Report to Congress 2011 - National Academies

2011
REPORT TO
CONGRESS
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

A Message From the Presidents
The year 2011 was one of the 10 warmest in the modern meteorological record, making the release of
the final report of our America’s Climate Choices series particularly timely. These ambitious studies by the
National Research Council were aimed at ensuring that the nation’s climate decisions are informed by the
best possible scientific knowledge, analysis, and advice. The final report reiterated the call for an urgent,
coordinated national response to climate change, with substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
among the highest priorities, and a plan for reducing vulnerability to global warming’s inevitable impacts.
Reducing risk was also a primary focus of the National Academy of Engineering and National Research
Council’s final report on the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The report urged the offshore drilling industry
and government regulators to take a “systems safety” approach to drilling operations, anticipating and
managing dangers at every level of an inherently risky endeavor.
Health care continued to be a major issue in 2011. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
participating insurance plans are required to cover a set of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic services
that have been defined as “essential.” A report from the Institute of Medicine offered a set of criteria
and methods to develop a package of benefits to cover many important health care needs and still be
affordable.
This Report to Congress summarizes these and 17 others from the nearly 450 studies and projects
completed by our Academies in 2011. And beginning this year, anyone with access to the Internet can
download our reports free of charge. This fulfills our long-held goal of making our work freely accessible
around the world.
In 2011, E. William (Bill) Colglazier, who served our institution as executive officer for 17 years, stepped
down from the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council and was promptly appointed
science and technology adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State. Bill’s new position, we are pleased to note,
was established in response to our 1999 report on the role science, technology, and health can play
in international diplomacy. In 2012, Bruce B. Darling joins us from University of California as our new
executive officer. Bruce brings extensive experience to the post, most recently as UC’s vice president of
laboratory management for the Department of Energy laboratories at Los Alamos, Livermore, and Berkeley.
RALPH J. CICERONE CHARLES M. VEST HARVEY V. FINEBERG
President President President
National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering Institute of Medicine
Chair
Vice Chair
National Research Council
National Research Council

Highlights of
Selected Studies
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Geographic Adjustment in Medicare Payment, Phase I: Improving Accuracy, Second Edition 5
Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Promoting Healthier Choices 5
Medical Devices and the Public’s Health: The FDA 510(k) Clearance Process at 35 Years 6
Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost 7
Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations 7
Advancing Oral Health in America 7
Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Assessing the Necessity 8
EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas 11
Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics 11
Federal Funding of Transportation Improvements in BRAC Cases 12
The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue 13

SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND SECURITY
Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout: Lessons for Offshore Drilling Safety 15
Evaluating Testing, Costs, and Benefits of Advanced Spectroscopic Portals — Final Report 15
Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax
Letters 16
Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris
Programs 17
The National Weather Service Modernization and Associated Restructuring: A Retrospective
Assessment 18
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy 20
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde 20
America’s Climate Choices 21
A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive Management in California’s Draft Bay Delta
Conservation Plan 22
Also in This Report
Studies and Projects Completed in 2011 23
Current Congressionally Authorized Activities 36
Revenue Applied to 2011 45
About the National Academies 46

4REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
HEALTH AND SAFETY

5REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
EQUITABLE MEDICARE PAYMENTS
Medicare is a national program, but policymakers
have long recognized that health care delivery is
local. Geographic adjustments to the payments
that Medicare provides hospitals and health
practitioners are intended to ensure that regional
variations in wages, rents, and other costs are
covered accurately and equitably.
While the rationale for fine-tuning Medicare
payments based on these variations is sound,
several fundamental changes to the data sources
and methods that the program uses to calculate
adjustments are needed to improve the accuracy of
the payments. Geographic Adjustment in Medicare
Payment, Phase I: Improving Accuracy says that the
high rate at which hospitals have been granted
exceptions to how their adjustments are calculated
strongly suggests that the underlying mechanisms
are inadequate. The report also calls for a new
approach to geographically adjusting payment to
physicians and other practitioners.
Salaries and benefits make up on the largest
costs to providing care. The Medicare program
should use independent health sector data from
the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop its indexes
for calculating wage adjustments for hospitals
and providers. Congress will have to revise a
section of the Social Security Act to enable this
change, the report says. Medicare should also
use the metropolitan statistical areas developed
by the Office of Management and Budget to
calculate adjustments for both hospitals and health
practitioners.
The Institute of Medicine study was funded
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
BETTER FOOD LABELS
A variety of nutrition rating symbols and systems
have found their way to the front of food
packaging to help shoppers make healthful food
decisions. Although their purpose is to simplify
the choices of consumers, the number of different
“front-of-package” labels may be leading to more
confusion than clarity.
Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems
and Symbols: Promoting Healthier Choices calls for
federal agencies to develop a new nutrition rating
system that would apply to all foods and beverages
and replace other systems currently being used.
The report envisions a rating system in which
food and beverage labels graphically convey
calorie amounts and up to three “points” based on
the amounts of saturated and trans fats, sodium,
and added sugars in products. These nutrients
of concern contribute to the risk for chronic

6REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
HEALTH AND
diseases such as heart disease and diabetes as well
as overweight and obesity. The fewer of these
nutrients the product contains, the more points
it earns. All foods should prominently display
calories per serving described in familiar household
measures, such as per slice or per cup. Designed to
be a kind of ENERGY STAR equivalent for foods and
beverages, the new system will allow nutritional
information to be determined at a glance.
The Institute of Medicine study was funded by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Food and Drug Administration, and U.S.
Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion.
A NEW FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE
MEDICAL DEVICES
Most medical devices reviewed by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration before entering the
marketplace are cleared for use in a process called
premarket notification, or the 510(k) clearance
process. The intent of this process is to provide
a more expedient way to evaluate moderate-risk
(Class II) devices — such as powered wheelchairs
and pregnancy test kits — than the premarket
approval that high-risk (Class III) devices must
undergo. Some policymakers and patients wonder
whether the 510(k) process is effective, while others
say it is too onerous and is delaying important new
medical devices from entering the market.
Medical Devices and the Public’s Health: The FDA
510(k) Clearance Process at 35 Years says the current
510(k) process, in general, cannot assure that
devices reaching the market are safe and effective,
and FDA should gather the necessary information
to develop a new regulatory framework.
Both premarket clearance and post-market
oversight, including improved post-market
surveillance of device performance, should be
incorporated into a new approach that provides
reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness
of medical devices throughout the duration of their
use, the report says. The agency should also ensure
that the new process allows devices to reach the
market in as rapid and least burdensome a fashion
as possible.
The Institute of Medicine study was funded by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

7REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
SAFETY
ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Certain insurance plans, including those
participating in the state-based health insurance
exchanges to be established under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA),
must cover a set of preventive, diagnostic, and
therapeutic services and products in areas that
have been defined as essential by U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. Essential Health
Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost provides
HHS with a set of criteria and methods to develop
a package of essential health benefits that will
cover many health care needs and be affordable to
purchasers.
The ACA stipulates that the essential health
benefits should reflect the scope of benefits
covered by a typical employer plan and include 10
specific categories. Because small employers will
be among the main customers for policies in the
state-based exchanges, HHS staff should determine
what is typical of plans offered by these employers
and allow for state-specific variation, the report
says. HHS should also determine what the national
average premium of typical small employer plans
would be in 2014 and ensure that the package’s
scope of benefits does not exceed this amount to
keep the package affordable for small businesses
and individuals. Controlling the rate of growth in
health care spending across the public and private
sectors will be key to keeping an essential benefit
package affordable.
Potential services and products should be
evaluated using a set of criteria that includes
medical effectiveness, safety, and relative value
compared with alternative options. The package
as a whole should also protect the most vulnerable
individuals, promote services that have proved
effective, and address the medical concerns of
greatest importance to the public.
A data collection and research infrastructure
should be developed to update the package
and assess the impact on people’s health. The
Institute of Medicine study was funded by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
ACCESSIBLE ORAL HEALTH CARE
More than 30 million Americans live in areas
with shortages of dental professionals. Lack
of regular oral health care disproportionately
affects the poor, minorities, and other vulnerable
populations. And this lack of access to care can
have serious consequences. Poor oral health is
associated with respiratory disease, cardiovascular
disease, and diabetes, and it may contribute to
the inappropriate use of hospital emergency
departments for preventable dental diseases.

8REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
HEALTH AND
Health care providers and patients need to ensure
that oral health care is treated as an integral
component of overall health, according to two
reports from the Institute of Medicine.
Improving Access to Oral Health Care for
Vulnerable and Underserved Populations says that
although all states must provide comprehensive
dental benefits for children enrolled in Medicaid
or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, they
are not required to provide such services for
adults. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services should fund and evaluate state-based
demonstration projects that cover essential oral
health benefits for adult Medicaid beneficiaries.
Another report, Advancing Oral Health
in America, provides a blueprint for the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to
enhance its leadership role in improving the oral
health and oral health care of the nation. The
report provides a set of organizing principles
for the agency, including emphasizing disease
prevention and oral health promotion and
exploring new models for payment and delivery
of care.
The Institute of Medicine studies were funded
by the Health Resources and Services Administration,
California HealthCare Foundation, and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
USE OF CHIMPANZEES IN RESEARCH
When the National Institutes of Health announced
in 2010 that it would move 176 retired
chimpanzees from a facility in New Mexico
to an active research lab in Texas, a chorus of
disapproval came from a number of policymakers,
animal activists, and others. The outcry prompted
Congress to ask the Institute of Medicine and
National Research Council whether chimpanzees
are necessary for current or future biomedical and
behavioral research.
Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral
Research: Assessing the Necessity says given that
chimpanzees are so closely related to humans
and share similar behavioral traits, NIH should
only allow their use in biomedical research under
stringent conditions — including the absence
of any other suitable model and the inability
to ethically perform the research on people.
Use of these animals should be permissible if
forgoing their use will prevent or significantly
hinder advances necessary to avoid or treat lifethreatening
or debilitating conditions. NIH should
also limit the use of chimpanzees in behavioral
research to studies that provide otherwise
unattainable insights into normal and abnormal
behavior, mental health, emotion, or cognition, the
report says. And animals used in either biomedical

9REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
SAFETY
or behavioral studies must be maintained in
appropriate physical and social environments or in
natural habitats.
Other advanced research tools and methods
have rendered chimpanzees largely unnecessary as
research subjects, the report says. It acknowledged
two possible ongoing uses: the development of a
limited number of monoclonal antibody therapies
already in the pipeline, and development of a
vaccine that would prevent infection by hepatitis
C virus.
Since the report was released, NIH temporarily
banned new studies using chimpanzees and
formed a working group to implement the report’s
guiding principles and criteria. The study was
funded by the National Institutes of Health.

EDUCATION
AND SOCIAL ISSUES
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

STRENGTHENING K-12 STEM EDUCATION
The need for better science and engineering
education in the U.S. has been a long-standing
concern for many business leaders and
policymakers. A growing number of jobs require
knowledge of science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM), as do many decisions
that almost everyone faces in their everyday life.
A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas
identifies the key scientific ideas and practices
that all students should learn by the end of high
school. The new framework is designed so that
students will gradually deepen their knowledge of
core ideas in four disciplinary areas — life sciences;
physical sciences; earth and space sciences; and
engineering, technology, and the applications of
science — rather than acquire shallow knowledge
of many topics. The report strongly emphasizes the
practices of science — helping students learn to
plan and carry out investigations, for example —
and to engage in argumentation from evidence.
The framework recognizes seven crosscutting
concepts that have explanatory value across
much of science and engineering, such as “cause
and effect” and “stability and change.” These
concepts should be taught in the context of core
ideas from the disciplines of science and become
familiar touchstones as students progress from
kindergarten through 12th grade.
Just as important are scientific and engineering
practices, which have been given too little
emphasis in K-12 education. The framework
specifies eight key practices — such as asking
questions and defining problems, and analyzing
and interpreting data — that should be integrated
into and applied throughout students’ K-12
education.
Since the report was released, more than 25
states have announced that they are joining the
effort now under way to develop new science
standards, which would replace those issued more
than a decade ago.
Another report, Successful K-12 STEM
Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, calls for
state, national, and local policymakers to put K-12
science on a par with reading and mathematics
and recommends ways that leaders at all levels
can improve K-12 STEM education. For example,
assessments for science subjects should be done
as frequently as for reading and math, using an
assessment system that supports learning and
understanding. States and national organizations
need to develop assessments that are aligned with
the next generation of science standards, which
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

EDUCATION AND
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
emphasize the practice of science rather than
factual recall.
National and state policymakers should also
invest in helping educators in STEM fields teach
more effectively, the report says. And schools
and school districts should devote adequate
instructional time and resources to science in
grades K-5 to lay a foundation for further study.
Research suggests that interest in science careers
may develop in the elementary school years.
The Research Council studies were funded by
the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the
National Science Foundation.
TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF MILITARY BASE
REALIGNMENTS
In 2005 the Defense Base Realignment and Closure
Commission decided to close several installations
and transfer tens of thousands of military and
civilian personnel at or near 18 U.S. bases. Several
of those bases are located in major metropolitan
areas with already congested roads and highways.
Federal Funding of Transportation Improvements
in BRAC Cases says that transportation and
congestion problems resulting from the
realignment would impose substantial costs on
some of the surrounding communities and could
be detrimental to the military as well.
The U.S. Department of Defense should accept
more financial responsibility for transportation
problems related to military base expansion, just
as private developers pay impact fees to cover
costs for improvements made to access their
sites, the report says. Communities that benefit
economically from the presence of military bases
should also help pay for necessary transportation
improvements. To determine the military’s share of
the costs, a transportation impact study is needed
to assess traffic delays from additional personnel
traveling to and from military bases.
Since the report was released, DOD has agreed
to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for traffic
improvements in the Washington, D.C., area, one
of the regions most affected by the realignment.
The National Research Council study was funded
by the U.S. Department of Defense.

SOCIAL ISSUES
COMMUTES AND PILOT PERFORMANCE
After investigators learned that one of the pilots
of the fatal 2009 Colgan Air crash had commuted
cross-country before the flight, concerns were
raised about whether pilots with long commutes
are arriving to work too tired to fly safely. Congress
asked the National Research Council to examine
the issue.
The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue
says there are not enough data to determine
the degree to which commuting may be a risk
or whether it should be regulated. However,
based on research that shows fatigue can lower
performance, the report says pilots should plan
their commutes and other pre-duty activities so
that they will not have been awake more than 16
hours by the time their duty is completed. They
should also try to sleep at least six hours before
reporting for duty and consider the amount
of time they’ve spent asleep and awake when
deciding whether to fly. For their part, airlines
should consider policies to help pilots plan
commutes that do not affect their performance.
Since the report was released, the Federal
Aviation Administration has established new
rules that limit the length of an airline pilot’s
workday and require pilots to get at least 10 hours
of rest between shifts. The National Research
Council study was funded by the Federal Aviation
Administration.
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

SCIENCE, ENGINEERING,
AND SECURITY

A ‘SYSTEMS SAFETY’ APPROACH TO
OFFSHORE DRILLING
In December 2011 the U.S. Department of the
Interior began auctioning offshore drilling leases in
the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since the 2010
Deepwater Horizon explosion, which killed 11
workers and resulted in the biggest accidental oil
spill in U.S. history.
Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout:
Lessons for Offshore Drilling Safety says that multiple
flawed decisions led to the well blowout and rig
explosion, indicating a lack of effective safety
management among the companies involved
in the disaster. To minimize the risk of such a
catastrophic accident in the future, companies
need to establish a “systems safety” approach
to offshore drilling and anticipate and manage
risk at every level of operation — from ensuring
the integrity of wells to designing well blowout
preventers that function “under all foreseeable
conditions.”
Blowout preventer systems commonly in use
need to be redesigned, rigorously tested, and
maintained to operate reliably. DOI is requiring
offshore drilling companies to develop and follow
procedures for meeting explicit health, safety,
and environmental protection goals, which is a
“good first step” toward an enhanced regulatory
approach, the report says. The DOI regulatory
program should be expanded to a goal-oriented
risk management system that incorporates explicit
regulatory review and approval of the safety-critical
points in the drilling operation. And the United
States should make a single government agency
responsible for integrating system safety for all
offshore drilling activities.
The study by the National Academy of
Engineering and National Research Council was
funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
NEXT-GENERATION CARGO SCANNERS
By law, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
must consider deploying next-generation radiation
detection technology to scan all containers
entering major U.S. ports for radiation. In
response, DHS contracted with a few companies
to develop advanced spectroscopic portals (ASPs)
to replace the current system of radiation portal
monitors and hand-held radioisotope identifiers.
Concerned that DHS might be rushing to deploy
ASPs without properly testing them, Congress
required the secretary of homeland security to
certify that the ASPs will provide a “significant
increase in operational effectiveness” over existing
screening devices before proceeding with full-scale
procurement of the systems. If certified, ASPs could
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SCIENCE, ENGINEERING,
16
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
cost DHS more than $1 billion to purchase, with a
possible net life-cycle cost of more than twice that
figure.
Evaluating Testing, Costs, and Benefits of
Advanced Spectroscopic Portals — Final Report
says that shortcomings in tests to assess the
performance of ASPs impair DHS’s ability to draw
reliable conclusions about their likely performance.
Because the estimated net cost of the new
detectors exceeds that of the existing radiation
monitors, ASPs should be procured only if the
security benefits justify the additional investment,
the report says. And DHS’s draft cost-benefit
analysis, completed to support such decision
making, needs substantial improvement, including
examining more alternatives and better evaluating
how ASPs improve security.
After that report was issued, the secretary ended
the ASP program as it was originally conceived and
followed the report’s recommendations of
refocusing efforts on studying the behavior and
performance of systems already acquired, on
examining a broader set of alternatives to ASPs, and
on developing a solid scientific foundation for future
development, testing, and evaluation. The National
Research Council study was funded by the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
THE FBI AND THE ANTHRAX LETTERS
In the weeks following the September 11 terrorist
attacks of 2001, five people were killed and many
others grew seriously ill when they were exposed
to letters containing spores of the bacterium that
causes anthrax. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
launched an extensive investigation, focusing on
the spores and their origins. The U.S. Department
of Justice concluded in 2010 that Bruce Ivins,
a scientist at the U.S. Army’s infectious disease
laboratory in Frederick, Md., was responsible for
the attacks.
At the FBI’s request, the National Research
Council independently reviewed the scientific
approaches employed by the bureau throughout
its investigation. Review of the Scientific Approaches
Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001
Anthrax Letters says that it is not possible to
reach a definitive conclusion about the origins of
the anthrax letters based solely on the scientific
evidence.
The FBI correctly identified the dominant
organism found in the letters, the report says. In
addition, the spores in the letters and in RMR-1029
— a flask at the Maryland laboratory identified
by DOJ as containing the parent material for the
spores found in the letters — share a number
of genetic similarities. However, while this is

AND SECURITY
consistent with the FBI’s conclusion that the spores
in the letters were derived from RMR-1029, other
possible explanations for the similarities were
not fully explored during the investigation. The
FBI’s scientific data do not rule out other possible
sources.
The National Research Council study was
funded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
PICKING UP THE SPACE TRASH
Man’s venture into space has greatly advanced
scientific understanding of Earth and the universe,
but it has also left behind an unintended
consequence: space junk. Abandoned space
equipment, spent rocket bodies, and fragments
from past collisions in space pose a substantial
long-term threat to spacecraft and astronauts.
The increasing complexity and severity of the
orbital debris environment is outpacing NASA’s
ability to address the threat posed by objects in
orbit, says Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft:
An Assessment of NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital
Debris Programs. Some scenarios generated by
NASA models show that the debris currently in
orbit has reached a point where it will continually
collide and create even more debris, making space
operations ever riskier.
NASA’s meteoroid and orbital debris programs
have used their resources responsibly, but as the
agency tackles new and more complex work
without a commensurate increase in resources, the
agency must stretch available funds and personnel
even further. The report proposes a strategic plan
to help the agency prioritize and streamline its
meteoroid and orbital debris-related operations.
Any long-term solution will involve removing
debris from orbit, which will be a time-consuming
and expensive undertaking. In addition, only
about 30 percent of the objects can be attributed
to the United States. As NASA considers strategies
for debris removal, international diplomatic
communication and political goodwill will be
essential, the report says.
The National Research Council study was
funded by NASA.
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

18
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
MODERNIZATION A SUCCESS
During the 1990s the nation spent approximately
$4.5 billion to modernize and restructure the
National Weather Service. As part of that effort,
NWS deployed five new major technologies and
reconfigured field offices around new concepts for
forecasting and delivering services. Congress asked
the National Research Council to evaluate these
efforts.
The National Weather Service Modernization
and Associated Restructuring: A Retrospective
Assessment says that despite schedule and budget
overruns, the investment was needed and wellspent.
Science has been more greatly integrated
into weather services, and new technologies such
as a system to automate surface observations
and a network of advanced Doppler radars have
significantly increased the amount of data and
information available to field forecasters, academia,
the private sector, and the general public.
The modernization improved outreach and
coordination with state and local governments,
emergency management, and communities and
dramatically enhanced forecast and warning
products. However, certain aspects of weather
forecasts and warning still need improvement,
the report says. For example, the performance
of hurricane track forecasts has seen gains, but
hurricane intensity forecasts have not.
A second report, due in summer 2012, will
draw on lessons learned from the modernization to
advise NWS on how best to plan and implement
future improvements. The National Research
Council study was funded by the U.S. Department
of Commerce.

NATURAL RESOURCES
AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

NATURAL RESOURCES
20
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
EFFECTS OF U.S. BIOFUEL POLICY
To encourage the production of clean renewable
fuels and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil,
Congress set ambitious mandates in the 2007
Energy Independence and Security Act for the
domestic consumption of biofuels. The mandates
specify amounts of different types of biofuels to be
consumed by 2022.
Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic
and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy
says an adequate volume of corn-grain ethanol
is expected to be produced to meet the
consumption mandate for conventional biofuels.
However, for cellulosic biofuels — those produced
from wood, grasses, or non-edible plant parts
like corn stalks — the consumption mandate of
16 billion gallons is not likely to be met without
any major technological innovation or policy
changes. Even if the consumption mandate is met,
the extent to which using biofuels will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions compared with using
petroleum is uncertain, the report adds.
Cellulosic biofuels will only be competitive
economically in an environment characterized
by high oil prices, technological breakthroughs,
and a high implicit or actual carbon price. Unless
agricultural yields and the efficiency of converting
biomass to fuels improve substantially, increasing
U.S. biofuel production is expected to create
competition among different land uses, raise
cropland prices, and increase the cost of food and
feed production.
The National Research Council study was
funded through the U.S. Department of Treasury.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF FORMALDEHYDE
Formaldehyde is an important industrial chemical
used in a wide array of products. The chemical
is emitted from many sources, including power
plants, cars, gas and wood stoves, and cigarettes,
and it is also present naturally in some foods
and in the human body. In June 2010, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency released a draft
health assessment of formaldehyde and asked the
National Research Council to assess the draft.
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde found that
EPA’s draft adequately supported its conclusions
that formaldehyde can cause irritation to the eyes,
nose, and throat; lesions in the respiratory tract;
and genetic mutations at high concentrations.
Furthermore, the evidence is sufficient for EPA
to conclude that formaldehyde exposures are a
cause of cancers of the nose, nasal cavity, and
upper throat. However, the draft assessment
did not adequately support its conclusions

AND THE ENVIRONMENT
that formaldehyde causes other cancers of the
respiratory tract, leukemia, or several other
noncancer health outcomes.
Overall, the report concludes that EPA’s draft
needs substantial revision. The draft was not
prepared in a consistent fashion, lacks clear links to
an underlying conceptual framework, and does not
clearly explain EPA’s methods and criteria used for
selecting and evaluating studies or for assessing the
weight of evidence.
Many of the problems are similar to those
noted in previous Research Council reviews of
other chemicals assessed by EPA. Issues with clarity
and transparency of methods have occurred over
the last decade, even though the documents have
grown considerably in length. If the methodology
issues are not addressed, future assessments
may suffer from the same general problems. The
report provides basic guidance for addressing the
fundamental problems.
Since the report was released, Congress
required EPA to follow the Research Council’s
recommendations not only for the formaldehyde
assessment but also for the agency’s future health
assessments. The National Research Council study
was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
AMERICA’S CLIMATE CHOICES
In one of its most comprehensive examinations
of climate change to date, the National Research
Council produced a suite of reports called America’s
Climate Choices. More than 90 experts — not
only climate scientists but also economists,
business leaders, engineers, sociologists, former
public officials, and many others — were brought
together for the effort.
The risk of dangerous climate change
impacts is growing with every ton of greenhouse
gases emitted into the atmosphere, says the
final report in the series. The preponderance of
scientific evidence points to human activities —
especially the release of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — as the
most likely cause for most of the global warming
that has occurred over the last several decades. The
report reiterates the pressing need for substantial
action to limit the magnitude of climate change
and to prepare to adapt to its impacts.
A coordinated national response to climate
change is required, and substantial reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions should be among
the highest priorities in this effort. Yet even with
aggressive cuts in emissions, the nation still needs
to mobilize to reduce vulnerability to climate
change impacts. While adaptation planning
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

22
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
largely occurs at the state and local level, the
federal government should help coordinate and
inform these efforts, and it should take the lead in
collecting and sharing climate change information
to ensure that pertinent knowledge is used to
inform decisions. The series of studies by the
National Research Council was sponsored by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
REVIEW OF CALIFORNIA’S BAY DELTA
CONSERVATION PLAN
The California Bay Delta region is a large, complex
ecosystem that has been substantially altered
to supply water for urban and agricultural use
for the region and much of the state. The Bay
Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) aims to gain
authorization for a project that would divert water
from the northern part of the delta to the south,
while simultaneously protecting the region’s
ecosystems. The National Research Council was
asked to examine a draft of the plan, which is
slated for completion by 2013 and would be
implemented over the next 50 years.
A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive
Management in California’s Draft Bay Delta
Conservation Plan says that the plan has critical
missing components, including a scientific analysis
or “effects analysis” of the proposed project’s
potential impacts on delta species. Without this
analysis, which was still being prepared at the
time of the Research Council’s examination, it
is hard to evaluate alternative mitigation and
conservation actions. The BDCP lacks clarity in
its purpose, which makes it difficult to properly
understand, interpret, and review the science that
underlies the plan, stated the panel that wrote
the report. Specifically, it is unclear whether the
BDCP is exclusively a habitat conservation plan to
be used as an application to “take” — meaning to
injure, harass, or kill — listed species incidentally
or whether it is intended to be a plan that achieves
the co-equal goals of providing reliable water
supply and protecting and enhancing the delta
ecosystem. The Research Council study was
funded by the U.S. departments of the Interior and
Commerce.

Studies and Projects Completed in 2011
DEFENSE, SECURITY, AND SPACE
2009-2010 Assessment of the Army Research Laboratory
Animal Models for Assessing Countermeasures to Bioterrorism
Agents
Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles,
Vessels, and Aircraft
Assessment of Approaches for Using Process Safety Metrics at
the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot
Plants
Continuing Assistance to the National Institutes of Health
on Preparation of Additional Risk Assessments for the Boston
University NEIDL, Phase 3
Evaluating Testing, Costs, and Benefits of Advanced
Spectroscopic Portals — Final Report (Abbreviated Version)
(page 15)
Examination of the U.S. Air Force’s Aircraft Sustainment
Needs in the Future and Its Strategy to Meet Those Needs
Industrial Methods for the Effective Development and Testing
of Defense Systems
An Interim Report on NASA’s Technology Roadmap
Opportunities in Protection Materials Science and Technology
for Future Army Applications
Preparing for the High Frontier: The Role and Training of
NASA Astronauts in the Post-Space Shuttle Era
Protecting the Frontline in Biodefense Research: The Special
Immunizations Program
Public Response to Alerts and Warnings on Mobile Devices
— Summary of a Workshop on Current Knowledge and
Research Gaps
Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical
Sciences Research for a New Era
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
Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s
Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters (page 16)
Sharing the Adventure With the Public: The Value and
Excitement of ‘Grand Questions’ of Space Science and
Exploration — Summary of a Workshop
Sociocultural Data to Accomplish Department of Defense
Missions: Toward a Unified Social Framework
23
Life Sciences and Related Fields: Trends Relevant to the
Biological Weapons Convention
Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of
NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs (page 17)
Materials Needs and Research and Development Strategy for
Future Military Aerospace Propulsion Systems
National Security Implications of Climate Change for U.S.
Naval Forces
Summary of the Workshop to Identify Gaps and Possible
Directions for NASA’s Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris
Programs
Understanding and Managing Risk in Security Systems for
the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex
Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade
2013-2022
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

24
EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Allocating Federal Funds for State Programs for English
Language Learners
Assessing 21st Century Skills — Summary of a Workshop
Assessing the Impact of Severe Economic Recession on the
Elderly — Summary of a Workshop
Budgeting for Immigration Enforcement: A Path to Better
Performance
Change and the 2020 Census: Not Whether But How
Climate Change Education: Goals, Audiences, and Strategies
— A Workshop Summary
Communicating Science and Engineering Data in the
Information Age
The Early Childhood Care and Education Workforce:
Challenges and Opportunities — A Workshop Report
The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue (page 13)
Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income
Countries
Facilitating Innovation in the Federal Statistical System —
Summary of a Workshop
Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit
Drug Crops
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices,
Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (page 11)
Intelligence Analysis for Tomorrow: Advances From the
Behavioral and Social Sciences
Issues in Commuting and Pilot Fatigue — Interim Report
Pathways to Urban Sustainability: Lessons From the Atlanta
Metropolitan Region — Summary of a Workshop
A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia’s Public
Schools: From Impressions to Evidence
Promising Practices in Undergraduate Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics Education — Summary of
Two Workshops
Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence — Third Edition
Research-Doctorate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences:
Selected Findings From the NRC Assessment
Review of Disability and Rehabilitation Research: NIDRR
Grantmaking Processes and Products
The Science and Applications of Synthetic and Systems
Biology — Workshop Summary
Social and Economic Costs of Violence — Workshop
Summary
Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective
Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (page 11)
Successful STEM Education — A Workshop Summary
Threatening Communications and Behavior: Perspectives on
the Pursuit of Public Figures
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
The Future of Federal Household Surveys — A Workshop
Summary
Health Care Comes Home: The Human Factors
Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice
and Research
Incentives and Test-Based Accountability in Education
Intelligence Analysis: Behavioral and Social Scientific
Foundations
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne
Chemicals — Vol. 10
Advancing Oral Health in America (page 7)
Advancing Regulatory Science for Medical Countermeasure
Development — Workshop Summary
Adverse Effects of Vaccines: Evidence and Causality

Allied Health Workforce and Services — Workshop Summary
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange
Exposure
Breast Cancer and the Environment: A Life Course Approach
The Causes and Impacts of Neglected Tropical and
Zoonotic Diseases: Opportunities for Integrated Intervention
Strategies — Workshop Summary
Child and Adolescent Health and Health Care Quality:
Measuring What Matters
Chimpanzees in Biomedical and Behavioral Research:
Assessing the Necessity (page 8)
Climate Change, The Indoor Environment, and Health
Clinical Data as the Basic Staple of Health Learning: Creating
and Protecting a Public Good — Workshop Summary
Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust
For the Public’s Health: Revitalizing Law and Policy to Meet
New Challenges
Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols:
Promoting Healthier Choices (page 5)
Fungal Diseases: An Emerging Threat to Human, Animal, and
Plant Health — Workshop Summary
Generating Evidence for Genomic Diagnostic Test
Development — Workshop Summary
Geographic Adjustment in Medicare Payment: Phase I,
Improving Accuracy — Second Edition (page 5)
Glutamate-Related Biomarkers in Drug Development for
Disorders of the Nervous System — Workshop Summary
Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for
Better Care
Health Literacy Implications for Health Care Reform —
Workshop Summary
Clinical Preventive Services for Women: Closing the Gaps
Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury:
Evaluating the Evidence
Critical Needs and Gaps in Understanding Prevention,
Amelioration, and Resolution of Lyme and Other Tick-Borne
Diseases: The Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes —
Workshop Report
Digital Infrastructure for the Learning Health System: The
Foundation for Continuous Improvement in Health and
Health Care — Workshop Series Summary
Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies
Engineering a Learning Healthcare System: A Look at the
Future — Workshop Summary
Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Coverage and Cost
(page 7)
Facilitating Collaborations to Develop Combination
Investigational Cancer Therapies — Workshop Summary
Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for
Systematic Reviews
The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding
The Healthcare Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving
Outcomes — Workshop Series Summary
HIV Screening and Access to Care: Exploring the Impact of
Policies on Access to and Provision of HIV Care
HIV Screening and Access to Care: Health Care System
Capacity for Increased HIV Testing and Provision of Care
Hunger and Obesity: Understanding a Food Insecurity
Paradigm — Workshop Summary
Implementing a National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the
21st Century — Workshop Summary
Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and
Underserved Populations (page 7)
Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health
Impact Assessment
Improving Health Literacy Within a State — Workshop
Summary
25
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Innovations in Health Literacy — Workshop Summary
Prepositioning Antibiotics for Anthrax
26
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Integrating Large-Scale Genomic Information Into Clinical
Practice — Workshop Summary
Legal Strategies in Childhood Obesity Prevention —
Workshop Summary
Leveraging Food Technology for Obesity Prevention and
Reduction Effort — Workshop Summary
Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in
Iraq and Afghanistan
Medical Devices and the Public’s Health: The FDA’s 510(k)
Clearance Process at 35 Years (page 6)
Nanotechnology and Oncology — Workshop Summary
The National Cancer Policy Summit: Opportunities and
Challenges in Cancer Research and Care — Workshop
Summary
A Nationwide Framework for Surveillance of Cardiovascular
and ChronicLung Diseases
Nineteenth Interim Report of the Committee on Acute
Exposure Guideline Levels: Part A
Nineteenth Interim Report of the Committee on Acute
Exposure Guideline Levels: Part B
Nutrition and Traumatic Brain Injury: Improving Acute and
Subacute Health Outcomes in Military Personnel
Patient-Centered Cancer Treatment Planning: Improving the
Quality of Oncology Care — Workshop Summary
Patients Charting the Course: Citizen Engagement in the
Learning Health System — Workshop Summary
Perspectives on Biomarker and Surrogate Endpoint Evaluation
— Discussion Forum Summary
Perspectives on Essential Health Benefits — Workshop Report
The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food Safety
and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data
Preparedness and Response to a Rural Mass Casualty
Incident — Workshop Summary
Preventing Transmission of Pandemic Influenza and Other
Viral Respiratory Diseases: Personal Protective Equipment for
Healthcare Personnel, Update 2010
Preventing Violence Against Women and Children —
Workshop Summary
Promoting Health Literacy to Encourage Prevention and
Wellness — Workshop Summary
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and
Management of Chemical Hazards, Updated Version
Public Engagement and Clinical Trials: New Models and
Disruptive Technologies — Workshop Summary
Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming
Prevention, Care, Education, and Research
The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Lecture 2011: New
Frontiers in Patient Safety
A Risk-Characterization Framework for Decision-Making at
the Food and Drug Administration
Scientific Standards for Studies on Modified Risk Tobacco
Products
State and Local Policy Initiatives to Reduce Health Disparities
— Workshop Summary
Strengthening a Workforce for Innovative Regulatory Science
in Therapeutics Development — Workshop Summary
Updating the USDA National Breastfeeding Campaign —
Workshop Summary
Twentieth Interim Report of the Committee on Acute
Exposure Guideline Levels: Part A
Twentieth Interim Report of the Committee on Acute
Exposure Guideline Levels: Part B
Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2010

INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, AND TECHNOLOGY
Achieving High-Performance Federal Facilities: Strategies
and Approaches for Transformational Change — A
Workshop Report
Final Report of the Committee to Review Proposals to the
2011 Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program
The Future of Photovoltaic Manufacturing in the United
States — Summary of Two Symposia
Grand Challenges in Earthquake Engineering Research —
A Community Workshop Report
Growing Innovation Clusters for American Prosperity —
Summary of a Symposium
Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout: Lessons for
Improving Offshore Drilling Safety (page 15)
National Earthquake Resilience: Research, Implementation,
and Outreach
Building the 21st Century: U.S.-China Cooperation on
Science, Technology, and Innovations — Summary of a
Symposium
Designing the Microbial Research Commons — Proceedings
of an International Workshop
The Emerging Threat of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in
Southern Africa: Global and Local Challenges and Solutions
— Workshop Summary
Exploring Sustainable Solutions for Increasing Global Food
Supplies — Report of a Workshop
Global Technology: Changes and Implications — Summary
of a Forum
Measuring Food Insecurity and Assessing the Sustainability of
Global Food Systems — Report of Workshop
The New Profile of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Russia:
A Global and Local Perspective — Summary of a Joint
Workshop
Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp
Predicting Outcomes From Investments in Maintenance
and Repair for Federal Facilities
Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly
Approaching Category 5, Condensed Version
Strategies and Priorities for Information Technology at the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Transforming Combustion Research Through
Cyberinfrastructure
Wireless Technology Prospects and Policy Options
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Animal Research in a Global Environment: Meeting
the Challenges — Proceedings of the November 2008
International Workshop
Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High
Containment Biological Laboratories — Summary of a
Workshop
Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological
and Toxin Weapons Convention — Summary of an
International Workshop, October 31 to November 3, 2010,
Beijing, China
U.S. and International Perspectives on Global Science Policy
and Science Diplomacy — Report of a Workshop
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the
Chesapeake Bay: An Evaluation of Program Strategies and
Implementation
America’s Climate Choices (page 21)
Approaches for Ecosystem Services Valuation for the Gulf
of Mexico After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill — Interim
Report
Assessing Requirements for Sustained Ocean Color Research
and Operations
Assessing the Relationship Between Propagule Pressure and
Invasion Risk in Ballast Water
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REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Critical Infrastructure for Ocean Research and Societal Needs
in 2030
Frontiers in Understanding Climate Change and Polar
Ecosystems — Summary of a Workshop
Future Science Opportunities in Antarctica and the Southern
Ocean
Global Change and Extreme Hydrology: Testing Conventional
Wisdom
How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making
Ends Meet — A Summary of the June 3, 2010, Workshop of
the Disasters Roundtable
THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE
An Assessment of the Deep Underground Science and
Engineering Laboratory
An Assessment of the National Institute for Standards and
Technology Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology:
Fiscal Year 2011
An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Center for Neutron Research: Fiscal Year 2011
An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Information Technology Laboratory: Fiscal Year
2011
28
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Increasing National Resilience to Hazards and Disasters: The
Perspective From the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi
— Summary of a Workshop
National Water Resources Challenges Facing the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers
The National Weather Service Modernization and Associated
Restructuring: A Retrospective Assessment (page 18)
Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and
Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy (page 20)
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Draft IRIS
Assessment of Formaldehyde (page 20)
Review of the St. Johns River Water Supply Impact Study —
Final Report
A Review of the Use of Science and Adaptive Management in
California’s Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan (page 22)
Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
Twenty-First Century Ecosystems: Managing the Living World
Two Centuries After Darwin — Report of a Symposium
Understanding Earth’s Deep Past: Lessons for Our Climate
Future
Uranium Mining in Virginia: Scientific, Technical,
Environmental, Human Health and Safety, and Regulatory
Aspects of Uranium Mining and Processing in Virginia
Waste Forms Technology and Performance — Final Report
Chemistry in Primetime and Online: Communicating
Chemistry in Informal Environments
Examining Core Elements of International Research
Collaboration — Summary of a Workshop
Frontiers of Engineering 2011: Reports on Leading-Edge
Engineering From the 2011 Symposium
Guidance for the Description of Animal Research in Scientific
Publications
Information Sharing and Collaboration: Applications to
Integrated Biosurveillance — Workshop Summary
Learning What Works: Infrastructure Required for
Comparative Effectiveness Research — Workshop Summary
Measuring the Impacts of Federal Investments in Research —
A Workshop Summary
NAKFI Seeing the Future With Imaging Science:
Interdisciplinary Research Team Summaries
New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences
Report of a Workshop of Pedagogical Aspects of
Computational Thinking
Report of the Committee on Proposal Evaluation for
Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of
Molecular Dynamics — Second Round
Research in the Life Sciences With Dual Use Potential: An
International Faculty Development Project on Education
About the Responsible Conduct of Science

Scientific Ocean Drilling: Accomplishments and Challenges
Toward an Integrated Science of Research on Families —
Workshop Report
Toward Precision Medicine: Building a Knowledge Network
for Biomedical Research and a New Taxonomy of Disease
TRANSPORTATION
75 Years of the Fundamental Diagram for Traffic Flow
Theory: Greenshields Symposium
8-55A Logical Model for Implementing a Geospatially
Enabled Enterprise-Wide Information
Management System
Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practices
(Workshop Edition 2010)
Adapting Specification Criteria for Simple Performance Tests
to HMA [Hot-Mix Asphalt] Mix Design
The Alternative Fuels Investigation Tool (FIT) for ACRP
Report 46
Analysis of State Rural Intercity Bus Strategies: Requirements
for Utilization of S.5311(f) Funding
Application of Accelerated Bridge Construction Connections in
Moderate-to-High Seismic Regions
Asphalt Materials and Mixtures 2011, Vol. 1
Asphalt Materials and Mixtures 2011, Vol. 3
Asphalt Materials and Mixtures 2011, Vol. 4
Automated Decision Tool and Other Appendixes to NCHRP
[National Cooperative Highway Research Program] Report
699
Automated Imaging Technologies for Pavement Distress
Surveys
Aviation 2011
Bicycles 2010
Adapting Transportation to the Impacts of Climate Change:
State of the Practice 2011
Advancing Regional Transportation Operations — A National
Workshop
Air Traffic Controller Staffing in the En Route Domain: A
Review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Task Load
Model
Airline and Airline-Airport Consortiums to Manage Terminals
and Equipment
Airport Forecasting Risk Assessment Program for ACRP
[Airports Cooperative Research Program] Report 48
Airport Industry Familiarization and Training for Part-Time
Airport Policy Makers
Airport Insurance Coverage and Risk Management Practices
Airport Self-Inspection Practices
AirportGEAR [interactive decision support tool] and
Supplemental Material
Bicycles 2011
Bird Harassment, Repellent, and Deterrent Techniques for Use
on and Near Airports
Bituminous Materials and Mixtures 2010, Vol. 1
Bituminous Materials and Mixtures 2010, Vol. 2
The Carbon Market: A Primer for Airports
Cast-in-Place Concrete Connections for Precast Deck Systems
Collaborative Airport Capital Planning Handbook
Collection of Practices for ACRP Report 42
Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program:
A Status Report
Commodity Flow Survey Workshop
Common Airport Pavement Maintenance Practices
Communication With Vulnerable Populations: A
Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit
29
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

30
A Comparison of AASHTO [American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials] Bridge Load Rating
Methods
Compendium of Performance Measures for NCHRP Report
708
Concrete Materials 2011
Construction 2010, Vol. 2
Construction 2011
Cost/Benefit Analysis of Converting a Lane for Bus Rapid
Transit — Phase II Evaluation and Methodology
Cost-Effective Connection Details for Highway Sign,
Luminaire, and Traffic Signal Structures
Costs of Alternative Revenue-Generation Systems
Critical Issues in Aviation and the Environment
Crossing Solutions at Roundabouts and Channelized Turn
Lanes for Pedestrians With Vision Disabilities (with supporting
materials online)
Current Airport Inspection Practices Regarding FOD (Foreign
Object Debris/Damage)
Decision Making for Outsourcing and Privatization of Vehicle
and Equipment Fleet Maintenance
Decision-Making Tool for Evaluating Passenger Self-Tagging
Design Fires in Road Tunnels
Determining Highway Maintenance Costs
Developing Countries 2010
Developing Countries 2011
Developing Production Pile Driving Criteria From Test Pile
Data
Development of a Precast Bent Cap System for Seismic
Regions
Development of the Selection Assistant for Utility Locating
Technologies
Development of Warranty Programs for Hot-Mix Asphalt
Dynamic Traffic Assignment: A Primer
Economics, Demand Management, and Parking Policy
Effective Delivery of Small-Scale Federal-Aid Projects
Effects of Psychoactive Chemicals on Commercial Driver
Health and Performance: Stimulants, Hypnotics, Nutritional,
and Other Supplements
Emerging Technologies Applicable to Hazardous Materials
Transportation Safety and Security
Energy and Global Climate Change 2010
Enhanced Modeling of Aircraft Taxiway Noise — Scoping
Enhancing Internal Trip Capture Estimation for Mixed-Use
Developments
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Design Guidelines for Increasing the Lateral Resistance of
Highway-Bridge Pile Foundations by Improving Weak Soils
Design of Concrete Structures Using High-Strength Steel
Reinforcement
Design of FRP [Fiber-Reinforced Polymer] Systems for
Strengthening Concrete Girders in Shear
Design of the In-Vehicle Driving Behavior and Crash Risk
Study
Determining Guidelines for Ramp and Interchange Spacing
Environment 2011
Equity of Evolving Transportation Finance Mechanisms
Estimation of Demand for Rural Intercity Bus Services Toolkit
e-Transit: Electronic Business Strategies for Public
Transportation, Vol. 9: Transit Enterprise Architecture and
Planning Framework
Evaluation and Performance Measurement of Congestion
Pricing Projects

Evaluation of Bridge Scour Research: Abutment and
Contraction Scour Processes and Prediction
Evaluation of Bridge Scour Research: Geomorphic Processes
and Predictions
Evaluation of Bridge Scour Research: Pier Scour Processes and
Predictions
Evaluation of Data Needs, Crash Surrogates, and Analysis
Methods to Address Lane Departure Research Questions
Using Naturalistic Driving Study Data
Evaluation of Safety Strategies at Signalized Intersections
Fair Disclosure and Airport Impact Statements in Real Estate
Transfers
Feasibility of a Consolidated Security Credential for Persons
who Transport Hazardous Materials
Feasibility of Using In-Vehicle Video Data to Explore How to
Modify Driver Behavior That Causes Nonrecurring Congestion
Federal Funding of Transportation Improvements in BRAC
Cases (page 12)
Framework and Tools for Estimating Benefits of Specific
Freight Network Investments
Freeway Operations; Regional Systems Management and
Operations; Managed Lanes 2011
Freight Facility Location Selection: A Guide for Public Officials
(with background research material)
Guide for Implementing a Geospatially Enabled Enterprisewide
Information Management System for Transportation
Agency Real Estate Offices (includes supplemental CD-ROM)
Guide for Pavement-Type Selection
Guide to Improving Capability for Systems Operations and
Management
Guide to Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel
Time Reliability
Guide to the Decision-Making Tool for Evaluating Passenger
Self-Tagging and Appendix A: Research Documentation
Guidebook for Conducting Local Hazardous Materials
Commodity Flow Studies
Guidebook for Developing and Leasing Airport Property
Guidebook for Developing and Managing Airport Contracts
(with appendixes online)
Guidebook for Evaluating Fuel Choices for Post-2010 Transit
Bus Procurements
A Guidebook for the Preservation of Public-Use Airports (with
supplemental material on CD-ROM and online)
A Guidebook for Successful Communication, Cooperation,
and Coordination Strategies Between Transportation
Agencies and Tribal Communities
A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for
Transportation Agencies
31
Freight Operations 2011
Freight Systems 2011: Modeling and Performance Measures
Freight Transportation Surveys
Geology and Properties of Earth Materials 2011
Geomaterials 2011
Geometric Design Practices for Resurfacing, Restoration, and
Rehabilitation
A Guide for Assessing Community Emergency Response
Needs and Capabilities for Hazardous Materials Releases
Guidebook of Practices for Improving Environmental
Performance at Small Airports (with supplemental material
on CD-ROM)
Guidelines for Ramp and Interchange Spacing
Guidelines for the Preservation of High-Traffic-Volume
Roadways
Guidelines on the Use of Auxiliary Through Lanes at
Signalized Intersections
A Handbook for Addressing Water Resource Issues Affecting
Airport Development Planning
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

32
Handbook for Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Alternative
Aviation Turbine Engine Fuels at Airports (with CD-ROM)
Handbook for Considering Practical Greenhouse Gas
Emission Reduction Strategies for Airports
Highway Capacity Manual 2010
Highway Design 2010
Highway Safety Management; Safety Workforce
Development; School Transportation
Highway Safety Performance, Statistical Methods, and
Visualization
Highway Safety: Behavior, Management, and Roundabouts
How We Travel: A Sustainable National Program for Travel
Data
Human Performance, Simulation, and User Information
Human Performance, Simulation, and User Information
Research
Hydroacoustic Impacts on Fish From Pile Installation
Identification of Local Matching Fund Requirements for State-
Administered Federal and Non-Federal Public Transportation
Programs
Identification of Results-Oriented Public Involvement
Strategies Between Transportation Agencies and Native
American Tribal Communities
Identification, Prevention, and Remedies for False Claims in
Highway Improvement Contracting
Information Systems, Geographic Information Systems, and
Advanced Computing 2010
Information Systems, Geographic Information Systems, and
Advanced Computing 2011
Innovative Rural Transit Services
Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time
Reliability
Intelligent Transportation Systems and Vehicle-Highway
Automation 2010
Interactive Resource Guide for ACRP Report 19, Vol. 2
International Transit Studies Program; Report on the
Fall 2010 Mission: Public Transportation Systems as the
Foundation for Economic Growth
International Transit Studies Program; Report on the Spring
2010 Mission: Funding for Infrastructure Maintenance:
Achieving and Sustaining a State of Good Repair
International Transit Studies Program; Report on the
Spring 2011 Mission: Sustainable Public Transportation:
Environmentally Friendly Mobility
Investigating Safety Impacts of Energy Technologies on
Airports and Aviation
Investigation of Short-Term Laboratory Aging of Neat and
Modified Asphalt Binders
Legal Arrangements for Use and Control of Real-Time Data
Legal Aspects Relevant to Outsourcing Transit Functions Not
Traditionally Outsourced
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Impact of Jet Fuel Price Uncertainty on Airport Planning and
Development (with CRP-CD-93)
Implementing Race-Neutral Measures in State
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs
Improved Models for Risk Assessment of Runway Safety Areas
(with supplemental material on CD-ROM)
Improving Mobility for Veterans
Improving Safety-Related Rules Compliance in the Public
Transportation Industry
Low-Volume Roads 2011, Vol. 1
Low-Volume Roads 2011, Vol. 2
Low-Volume Roads 2011, Vol. 3
LRFD [Load and Resistance Factor Design] Metal Loss and
Service-Life Strength Reduction Factors for Metal-Reinforced
Systems
Maintenance and Preservation of Pavements
Maintenance and Preservation of Structures and Equipment

A Manual for Design of Hot-Mix Asphalt With Commentary
(with supporting materials online)
Manual for Emulsion-Based Chip Seals for Pavement
Preservation
Marine Transportation and Marine Terminal Operations
2011
Mix Design Practices for Warm Mix Asphalt
Modeling Operating Speed
Models to Support State-Owned Park and Ride Lots and
Intermodal Facilities
Multi-State Freight Transportation Organizations
Naval Engineering in the 21st Century: The Science and
Technology Foundation for Future Naval Fleets
Policy Options for Reducing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas
Emissions for U.S. Transportation
Potential Safety Benefits of Motor Carrier Operational
Efficiencies
Practices in the Development and Deployment of Downtown
Circulators
Practices That Enhance Environmental Stewardship
Practices to Protect Bus Operators From Passenger Assault
Precision of the Dynamic Modulus and Flow Number Tests
Conducted With the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester
Precision Statements for AASHTO Standard Methods of Test
T 148, T 265, T 267, and T 283
Preservation Approaches for High-Traffic-Volume Roadways
Network Modeling 2010, Vol. 1
Network Modeling 2010, Vol. 2
Operational and Institutional Agreements That Facilitate
Regional Traffic Signal Operations
Operational Effects of Geometrics and Access Management
2011
Optimizing the Use of Aircraft Deicing and Anti-Icing Fluids;
Fact Sheets: De/Anti-Icing Optimization
Passenger Level of Service and Spatial Planning for Airport
Terminals
Pavement Management 2011, Vol. 2
Pavement Management 2011, Vol. 3
Pedestrians 2010
Performance Measures for Freight Transportation
Performance of Corrugated Pipe Manufactured with Recycled
Polyethylene Content
A Performance-Related Specification for Hot-Mixed Asphalt
Planning 2011, Vol. 1
Procedures for Verification and Validation of Computer
Simulations Used for Roadside Safety Applications
Producing Transportation Data Products From the American
Community Survey That Comply With Disclosure Rules
Professional Certification and Credentialing Program for the
Transit Industry
Proposed Specifications for LRFD Soil-Nailing Design and
Construction
Protocols for Collecting and Using Traffic Data in Bridge
Design
Public Participation Strategies for Transit
Public-Sector Aviation: Graduate Research Award Papers,
2009-2010
Ramp Safety Practices
Recycling and Reclamation of Asphalt Pavements Using
In-Place Methods
Reductions in Transit Service or Increases in Fares: Civil
Rights, ADA, Regulatory, and Environmental Justice
Implications
Reinventing the Urban Interstate: A New Paradigm for
Multimodal Corridors
33
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Requirements and Feasibility of a System for Archiving and
Disseminating Data From SHRP 2 Reliability and Related
Studies
Research and Education 2010
Research and Education 2011
Resource Guide for Commingling ADA and Non-ADA
Paratransit Riders
Resource Guide to Airport Performance Indicators
Resource Manual for Airport In-Terminal Concessions
Soil Mechanics 2011
Special Mixture Design Considerations and Methods for
Warm Mix Asphalt — A Supplement to NCHRP Report 673:
A Manual for Design of Hot Mix Asphalt With Commentary
Speed Reduction Techniques for Rural High-to-Low Speed
Transitions
State Department of Transportation Public Transportation
Performance Measures: State of the Practice and Future
Needs
Statewide Transit Goal Setting
34
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Revenue, Finance, and Economics
Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Second Report
A Review of Human Services Transportation Plans and Grant
Programs
Review of Mexican Experience with the Regulation of Large
Commercial Motor Vehicles
Rheological Characterization of Flow Table Reference Material
Risk Assessment Method to Support Modification of Airfield
Separation Standards
Risk Assessment of Proposed ARFF [Aircraft Rescue and Fire
Fighting] Standards
Road Pricing: Public Perceptions and Program Development
Roadway Measurement System Evaluation
Runway Safety Area Risk Analysis Tool for ACRP Report 50
Safety Data, Analysis, and Evaluation 2011, Vol. 1
Scour at Wide Piers and Long Skewed Piers
Sensitivity Analyses for Flexible Pavement Design with the
Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide
Sharing the Costs of Human Services Transportation, Vol.
1: The Transportation Services Cost Sharing Toolkit (with
supplemental material on CD-ROM); Vol. 2: Research Report
Soil Mechanics 2010
Strategies and Financing Opportunities for Airport
Environmental Programs
Strategies for Reuse of Underutilized or Vacant Airport
Facilities
Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation
Workforce
Strollers, Carts, and Other Large Items on Buses and Trains
Structural Integrity of Offshore Wind Turbines: Oversight of
Design, Fabrication, and Installation
Summary of Cast-in-Place Concrete Connections for Precast
Deck Systems
Supplemental Materials for NCFRP [National Cooperative
Freight Research Program] Project 14
Survey of Minimum Standards: Commercial Aeronautical
Activities at Airports
Sustainability and Livability; Economic, Environmental, and
Societal Impacts
Techniques for Effective Highway Construction Projects in
Congested Urban Areas
Test Methods and Specification Criteria for Mineral Filler Used
in Hot Mix Asphalt
Toolkit for Estimating Demand for Rural Intercity Bus Services
(with supporting documentation on CD-ROM)

Trade-Off Considerations in Highway Geometric Design
Traffic Control Devices, Visibility, and Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings 2011
Traffic Flow Theory 2011: Simulation Modeling
Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics 2010
Traffic Signal Systems 2010
Transit 2010, Vol. 2
Transit 2011, Vol. 2
Transit 2011, Vol. 3
Transit 2011, Vol. 4
Transit Agency Compliance With Title VI: Limited English
Proficiency Requirements
Transit Asset Condition Reporting
Transit-Oriented and Joint Development: Case Studies and
Legal Issues (includes supplemental CD-ROM and appendixes
online)
Transportation Improvement Program Revision Process
Travel Behavior 2011, Vol. 1
Travel Behavior 2011, Vol. 2
Travel Survey Methods, Freight Data Systems, and Asset
Management 2011
TRIS Turns 40: Results of a 2007 User Satisfaction Survey on
the Transportation Research Information Service
Uses of Risk Management and Data Management to Support
Target-Setting for Performance-Based Resource Allocation by
Transportation Agencies
Validation of LRFD Metal Loss and Service-Life Strength
Reduction Factors for Metal-Reinforced Systems
Vehicle Safety: Truck, Bus, and Motorcycle
Video Surveillance Uses by Rail Transit Agencies
Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and
Landside
Women’s Issues in Transportation; Summary of the 4th
International Conference, Vol. 1: Conference Overview and
Plenary Papers
Women’s Issues in Transportation; Summary of the 4th
International Conference, Vol. 2: Technical Papers
Worksheets for Assessing Community Emergency Response
Needs for HMCRP [Hazardous Materials Cooperative
Research Program] Report 5
35
Truck Drayage Productivity Guide (with supplemental
materials on CD-ROM)
Truck Tolling: Understanding Industry Tradeoffs When Using
or Avoiding Toll Facilities
Use and Deployment of Mobile Device Technology for Real-
Time Transit Information
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Current Congressionally Authorized Activities*
Public Law
112-95 FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011
Review the enterprise architecture for the NextGen
Study the assumptions and methods used by the Federal Aviation Administration to estimate staffing needs
for FAA systems specialists to ensure proper maintenance and certification of the national airspace system
Study the standards used by the FAA to estimate staffing needs for FAA air traffic controllers to ensure the
safe operation of the national airspace system in the most cost-effective manner
Review the research plan developed by the FAA administrator on the methods and procedures to improve
both confidence in and the timeliness of certification of new technologies for their introduction into the
national airspace system
Conduct a study, under the Airport Cooperative Research Program, on airport sustainability practices
36
112-81 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
Within four years of the enactment of the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011, and every four years thereafter,
conduct a study of how the STTR program has stimulated technological innovation and technology
transfer, estimate the number of jobs created by the SBIR and STTR programs, and make recommendations
with respect to these issues
112-74 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Evaluate the adequacy and validity of the Department of Homeland Security’s revised site-specific biosafety
and biosecurity mitigation risk assessment of the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility (also see Public Law
112-10)
Conduct a study to identify the market barriers slowing the purchase of electric vehicles and hindering the
deployment of supporting infrastructure
Study the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster
*While all projects listed have been designated in legislation, a few lack funding and final contracts.

Assess the data, analysis, and conclusions in the National Park Service’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DEIS) concerning oyster operations at Point Reyes National Seashore to ensure there is a solid scientific
foundation for the Final Environmental Impact Statement
Conduct up to three reviews of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments that the Environmental
Protection Agency seeks to make final, including a study of the cancer and noncancer hazards from
oral exposure to inorganic arsenic
Form a work group to review, evaluate, and identify issues related to the Cures Acceleration Network (CAN)
authority and provide a report for the CAN Board to help it identify ways to accelerate and expand the number
of cures
Evaluate the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program and recommend whether changes to the current
mission are needed
Conduct a scientific peer review of the 12th Report on Carcinogens determinations related to formaldehyde
and styrene
112-10 Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011
Evaluate the adequacy and validity of the Department of Homeland Security’s revised site-specific biosafety
and biosecurity mitigation risk assessment of the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility (also see Public Law
112-74)
111-358 America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
37
Conduct a study on the scientific work force in the areas of oceanic and atmospheric research and development
Conduct a study of all federal agencies that administer an Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research (EPSCoR) or a program similar to EPSCoR regarding its effectiveness
Initiate a study to evaluate, develop, or improve impact-on-society metrics
Within three years, evaluate the regional innovation program established by this Act
111-314 National and Commercial Space Programs
Periodically over the next decade, conduct independent assessments, also known as decadal surveys, taking
stock of the status and opportunities for earth and space science discipline fields and aeronautics research
and recommending priorities for research and programmatic areas
At five-year intervals, review and assess the performance of each division in the science directorate of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

111-275 Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010
Review the best treatments for chronic multisymptom illness in Persian Gulf War veterans and evaluate how
such treatment approaches could best be disseminated throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs
111-267 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010
Beginning in FY2012, conduct a review of the goals, core capabilities, and direction of human space flight,
using the goals set forth in the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization
Act of 2008, the goals set forth in this Act, and those set forth in any existing statement of space
policy issued by the president
111-212 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010
Conduct a study of the long-term ecosystem service impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil discharge
111-163 Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010
Conduct an expanded study on the health impact of Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (Project SHAD)
38
111-148 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Study the ramifications of Medicare payment reductions for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on beneficiary
access to bone mass density tests
Study the demonstration programs conducted under Sec. 5304 of this Act that shall provide analysis regarding
access to dental health care in the United States
Review research on the selection of a set of key national indicators, determine how to implement and establish
a key national indicator system, and report annually to the Commission on Key National Indicators any
findings and recommendations
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
111-117 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
Study the long-term economic effects of the aging population in the United States
Conduct a study of the feasibility of commercially provided earth science data
Study the mental and behavioral health care needs of the American people and recommend policies for
achieving a mental health work force to address those needs

111-88 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
Examine the use and storage of methyl isocyanate, including the feasibility of implementing alternatives and
their costs, at the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, West Virginia
111-85 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
Conduct an analysis of energy use within the light-duty vehicle transportation sector and an integrated study
of the technology and fuel options that could reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
Conduct a study to address the national security and extended deterrence value of the B61 bomb for both
strategic and tactical purposes in light of nuclear terrorism risks and military threats
111-84 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
Review and assess the substance use disorders programs for members of the Armed Forces
Study the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
Conduct a review of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia
National Laboratories
111-11 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009
Review the strategic plan for federal research and monitoring on ocean acidification developed by the Joint
Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council
39
111-8 Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
Conduct an inventory of the energy development potential on all lands currently managed by the Department
of Energy
Study the position of the United States in flexible electronics, its applications, and the steps that must be
undertaken for a national initiative
Conduct a third-party review of the federal nanotechnology research program
110-422 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008
Conduct a study to determine the most appropriate governance structure for U.S. earth observations programs
Study the impacts of space weather on the current and future United States aviation industry, and in particular
examine the risks for Over-The-Pole (OTP) and Ultra-Long-Range (ULR) operations
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

On a periodic basis, perform independent assessments — also known as decadal surveys — to take stock of
the status and opportunities for the fields of earth and space science and aeronautics and to recommend
priorities for research and programmatic areas over the next decade
110-389 Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008
Before March 31, 2012, report to Congress assessing the feasibility and advisability of conducting additional
research after Sept. 30, 2012, on the assets transferred to the Institute of Medicine’s Medical Follow-Up
Agency from the Air Force Health Study (see Public Law 109-364 for background on this request)
110-343 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Review the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to identify the types of and specific tax provisions that have the
largest effects on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and to estimate the magnitude of those effects
110-315 Higher Education Opportunity Act
Evaluate the quality of distance education programs, as compared to campus-based education programs, at
institutions of higher education
Identify any race, ethnicity, or gender bias in the content and construction of standardized tests that are used
for admission to institutions of higher education
40
Study the quality of teacher education programs to determine if teachers are adequately prepared to meet
the needs of students with reading and language processing disabilities, including dyslexia
Identify constraints encountered by schools of nursing in admitting and graduating the number of registered
nurses necessary to ensure patient safety and meet the need for quality assurance in the provision of health
care; and develop recommendations to alleviate these constraints
110-293 Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Provide the global AIDS coordinator with a design and budget plan for the evaluation and collection of baseline
and subsequent data
110-181 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
Study the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of members and former members of the
Armed Forces deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their families

110-161 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008
Conduct a study relating to the investment of intangible assets
Conduct a study on methods for collecting data regarding the status of the U.S. economy and determine
whether the current data results in an overstatement of economic growth, domestic manufacturing output,
and productivity
Establish an independent project review of NASA’s major programs
Support the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis’ Global Energy Assessment
Recommend innovative approaches to educate and train scientists and users of Earth observations and applications
and to assist in training students
110-140 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
Evaluate vehicle fuel economy standards, updating the initial report every five years through 2025
Assess the impact of the requirements described in Section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act on each industry relating
to the production of feed grains, livestock, food, forest products, and energy
Produce both an initial review and an updated report on the status of advanced solid state lighting research,
development, demonstration, and commercialization
Five years after enactment of this Act, assess the Department of Energy’s performance in carrying out Section
641, titled the “United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007”
41
Review and provide oversight for the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Research, Development, and Demonstration
Programs under Section 963 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and as amended by Sections 702
and 703 of this Act
Conduct a study that defines an interdisciplinary program on the undergraduate and graduate levels in
geology, engineering, hydrology, environmental science, and related disciplines that will support the nation’s
capability to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from anthropogenic sources, and develop guidelines for
proposals from colleges and universities with substantial capabilities in the required disciplines
110-114 Water Resources Development Act of 2007
Conduct a peer review for those project studies subject to a review as described in subsection (a), Section
2034, of this Act, which may include the economic and environmental assumptions and projections, project
evaluation data, economic, environmental, and engineering analyses, formulation of alternative plans, methods
for integrating risk and uncertainty, models used in evaluation of economic or environmental impacts of
proposed projects, and any biological opinions of the project study
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

110-69 America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and
Science (America COMPETES) Act
Conduct a study to identify and review methods to mitigate new forms of risk for businesses, beyond conventional
operational and financial risk, that affect the ability to innovate
Study how the federal government should support, through research, education, and training, the emerging
management and learning discipline known as “service science”
Not later than five years and 10 years after enactment of this Act, assess the performance of the science,
engineering, and mathematics education programs of the Department of Energy
Review the performance of the distributed, multidisciplinary institutes, established and centered at national
laboratories, to apply fundamental science and engineering discoveries to technological innovations
Four years into its operation, conduct an evaluation of how well the Advanced Research Projects Agency —
Energy (ARPA-E) is achieving its goals and mission
Identify promising practices for improving teaching and student achievement in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics in kindergarten through grade 12 and examine and synthesize the scientific
evidence pertaining to the improvement of teaching and learning in these fields
42
Conduct a study of the mechanisms and supports needed for an institution of higher education or nonprofit
organization to develop and maintain a program to provide free access to online educational content as part
of a degree program, especially in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or foreign languages,
without using federal funds, including funds provided under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1070 et seq.)
109-364 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007
Receive custodianship of the Air Force Health Study assets, maintain the data and specimens, and make them
available for additional studies
109-347 Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
Conduct a study and prepare a report on disaster area health and environmental protection and monitoring
109-155 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2005
At five-year intervals, review and assess the performance of each division in the science directorate of NASA
109-59 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)
Recommend a research agenda for a national cooperative freight transportation research program and to
support and carry out administrative and management activities related to its governance

Carry out the nine research projects called for in the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board
2005 Special Report 283 titled “Cooperative Research for Hazardous Materials Transportation: Defining the
Need, Converging on Solutions”
109-58 Energy Policy Act of 2005
Study the short- and long-term availability of skilled workers to meet the energy and mineral security requirements
of the United States
Every four years, review the Department of Energy’s R&D program on technologies relating to the production,
purification, distribution, storage, and use of hydrogen energy, fuel cells, and related infrastructure
outlined in Section 805 of this Act
Every four years, review the demonstration projects outlined in Section 808 and consistent with “Title VIII —
Hydrogen” of this Act, and the Department of Energy’s determination of the maturity, cost-effectiveness, and
environmental impacts of technologies supporting each project
Conduct periodic reviews of the Next-Generation Lighting Initiative
Review the research plan for the systems biology program
Conduct periodic reviews and assessments of the Department of Energy’s research, development, demonstration,
and commercial application programs in energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and
fossil energy; the measurable cost and performance goals for the programs as established under Section 902
of this Act; and the progress on meeting these goals
Determine the effect that electrical contaminants (such as tin whiskers) may have on the reliability of energy
production systems, including nuclear energy
43
Study the potential of developing wind, solar, and ocean energy resources on federal land and the outer continental
shelf; assess any federal law relating to their development; and recommend statutory and regulatory
mechanisms for developing them
108-176 Vision 100 — Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act
Provide staff support to the Airport Cooperative Research Program Governing Board and carry out projects
proposed by the board that the secretary of transportation considers appropriate
108-153 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act
Conduct a triennial evaluation of the National Nanotechnology Program
106-541 Water Resources Development Act of 2000
Biennial review of the progress of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

105-368 Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998
Review and evaluate the available scientific evidence regarding associations between illness and service in the
Persian Gulf War
Develop a curriculum for the care and treatment of Persian Gulf War veterans who have ill-defined or undiagnosed
illnesses and periodically review and provide recommendations regarding research plans and research
strategies
105-277 Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1999
Study on the available scientific evidence regarding associations between illnesses and exposure to toxic agents,
environmental or wartime hazards, or preventive medicines or vaccines associated with Gulf War service
102-4 Agent Orange Act of 1991
Periodic review, summary, and assessment of the scientific evidence, and recommendation for further scientific
studies concerning the association between exposure to herbicide and each disease suspected to be associated
with such exposure (reports to be submitted at least biennially for a period of up to 10 years)
93-348 National Research Service Award Act of 1974
44
Conduct a continuing study to establish the nation’s overall need for biomedical and behavioral research personnel
and assess current training programs
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Revenue Applied to 2011
U.S. Government Agencies
(Grants and Contracts)
Department of Agriculture $ 1,852,777
Department of Commerce 12,208,829
Department of Defense
Defense Threat Reduction Agency 1,253,365
Department of Defense 6,901,719
Department of the Air Force 8,233,740
Department of the Army 10,485,223
Department of the Navy 10,710,773
Department of Education 1,561,904
Department of Energy 11,636,672
Department of Health and Human Services 37,422,460
Department of Homeland Security 1,816,486
Department of the Interior 2,533,431
Department of Justice 1,937,384
Department of Labor 513,196
Department of State 7,575,407
Department of Transportation 120,324,286
Department of the Treasury 1,362,128
Department of Veterans Affairs 2,971,300
Environmental Protection Agency 6,150,115
Executive Office of the President 1,767,515
General Accounting Office 84,138
General Services Administration 216,955
Institute of Museum and Library Services 136,121
Marine Mammal Commission 74,085
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 9,306,095
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency 324,993
National Science Foundation 18,399,119
National Security Agency 215,014
National Transportation Safety Board 22,000
Nuclear Regulatory Commission 817,429
Office of the Director of National Intelligence 247,327
Social Security Administration 157,555
U.S. Agency for International Development 588,315
U.S. Arctic Research Commission 4,105
U.S. Chemical Safety Board 344,423
TOTAL U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES $ 280,156,384
Department of Health and Human Services
37,422,460
National Science Foundation
18,399,119
Department of Transportation
120,324,286
Department of Commerce
12,208,829
Private and Nonfederal Sources
Department of Energy
11,636,672
Department of the Navy
10,710,773
All Other
69,454,245
Grants and Contracts $ 41,123,416
Other Contributions 8,568,661
TOTAL PRIVATE AND NONFEDERAL SOURCES $ 49,692,077
[Note: Complete audited information was unavailable at press time.]
45
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

About the National Academies
The U.S. government’s need for an independent adviser on science and technology matters became evident by the
height of the Civil War. On March 3, 1863, President Lincoln approved the congressional charter which created that
adviser, the National Academy of Sciences.
The private, nonprofit Academy has counseled the federal government in wartime and peacetime ever since. As science
and technology issues have grown in complexity and scope, so too has the Academy. Four separate but related
entities continue this work.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (NAS) is a society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering
research, and dedicated to the use of science and technology for the public welfare. In addition to its role as
adviser to the federal government, the Academy sponsors symposia, monitors human rights abuses against scientists
worldwide, promotes the public understanding of science, and publishes a research journal, Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
RALPH J. CICERONE, President
E. WILLIAM COLGLAZIER, Executive Officer
JAMES HINCHMAN, Deputy Executive Officer
46
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING (NAE) is an association of outstanding engineers from industry and academia.
Established in 1964 under NAS’ charter, NAE is autonomous in its administration and selection of its members. It
shares with NAS responsibility for advising the federal government. It also conducts studies of policy issues in engineering
and technology, encourages education and research, and grants awards to distinguished engineers.
CHARLES M. VEST, President
LANCE DAVIS, Executive Officer
THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE (IOM) is an association of eminent health care professionals and experts in related fields.
Established by NAS in 1970, IOM examines policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. It shares responsibilities
with NAS and NAE for advising the federal government. It also undertakes studies on its own initiative, addressing issues
of health care, health sciences, and education.
HARVEY V. FINEBERG, President
JUDITH SALERNO, Leonard D. Schaeffer Executive Officer
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011
THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, founded in 1916, has become the principal administrative arm of NAS, NAE,
and IOM. The Council’s staff convenes study committees for the NAS and NAE, and most of the studies appear under
the Council’s name. The IOM convenes its own committees, following the same quality assurance procedures used by
the Council. In addition to conducting studies, the National Research Council brings together scientists, engineers, and
educators to set priorities and encourage self-examination and improvement within their professions. It also works to
improve science and math education at all levels, from kindergarten through doctoral programs.
RALPH J. CICERONE, Chair
CHARLES M. VEST, Vice Chair
E. WILLIAM COLGLAZIER, Executive Officer JAMES HINCHMAN, Deputy Executive Officer

47
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Reports highlighted in this publication are available on the Internet at .
Additional information about activities of the National Academies can be found at .
REPORT TO CONGRESS 2011

Photographs
Front cover: (clockwise from upper left) Dispersing oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Coast Guard
photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley; ©LWA/Dann Tardif/Blend Images/Corbis; ©Tay Jnr/Digital Vision/
Thinkstock; telltale “bathtub ring” indicating low water levels on Lake Powell, photo courtesy National Park Service;
Medical RF.com/Science Photo Library; ©Brooklyn Production/Corbis
Page 1: Hildreth Meiere’s rich ceiling decorations in the Great Hall of National Academy of Sciences building
Page 2: (from top) ©Jacob Moisan/iStockphoto; ©John Lund/Tiffany Schoepp/Blend Images/Corbis; iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Page 3: (from top) Deepwater Horizon oil spill response operations, U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Jason Radcliffe;
geneticist Ken Vogel conducting research on switchgrass to improve its biomass yield and ability to recycle carbon as
a renewable energy crop, USDA Agricultural Research Service photo by Brett Hampton; newly installed solar panels at
the restored historic NAS building
Page 4: (clockwise from top) ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock; ©Photos.com/Jupiterimages/Getty Images; ©Stockbyte/Thinkstock;
©Brand X Pictures/Jupiterimages/Thinkstock
Pages 6-7: ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Pages 8-9: ©Hemera/Thinkstock; ©Jochen Sand/Digital Vision/Thinkstock; ©Anup Shah/Photodisc/Thinkstock
Page 10: (clockwise from top) ©Stockbyte/Thinkstock; ©Comstock Images/Thinkstock; ©Ableimages/Photodisc/Thinkstock;
©Photodisc/Thinkstock
Pages 12-13: (left to right) ©Jack Hollingsworth/Digital Vision/Thinkstock; U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett;
©Hemera/Thinkstock
Page 14: (clockwise from top) Fire boat response crews battle the blazing offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon on April 21, 2010,
U.S. Coast Guard photo; ©Ron Chapple Studios/Thinkstock; ©David R. Frazier Photolibrary Inc./Science Photo Library;
©Pasieka/Science Photo Library
Pages 16-17: (left to right) ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock; photomicrograph of Bacillus anthracis bacteria, courtesy Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; computer-generated image of objects in Earth orbit, courtesy NASA Orbital Debris Program
Page 19: (clockwise from top) ©Jason Reed/Photodisc/Thinkstock; ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock; ©Gary S. Chapman/
Photographer’s Choice RF/Getty Images; technician pretreating ground wheat straw for biofuel production, USDA
Agricultural Research Service photo by Peggy Greb
Pages 20-21: (left to right) Switchgrass used in biomass conversion to bioenergy, USDA Agricultural Research Service photo by
Wolfgang Hoffmann; ©Steve Cole/Photodisc/Getty Images; ©Don Paulson Photography/Purestock/SuperStock
Back cover: The National Academy of Sciences building and the Academies’ Keck Center, both in Washington, D.C.

national-academies.org/annualreport