This Activity

Scientific discoveries, new tools and improved approaches have rapidly expanded the field of environmental health—the study of environmental influences on human health and disease. Evaluating the utility and importance of new findings derived from new tools and new approaches in guiding public health decisions can be a daunting challenge.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has asked the National Academies (NAS) to facilitate communication among government, industry, environmental groups, and the academic community about scientific advances that may be used in the identification, quantification, and control of environmental impacts on human health.

Click here for the project’s statement of task.

The Sponsor

This National Research Council activity is sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). NIEHS, located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one of 27 research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The mission of the NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.

About Us

This activity is overseen by the Board on Life Sciences and the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Academies.

The National Academies – the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council – provide a public service by working outside the framework of government to ensure independent advice on matters of science, technology, and medicine. They enlist committees of the nation’s top scientists, engineers, and other experts—all of whom volunteer their time to study specific concerns. The National Academies have a long history of convening groups of leading scientific experts to address a broad array of science and technology questions and concerns.

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