Mignot and Masashi Yanagisawa are among this year's recipients. See all the winners in @pnas.org: www.pnas.org/post/update/...

What does it mean to lead the National Academy of Sciences at a pivotal moment for science and society? NAS President Neil Shubin joined @science.org's Holden Thorp to discuss the principles guiding his leadership. Listen to the conversation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkor...

Named for Henryk Arctowski, a Polish scientist, explorer, and world-renowned #meteorologist, the Arctowski Medal honors outstanding contributions to the study of #solarphysics and solar terrestrial relationships. Nominate for the 2027 award today! www.nasonline.org/award/arctow... #NASaward #physics

Small changes in the ocean can trigger global consequences. 🌊 The new summary from the 2026 US-UK Scientific Forum on ocean tipping points explores how researchers are working to understand, predict & respond to shifts in ocean systems. Read here: royalsociety.org/-/media/abou... @royalsociety.org

NASA has launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the top-ranked large space mission recommended by the National Academies’ 2010 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey. Learn how our decadal surveys help identify priorities for the field: https://ow.ly/BIZ550ZHogb

A new NAS memoir honors #NASmember Ira B. Bernstein, a towering figure in theoretical plasma physics whose foundational work, from the discovery of Bernstein modes to the MHD energy principle, continues to shape the field today. Read here: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Do you know a scientist who has made a recent achievement or discovery in basic research that will have an impact on #biochemistry, #biophysics, or #chemistry? Nominate them for the 2027 NAS Award for Scientific Discovery! Learn more: www.nasonline.org/award/nas-aw... #NASaward

What do human smuggling, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and illicit drugs have in common? A new @pnas.org Special Feature examines illegal markets as a distinct field of scientific inquiry and illuminates how research can inform public policy: www.pnas.org/topic/581

Dogs come in a range of shapes, sizes, and personalities, but what’s written in their DNA? 🐕 On #NationalDogDay, meet #NASmember Elaine Ostrander, whose research in genetics explores everything from breed traits and behavior to disease and cancer. Watch: www.nasonline.org/news/nas-mem...

Since 1991, the NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society has recognized how advances in #chemistry have led to economic wealth and better quality of life. The 2027 award will honor a chemist working in industry: www.nasonline.org/award/nas-aw... #NASaward

Born #OnThisDay in 1916 was #NASmember Melvin Green, a pioneering geneticist who spent six decades uncovering the unexpected in Drosophila, the humble fruit fly that helped unlock fundamental insights into genes and genomes. Read his NAS memoir: www.nasonline.org/wp-content/u... #MemoirMonday

Established in 2016, the NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture recognizes research in areas such as nutrition, soil science, entomology, agroeconomics & more. Nominate a researcher for the 2027 prize: www.nasonline.org/award/nas-pr... #NASaward #agriculture