FAS AI Impact Awards Presented to Advocates, Civil Society Entrepreneurs, Industry Experts, and Policymakers

Washington, D.C. – May 20, 2026 – Tonight at the International Spy Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a non-partisan, nonprofit science and technology policy organization, in partnership with the Future of Life Institute, the world’s oldest and largest AI think tank, conclude an 18 month project to investigate the implications of artificial intelligence on global risk.

FAS and FLI partnered to build a series of convenings and reports across the intersections of artificial intelligence (AI) with biosecurity, cybersecurity, nuclear command and control, military integration, and frontier AI governance. This project brought together leaders across these areas and created a space that was rigorous, transpartisan, and solutions-oriented to approach how we should think about how AI is rapidly changing global risks. Adapting to this reality will demand that policy​ entrepreneurs take action; scientific and technological expertise is a must for successful policymaking.

“FAS is dedicated to developing evidence-based policies to address national challenges, and the technical advances of artificial intelligence are already outpacing our expectations. We recognized an urgency in convening expertise across disciplines to better understand how we can reduce risk and increase societal rewards,” says FAS CEO Daniel Correa.

“AI is no longer a single-domain challenge. It is a force multiplier reshaping the risk landscape across nuclear, biological, cyber, and military systems simultaneously, and it is doing so faster than our institutions can adapt,” says Future of Life President and CEO, Anthony Aguirre. “That is precisely why this partnership with FAS has mattered so much. The report gives decision-makers a clear-eyed map of how these threats are compounding, and what we can do about it. The window to put sensible guardrails in place is open, but it is closing quickly. The leaders we are honoring show that rigorous, bipartisan action on the most consequential technology of our era is both necessary and possible.”

The AI x Global Risk Gala, moderated by Ashley Gold, Senior Technology Policy Reporter at Axios, will highlight a capstone report and present awards in recognition of AI policy leaders. Bloomberg‘s cyber and emerging tech reporter, Katrina Manson will host a discussion panel about the report. The panel will include FAS board member and former Acting Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security, Dr. Daniel Gerstein.

‘Converging Risks’ Report

The primary report, Converging Risks: AI and the Future of Global Security, is the synthesis of sector-specific investigations into nuclear policy, cyber policy, biotechnology, defense, and critical infrastructure. Increasingly, AI cuts across all of them simultaneously.

The FAS team evaluated risks through the “Threat, Vulnerability, and Consequence” or “TVC” framework, a powerful acknowledgement of how stakes rise alongside introduction and interaction with multiple factors. 

The report illustrates how AI is complicating the risk calculus, adding complexity to systems and events, changing the speed at which we need to respond, and often increasing the scale of the risk.

“Despite the very real risks artificial intelligence presents, our report is not fatalistic,” says Dr. Jedidah Isler, FAS’s Chief Science Officer. “We know that productive conversations and proactive policy cannot happen if we operate from a state of hype, fear or ignorance. As scientists, we must use all of the tools at our disposal to reckon with what is very likely to be one of the most consequential technologies of this era. It’s innately a sociotechnical problem: it’s not just the technology, but what we think about it and how we collaborate in the face of tremendous change. We must begin by building government capacity, coordination, and translation infrastructure now.”

FAS AI Impact Award Winners

FAS will also present four awards at the Gala: the AI Advocacy Award, AI Impact Award for Civil Society, AI Impact Award for Industry, and the AI Policy Award.

Joseph Gordon Levitt, AI Impact Award for Advocacy

Joseph Gordon Levitt, the UN’s first global advocate for “human-centric digital governance”, will receive the ​​AI Impact Award for Advocacy for his work raising awareness of AI risks to non-technical audiences using his skills as a writer, director, communicator, and educator.

Mr. Levitt’s recent advocacy includes speaking out about Meta’s AI chatbots endangering children (September, 2025) and supporting an AI and child safety bill in Utah (January 2026).

Mr. Levitt and his organization, HITRECORD, explore the intersection of technology and society through both his creative work and advocacy around digital governance.

Sneha Revanur,  AI Impact Award for Civil Society

Sneha Revanur will receive the ​​AI Impact Award for Civil Society for her work founding a civil society organization, Encode, that works to influence federal AI policy that unifies pro-AI, pro-human perspectives.

Ms. Revanur began her activism work at age 15 when she learned that California was considering replacing its cash bail system with a risk-based algorithm and that the algorithm had serious racial bias baked into it. She organized a statewide coalition of high school students, fought the ballot measure, and helped defeat it by 13 percentage points.

Today, Ms. Revanur continues her activism work in AI regulation to ensure that trust and fairness are built into the often invisible systems that can have enormous impact on daily life.  

Chris Meserole, AI Impact Award for Industry

Chris Meserole, Executive Director of the Frontier Model Forum, will receive th​​e AI Impact Award for Industry for his work examining the security risks associated with artificial intelligence. He’s working to determine best practices to ensure strong interconnection between industry, research, and government. 

Prior to the Frontier Model Forum, Chris served as Director of the AI and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution and a fellow in its Foreign Policy program.

Today, Mr. Meserole works extensively on safeguarding large-scale AI systems against the risks of accidental or malicious use.

Senator Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Blumenthal (D-CT),
AI Impact Awards for Policy Leadership 

How we govern AI’s impact on society is of utmost importance. Decisions made today will drive outcomes for years, and potentially decades, to come. FAS is presenting two AI Impact Award for Policy Leadership to honor work that anticipates and addresses future risks presented by artificial intelligence.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN),  Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) will be presented with the AI Impact Awards for Policy Leadership for their respective leadership navigating fast-moving technology and its implications.

Senator Blackburn of Tennessee has been a bold and consequential leader on AI policy. Last summer she successfully fought to remove a provision from federal legislation that would have blocked states from protecting their own citizens from AI harms for a decade. In December, she put forward a comprehensive national framework for AI governance that requires companies to conduct real risk assessments and establishes concrete rules on training data and deepfakes. Senator Blackburn also leads the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at helping musicians, artists, writers, and other copyright holders determine whether their work has been used to train generative artificial intelligence models. 

Senator Blackburn’s forward thinking on AI has driven leadership on quantum computing development. She is advancing bipartisan legislation like the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to provide necessary infrastructure for future AI capabilities. 

Senator Blackburn serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, of which she is Chairman of the Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy Subcommittee, as well as on the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which she is Chairman of the Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee.

Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut has been one of the earliest and most consistent voices on Capitol Hill regarding technology and its implications for society. He has been using his voice to demand that Congress show up for this moment. He brought Sam Altman to Congress for the first time back in 2023 to help educate lawmakers and urge them to act. He has since pushed for his AI Accountability and Personal Data Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to hold AI companies accountable for how they use copyrighted material to train their models. He also introduced the bipartisan AI Risk Evaluation Act which would create a dedicated AI risk-evaluation program within the Department of Energy focused specifically on national security, civil liberties, and labor protections. Senator Blumenthal co-leads the bipartisan Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act to protect children against harms from AI bots, and this legislation is advancing in the Senate.  

Senator Blumenthal serves on Senate Committees on Armed Services, Judiciary, and Homeland Security and Government Affairs.

Two senators. Different parties. Different states. Different politics. Same conclusion: Congress cannot afford to sit this one out.

Policymakers in Attendance

Additional policymakers invited to the Gala have demonstrated leadership in advancing evidence-based artificial intelligence legislation, including:

Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT) serves as Ranking Member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has deep experience and unique insights into how U.S. intelligence agencies and the national security apparatus integrate artificial intelligence models, including how models could be used for hacking and cyberdefense. He will be a panelist at the gala.

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and introduced the AI Guardrails Act to address AI use around lethal force, spying on Americans and nuclear weapons. The bill seeks to codify two existing Defense Department guidelines into law: that AI cannot autonomously decide to kill a target and that the technology cannot be used to conduct mass surveillance on Americans. It would also ban the use of artificial intelligence for launching or detonating a nuclear weapon.

Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) serves on the House Armed Services Committee as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technology and Innovation. Congressman Bacon has championed and overseen the passage of numerous provisions pertaining to AI and risk in the FY26 NDAA. Bacon joined the Congressional probe into Elon Musk’s Grok AI over allegations of antisemitism and ‘deeply alarming messages’ (July 2025).

Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), Congress’s only member holding a PhD in physics, introduced the bipartisan Responsible and Ethical AI Labeling (REAL) Act, which would mandate a “clear, conspicuous, and prominently displayed” disclaimer notifying readers or viewers that content was created with or manipulated by AI.

Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He also serves on the Armed Services Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and is a former member of the bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

###

About the Federation of American Scientists (FAS)

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS’s work at fas.org.

About the Future of Life Institute

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is the world’s oldest and largest AI think tank, with a team of 35+ full-time staff operating across the US and Europe. FLI has been working to steer the development of transformative technologies towards benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks since its founding in 2014. Find out more at futureoflife.org.

RESOURCES

AI x Global Risk Nexus Project
Converging Risks: AI and the Future of Global Security (and briefing booklet)

• AI and Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications
• AI and Military Integration
• AI and Biological Risks
• AGI and Global Risk
• AI, Cyber, and Global Risk
• AI and Nuclear Risks

FAS AI Impact Award Winners

More on AI Advocacy Award winner Joseph Gordon Levitt
More on AI Impact Award for Civil Society winner Sneha Revanur and Encode
More on AI Impact Award winner Chris Meserole and Frontier Model Forum
More on AI Impact Awards for Policy winners Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Report provides research questions and calls to action that bring science closer to local communities

Washington, D.C. – April 7, 2026 – Today the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a non-partisan, nonprofit science policy organization dedicated to developing evidence-based policies to address national challenges, released a long-anticipated report, The Civic Research Agenda: A national study of local government research needs and roadmap for university collaboration.

“Local governments are a juggernaut of policy delivery. The Civic Research Agenda underscores that giving cities and counties more ways to access the best and most relevant research produced by technical experts is crucial to driving that progress. Deeper connections between universities and local governments can unlock innovations from the mundane to the monumental,” says Dr. Jedidah Isler, Chief Science Officer at FAS. “Not only does this report include 432 research questions, it provides recommendations on how we can improve the actionability of research into communities.”

In addition to the Civic Research Agenda, this effort also produced seven (7) priority policy research agendas, one (1) Research-to-Impact Ecosystem report, and nine (9) city-specific science R&D reports.

“We know that science and research can bring catalytic impact to local policy making. Publishing an agenda to the university community breaks down the myths and assumptions of true knowledge gaps and research needs. Communities stand to benefit directly from the calls to action cited in this report.” says Kate Garman Burns, Director of State and Local Innovation at FAS.

Key Findings

The number one research need of cities and counties concerns housing. 

The other priority areas of research needs include: community engagement, economic development, service delivery, climate and energy, transportation, and human services (education, public safety, and health). 

Incorrect perceptions are stalling trust between these institutions. University faculty and staff fear being seen as too intellectual and disconnected. Local government staff fear being seen as not intellectual enough. 

Beyond any specific policy domain, local governments expressed the desire for support from the research community in three overarching areas: 1) evaluation; how can the research community measure and provide evidence that a policy intervention has achieved desired (or negative) impacts; 2) efficiency; how can the research community help local governments do more with less; and 3) data generation; how can the research community create and provide access to useful data that do not currently exist. 

“The City of Lincoln welcomed the opportunity this convening presented to catalyze our research partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Following the workshop, we have continued to collaborate with UNL to develop the City’s Research Agenda.” – Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Lincoln, NE

Tracking the Demand and Supply of Research

The Civic Research Agenda considers the demand and supply of research: what are the research needs of local governments, and how can research outputs improve to “supply” or provide answers to better serve that audience?  FAS’s State and Local Innovation team hosted nine (9) in-person workshops in cities/counties across the country, and partnered with the National League of Cities and Porchlight Insights to produce two (2) national surveys.

“Research is essential to us. We hosted six university institutions at our workshop and are keen on continuing these conversations. We want to have the data to provide tailored solutions to each of our individual neighborhoods, we want to know what programs get the best outcomes, and we hope to partner with our universities to better our evaluation capabilities so that we know what’s working and what needs to be improved.” – Mayor Matt Tuerk, City of Allentown, PA

###

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS’s work at fas.org.

The State and Local Innovation (formerly, MetroLab) team within FAS aims to take good ideas from the lab to local governments through intentional, regular and impact-driven policy alignment. This mission is two-fold: to put science in cities and to understand, support, and enable transformative partnerships between cities and universities. More information about the State and Local Innovation team’s work at https://fas.org/issue/metrolab/. 

Kumar Garg and Matt Lira bring innovation and government expertise to FAS

Washington, D.C. – March 30, 2026 – The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is excited to announce that Kumar Garg and Matt Lira are joining the organization’s Board of Directors.

Both Lira and Garg come with long histories of driving technological and scientific innovation both in government and philanthropy – and bring extensive networks and track records of impact to FAS.

“FAS has experienced unprecedented growth in the past few years, affording us the opportunity to broaden our focus to reach new domains, while expanding our playbook to generate impact in new ways. Kumar and Matt bring a depth of expertise that can help us continue to evolve – their perspectives are exactly what’s needed as FAS seeks to help the country renew its relationship with science and innovation,” said FAS CEO Daniel Correa.

Matt Lira is the Executive Director of Invest America, an organization which works to reduce income and opportunity gaps by helping families understand investing and take part in the financial system. He previously served at the White House Office of American Innovation where he helped coordinate priority policy initiatives. Lira also served as a Senior Advisor to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and a Senior Advisor to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. 

Throughout his work in government, Lira has aimed to forge trust and consensus by bringing people together to find areas where progress can be made. In an era of deep partisanship, his work has frequently earned the support of both sides of the aisle.

“It is an honor to join the board of an organization with such a uniquely distinguished history and an even brighter future ahead.” Lira said. “Evidence-based leadership at the intersection of science and policy is more important than it’s ever been, and that’s exactly what FAS provides. This organization is poised to lead the conversation about the next era of innovation and the role government should play. I’m proud to support this important mission.”

Currently the President of Renaissance Philanthropy, Kumar Garg comes to FAS’s board with decades of experience across the science and technology landscape. His work includes designing and launching moonshot initiatives covering a range of technological and educational fields. He has also specialized in building multi-sector and multi-donor collaboratives aimed at supercharging impact at large scale.

Early in his career, Garg spent time shaping policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, driving progress on topics ranging from education and workforce issues, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, space, advanced manufacturing, broadband, nanotechnology, behavioral sciences, digital media and incentive prizes. He also led efforts to bring computer science to all K-12 students, and the creation of iconic events such as the White House Science Fair.

“I have watched as FAS continues to work tirelessly to advance science and technology policy that benefits society. I am excited to join an esteemed board and help shape the future direction of one of the oldest science think tanks in the United States,” said Garg.

Garg and Lira were officially voted onto the board in September 2025 and January 2026, respectively. They will begin work at the next board meeting for a three year term.

###

About FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.

What exactly does “all lawful use” of AI mean? No one knows. 

As a result of this weekend’s highly-publicized Department of Defense (DoD)-Anthropic dispute, we’re hearing a lot about the “lawful use” of frontier AI systems in classified environments. 

“Lawful” is a legal floor that will look increasingly shaky as AI capabilities advance. It doesn’t answer whether we have adequate civil liberties guardrails or technical safety standards in place. Company “red lines” only matter if they are backed by enforceable technical and contractual safeguards. Otherwise, they function primarily as signaling. From use to testing to deployment, the scaffolding for responsible integration of AI into high-risk use cases is just not there.  

Privacy is a major concern for experts and the public alike. When increasingly capable models are paired with large-scale government data holdings—including commercially purchased data on Americans—the result could materially change the practical boundaries of surveillance, even if each underlying dataset was obtained legally. AI systems expand the possibility of large-scale inference, enabling automated link analysis, behavioral pattern detection, and probabilistic assessments about individuals’ networks or intent across disparate datasets. 

Next, there’s the reliability problem. Frontier systems remain probabilistic and brittle, particularly in adversarial settings. The companies building this technology do not yet have a mature testing, evaluation, validation, and verification (TEVV) ecosystem for high-stakes national security uses. At the same time, DoD strategy documents are calling for a “wartime” posture toward eliminating blockers in testing and deployment. That tension should concern us all. 

Then, there are the numerous cybersecurity risks. Agentic systems that access sensitive data, ingest untrusted inputs, and can take external actions create new attack surfaces that adversaries will probe and exploit. In classified environments, these risks might be mitigated, but they don’t disappear. Subtle manipulation or model failure inside a military workflow can propagate quickly.

Capability is advancing quickly, but policymakers shouldn’t adopt faster than we can test and govern.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — February 12, 2026 — The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) today announced the launch of the Center for Regulatory Ingenuity, a new hub designed to reimagine how the government tackles “wicked” modern problems while delivering everyday benefits for Americans.

“We can’t manage today’s problems with yesterday’s laws,” said Dr. Jedidah Isler, FAS Chief Science Officer. “The Center for Regulatory Ingenuity will bridge the gap between high-level policy design and on-the-ground implementation, ensuring that government promises translate into real-world results that Americans experience.”

FAS is launching the Center for Regulatory Ingenuity (CRI) to build a new, transpartisan vision of government that works – that has the capacity to achieve ambitious goals while adeptly responding to people’s basic needs. CRI does this by (1) creating high-trust environments to brainstorm and refine the big ideas that will breathe new life into government, and (2) building a “network of networks” that supports policymakers and practitioners in implementing those ideas at scale.

“The administrative state has delivered extraordinary achievements in the past, but today’s operating model is a complete mismatch for the complexity we face. As a result, trust in government has been in the basement for decades,” said Loren DeJonge Schulman, Director of Government Capacity at FAS. “Strengthening government capacity is an investment in democracy and deeply intertwined with climate progress. It requires thinking creatively about how to build the government we need, not endlessly pointing fingers at the government we have–CRI aims to do just that.”

CRI is launching with a focus on climate: a space where there’s an increasingly evident mismatch between the functions the government needs to provide and the tools it has to deliver. FAS is pleased to welcome Climate Group North America, ICLEI USA, and the Environmental Law Institute as core partners in this initial work.

“Today’s rollback of the endangerment finding underscores that we are in a new era for U.S. climate policy,” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at FAS. “To be clear: there’s no credible scientific basis for that rollback, which FAS strongly opposes. At the same time, it’s worth recognizing that while foundational environmental laws like the Clean Air Act worked to curb industrial pollution, they weren’t designed to guide the economy-wide transition to clean technologies that’s currently underway. There’s tremendous opportunity for innovation on how we design and deliver climate policies that are equitable, efficient, effective, and durable. With EPA stepping back on this front, it’s time for others to step forward.“

With the support of contributors from across the ideological spectrum, CRI is already charting paths for a renewed administrative state, a more responsive government, and ambitious climate policy that lasts. These paths are explored in CRI’s inaugural essay collection, Bureaucracy as Social Hope: An Argument for Renewing the Administrative State. The first two of these essays, “Rebuilding Environmental Governance: Understanding the Foundations”, by Jordan Diamond and collaborators at the Environmental Law Institute, and “Costs Come First in a Reset Climate Agenda”, by Devin Hartman (R Street Institute) and Neel Brown (Progressive Policy Institute) are available now; the remainder will be released in coming weeks. Other authors featured in the collection include:

• Nana Ayensu (Unaffiliated)
• Beth Bafford (Climate United)
• Angela Barranco (Climate Group North America)
• Louise Bedworth (UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment)
• Shaibya Dalal (PolicyLink)
• Kirti Datla (EarthJustice)
• Jennifer DeCesaro (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
• James Goodwin (Center for Progressive Reform)
• Kristi Kimball (ICLEI USA)
• Jennifer Pahlka (Recoding America Fund/Niskanen Center/FAS)
• Hannah Safford (FAS)
• Loren Schulman (FAS)
• Craig Segall (FAS)
• Nicole Steele (Amalgamated Bank)
• Ali Zaidi (University of Pennsylvania)

In addition, CRI is today releasing “From Ambition to Action: Shovel-Ready Policy Solutions for Climate Leaders”. This policy primer, crowd-sourced from dozens of experts and policy entrepreneurs, outlines how motivated public leaders – especially at the state and local level – can turn big ideas into reality, cutting emissions while delivering cheaper electricity, ensuring affordable housing, and improving transportation for all of America.

Moving forward, CRI intends to deliver more detailed playbooks illustrating how an approach grounded in regulatory ingenuity can improve outcomes and achieve goals in these key sectors, which collectively account for two-thirds of U.S. emissions and contribute at least 25% of U.S GDP. 

More information about CRI is available here. For updates, and to stay connected, click here. 

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.

Media Contact: Katie McCaskey, kmccaskey@fas.org, (202) 933-8857

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is revoking its 2009 “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases pose a substantial threat to the public. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) stands in strong opposition.

The science couldn’t be clearer: unchecked emissions of greenhouse gases are increasing the frequency and toll of disasters like flash flooding in Texas, catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles, and stifling heat domes that repeatedly blanket huge swathes of the country. Revoking the endangerment finding would shove science aside in favor of special interests – and at the expense of American health and wellbeing.

“The Environmental Protection Agency claims that the endangerment finding led to ‘costly burdens’ on American families and businesses, when in reality it’s the cost of failing to regulate climate pollution that will hit people the hardest,” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists. “Climate change is driving up the costs of food, energy, and housing even as Americans feel pinched by an affordability crisis. Our government has a responsibility to address this cross-cutting issue, not shrug it off.”

The EPA’s proposal is the latest move by the Trump administration to gut federal climate policy, a campaign that runs counter to public opinion: 4 in 5 of all Americans, across party lines, want to see the government take stronger climate action.

At the same time, revocation of the endangerment finding underscores the need for a durable new approach to climate policy that integrates innovative regulatory design, complementary policy packages, and attention to real-world implementation capacity. FAS’s new Center for Regulatory Ingenuity is leading on this priority, alongside a broad, transpartisan network of partners and public leaders.

“The clean energy transition has unstoppable momentum, and there is tremendous opportunity for innovation on how we design and deliver climate policies that are equitable, efficient, effective, and durable,” added Dr. Safford. “The Trump administration may be stepping back, but many others are stepping forward to create a world free from climate danger.”

Washington, D.C. – January 13, 2026 — INRIX, a leader in transportation analytics and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), one of the oldest science think tanks in the U.S., today announced the launch of the 2026 INRIX x MetroLab Challenge to enable data-driven transportation innovation.Announced at the National Academies’ annual Transportation Research Board meeting, the  partnership supports cutting-edge research that advances positive, human-centered outcomes in cities. This will be the third iteration of the challenge.

The 2026 Challenge officially opens today, Tuesday, January 13, and will accept applications from universities across the country through March 3, 2026. The program invites teams of researchers and local government collaborators to propose innovative projects addressing real-world transportation, safety, equity, and resilience challenges using mobility data.

At least five selected teams will participate in the public-private partnership and receive free access to a suite of INRIX APIs for up to one year, enabling applied research with direct relevance to communities and policymakers.

“Over the past two years, our partnership with MetroLab has demonstrated the value of working directly with universities and local governments to address complex transportation challenges,” said Ahmed Darrat, Chief Product Officer at INRIX. “By providing researchers with access to real-world mobility data, we have seen how academic insight can be translated into practical solutions that help cities improve safety, resilience, and quality of life.”

Last year’s selected projects investigated improvements to AI-driven traffic models, road safety, and access to healthcare, among other benefits. 

“Collaboration is essential to translating research into meaningful impact for cities,” said Kate Garman Burns, FAS Director for State and Local Innovation. “We are excited to once again partner with INRIX to give researchers and local governments access to powerful mobility data and to support projects that put people, safety, and equity at the center of community innovation.”

Highlights from the 2025 INRIX x MetroLab Challenge

During the 2025 Challenge, finalist teams used INRIX data to explore a wide range of pressing urban issues, including:

• Validating and enhancing AI-driven traffic models for New York City through the fusion of INRIX data and more than 500 traffic cameras
  
• Evaluating the impact of automated speed cameras on driver behavior and roadway safety ahead of a statewide pilot program
  
• Identifying environmental contributors to crash hotspots to better protect cyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users
  
• Examining vehicle abandonment patterns during wildfire evacuations to inform emergency response planning
  
• Analyzing driver behavior under congestion pricing using origin-destination trip data
  
• Improving disaster evacuation planning by predicting sudden traffic surges and adjusting transit services in real time
  
• Assessing how tornado warnings influence driving behavior and traffic flow to support emergency planning
  
• Designing patient-centered rural transportation services to improve healthcare access
  
• Identifying the most dangerous roadways by combining traffic volume data with fatal crash records to quantify risk disparities
  

Complete information on eligibility, the application process, available datasets, and example research questions is available at fas.org/initiative/inrix.

Researchers and local government partners are encouraged to share the Challenge broadly and submit applications over the next seven weeks. For questions, contact metrolab@fas.org.

###

ABOUT INRIX

Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered the practice of managing traffic by analyzing data not just from road sensors, but also from vehicles. This breakthrough approach enabled INRIX to become one of the leading providers of data and insight into how people move around the world. More information at inrix.com.

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York grant funds research in partnership with The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) on the destabilizing impacts of emerging and disruptive technologies on mobile nuclear launch platforms.

Washington, D.C. – November 6, 2025 – The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has received a $500,000 grant to analyze the capabilities of emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) to track and trail mobile nuclear launch platforms—particularly land-based mobile missile forces and sea-based systems. The grant comes from the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) to investigate, alongside The British American Security Information Council (BASIC), the associated impact on nuclear stability. 

The grant funds a two-year project to support FAS’ and BASIC’s joint effort to research current EDT capabilities and potential future applications in order to supply experts and policymakers with data to recommend short- and medium-term risk reduction measures. Additionally, the grant enables FAS and BASIC to bring together an interdisciplinary community of scientific, technical, and open-source intelligence (OSINT) experts. 

“We are excited to partner with BASIC on this project and grateful to CCNY for the opportunity,” said Mackenzie Knight-Boyle, Senior Research Associate on the Nuclear Information Project at FAS and co-lead of the project. “As OSINT analysts, it’s important that we are aware of what new tools and capabilities are out there for tracking nuclear forces. It is essential, however, that we are responsible practitioners with a thorough understanding of the implications for nuclear stability if such technologies threaten the traditional survivability of mobile systems.” 

The project scope will include desk-based research, workshops with leading experts and practitioners, briefings with stakeholders, and publications. The conclusion of the grant will result in educational events about the findings across nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states, with the objective to reduce nuclear risk.

“BASIC is delighted to be partnering with FAS to investigate the impacts of the cutting-edge emerging and disruptive technologies on the stealth of land- and sea-based mobile nuclear delivery platforms,” writes BASIC Executive Director Sebastian Brixey-Williams. “If such platforms can be detected – whether allied or adversary owned – nuclear stability may be significantly compromised. It is therefore essential that nuclear planners are equipped with robust and clear-eyed assessments of potential risks and recommendations on mitigation measures.”

The impact of “near-term” EDTs (defined as those that are currently in development or expected to develop over the next 5-10 years) is a topic BASIC has reported extensively.

“This work lies at the critical intersection between technology and policy. By strengthening a community of experts who understand these technologies and their associated risks, we can more effectively inform and engage the public and policymakers on nuclear dangers and strategic stability challenges,” said Eliana Johns, Senior Research Associate with the Nuclear Information Project at FAS and co-lead of the project.  

###

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established eighty years ago by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.

→ New Report: STAT Network highlights increasing threats, shows how states are rewriting playbooks in real time to protect American health, safety and economic vitality 

→ First-ever survey reveals urgent need for coordinated action: only 5 percent of state health officials feel “very prepared”, 61 percent relied on federal funds now in flux. 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — November 3, 2025 — A new report from the STAT Network reveals that extreme weather events are jeopardizing the health, safety and economic prospects of Americans. Published today in partnership with the Federation of American Scientists and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the report reveals first-of-its-kind data from state public health officials in 45 states and territories on the urgent need for state-led coordination. The report also spotlights innovations that are being adopted and scaled through the STAT Network despite drastic cuts in federal funding to public health.

“States are navigating a new normal of extreme weather crises—heat waves following floods, wildfires overlapping with hurricanes—while the federal support and data tools they’ve relied on are eroding. No state should be left to shoulder this alone. Through our Extreme Weather & Health group and this report, we elevate what’s working on the ground as states are leading the response and offer a practical roadmap for acting at the speed and complexity of today’s hazards” said Stefanie Friedhoff, Professor of the Practice and STAT Network Lead, Brown University School of Public Health.

The STAT Network, which supports state public health officials across a range of pressing public health issues, started a dedicated extreme weather and health group in August 2024, serving as an essential connection point for collective problem solving in a shifting landscape. Of 136 state respondents who participated in the STAT Extreme Weather & Health survey shared with states in summer 2025: 

→ only 5% feel “very prepared” to handle the escalating public health impacts of extreme weather
→ 61% prepared for extreme weather using federal funds that are now in flux
→ 39% cited federal partnerships as historically one of the most effective mechanisms to address impacts
→ 94% are concerned that socioeconomic disparities moderately (27%) or significantly (67%) contribute to unequal outcomes during extreme weather events in their state.

The new report, Protecting the Health of Americans in the Face of Extreme Weather: A Roadmap for Coordinated Action was developed to support these leaders at this moment of evolving challenges, needs and opportunities. The report details how states are pivoting their preparedness playbooks, showcases replicable new models, and identifies pressing gaps that funders, policymakers and thought leaders must still fill. 

Download the full report

“Extreme weather events are no longer just natural disasters—they’re public health emergencies. From heat waves that overwhelm hospitals to floods that cut off access to care, Americans are feeling the strain in their communities. That’s why The Rockefeller Foundation launched the STAT Network at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—to strengthen public health infrastructure through interstate collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. That same level of coordination is just as critical today as we face growing threats to health, safety, and economic opportunity” said Derek Kilmer, Senior Vice President for U.S. Program and Policy, The Rockefeller Foundation.

“One in three Americans report being personally affected by extreme weather in just the past two years – illustrating that extreme weather has become extremely common. The good news is that the negative health impacts of extreme weather are largely preventable. FAS is excited to partner with the STAT Network to help states step up as the federal government steps back, putting in place the innovative, evidence-based strategies we need to protect people and communities across the country,” said Dr. Hannah Safford Associate Director of Climate and Environment, Federation of American Scientists.

A changed landscape

Protecting the Health of Americans describes how extreme weather events have become more frequent, severe and widespread. From wildfires that quickly spiraled out of control in Maui and Los Angeles, to illness from extreme heat overloading emergency rooms across the Southwest, to sudden flash flooding from Hurricane Helene catching entire regions off-guard across Appalachia, it is clear that existing playbooks are no longer sufficient to respond to rapidly evolving threats. At the same time, cuts in 2025 at the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Weather Service and other federal agencies have removed the backbone of funding, data and technical assistance many states relied on. 

States lead the way

Summarizing ongoing preparedness and response efforts across states, Protecting the Health of Americans offers three pillars for action and shares concrete, replicable examples that emerge from the STAT Extreme Weather & Health Network:

Collaboration. States like Minnesota and California are embedding public health voices in climate and infrastructure decisions, while North Carolina and Texas have demonstrated that shared frameworks like FEMA’s Community Lifelines can unite health, energy and emergency systems under one coordinated response. Partnerships break down silos and accelerate action.

Data. In North Carolina, advanced modeling now informs heat alerts based on real-time health and climate data; Illinois is developing predictive tools that warn hospitals before storms hit; and Alaska’s Local Environment Observer Network turns community observations into early-warning intelligence. States are making data more interoperable, localized and actionable. 

Communication. Massachusetts amplified risk messaging on Triple E and West Nile via medical providers, community groups and local media. California is co-developing an interactive curriculum with community health workers on responding to poor air quality events. Kansas convenes a cross-sector Extreme Weather Events Work Group with community-based organizations to co-create practical toolkits. States are modernizing their communications capacity, building trusted messenger networks and moving past an over-focus on social media outreach.

The new report also includes case examples from states such as Oregon, Arizona and Texas that illustrate how housing insecurity, energy burden, medical dependence on electricity, and lack of access to timely, trusted information add additional burden for low-income, elderly and rural populations—and how systems-level interventions focused on energy resilience, targeted mitigation and partnerships with community-based organizations can save lives.

Insights from this report can serve as a pathway to building community resilience and protecting health from the impacts of extreme weather. Looking ahead, the STAT Network, the Federation of American Scientists and other collaborators look forward to working with state leaders and their partners to translate this roadmap into sustained progress.

The announcement comes ahead of the STAT Network’s participation in The Rockefeller Foundation and Heartland Forward’s “Big Bets for America” convening in Oklahoma City, where leaders across the public, private, and non-profit sectors will discuss opportunities to help communities flourish.

To learn more, download the full report.  

Media Contact:
STAT Network:
Caroline Hoffman
Assistant Director of Content and Strategy
STAT Network at Brown University
caroline_hoffman2@brown.edu 

FAS:
Katie McCaskey
Communications Manager, Media and PR
Federation of American Scientists
(202) 933-8857
kmccaskey@fas.org

About the STAT Network
At a time of unprecedented disruption in the U.S. public health system, the STAT Network serves as a strategic, nonpartisan, practice-focused partner to the state public health workforce in all 50 states as well as three territories. Originally created as the State and Territory Alliance for Testing by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2020 to meet the urgent need for more state-to-state collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, the network convenes state health leaders across the country on a weekly basis to problem-solve ongoing threats, share best practices, and support one another. Learn more about STAT at https://sites.brown.edu/stat/ 

About the STAT Extreme Weather & Health sub-network and this report
The STAT Extreme Weather and Health Group was created in August 2024 and meets monthly. Over 480 state officials from public health, preparedness and related departments in 45 states and some countries have attended these sessions over the past year. Between May and July 2025, the Network also fielded a comprehensive Extreme Weather and Health survey, which yielded 136 responses (78% from state officials, 10% from local health officials, and 12% from federal, academic and other partners to state teams). Responses came from 34 states, with near equal participation across the political spectrum. The STAT team also met individually with state- and county-level teams in more than 25 states for in-depth conversations about ongoing response needs and innovations. Protecting the Health of Americans summarizes findings across overall network presentations and discussions, the dedicated state-level survey, and state-level interviews.    

About FAS
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address urgent challenges. More information about our work at the intersection of climate change and health can be found at fas.org/initiative/climate-health.

FOFA, the Fix Our Forests Act, Contains Provisions Applauded by the Federation of American Scientists

Washington, D.C. – October 22, 2025 – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry favorably reported the Fix Our Forests Act (S. 1462) out of Committee. This important milestone means that the bill can now be considered for final passage by the full chamber. FAS applauds the strong bipartisan effort behind this bill under the leadership of Senators Curtis (R-UT), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheehy (R-MT), Padilla (D-CA), and many important champions in Congress. 

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the use of science in the public interest. Our wildfire program aims to build a more fire-resilient nation through policy development and analysis, capacity building, and issue education.

“FAS is very pleased to see the Fix Our Forests Act, S. 1426, advance out of Committee. We urge the Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation and to ensure that federal agencies have the capacity and resourcing they need to carry out its provisions,” says Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at FAS. 

 FAS has been a strong champion of the Fix Our Forests Act and endorsed S. 1462 in April 2025. “Science tells us that the wildfire crisis is becoming more and more urgent. FAS has been working to ensure that this bill includes essential, evidence-based reforms to protect people, property, and ecosystems. FAS particularly supports Sec. 102, which would create the Wildfire Intelligence Center- a decision support hub that would further our core priority of improving the use of science, data, and technology for wildfire resilience” said Jessica Blackband, Senior Manager the Federation of American Scientists. 

For more details on why FAS supports the bill, including 10 key provisions, view our policy statement here. In January 2025, the House of Representatives passed the Fix our Forests Act with bipartisan support by a vote of 279-141. The legislation was introduced by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA).

FAS is proud to be part of a broad, bipartisan coalition that supports the Fix Our Forests Act and looks forward to continuing to work with partners and decisionmakers to support a comprehensive and effective federal wildfire ecosystem.

###

FOFA Support and FAS Wildfire Work

Coalition Letter of Support (September 2025)
FAS Position Statement on the Fix Our Forests Act (April 2025)
FAS Wildfire Work (2023-present)

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established eighty years ago by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.

The scientist convened 70+ organizations calling for federal action to address the health harms of extreme heat  

Washington, D.C. – September 16, 2025 – Grace Wickerson, the Federation of American Scientists’ Senior Manager, Climate and Health, today accepted a national recognition, the “Grist 50” award, bestowed by the editorial board of Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization. The annual Grist 50, started in 2016, recognizes fifty climate leaders working on unique and impactful solutions to the most pressing climate problems. Each year’s list is driven by hundreds of reader nominations. This is the first time someone from FAS has been recognized on Grist’s annual list for their work.

Extreme heat is an issue that now affects all 50 states and costs the country more than $160 billion annually. Wickerson led the development of the 2025 Heat Policy Agenda co-signed by more than 70 labor, industry, health, housing, environmental, academic and community associations and organizations. This resulted in over 100 policy proposals to address extreme heat.

“Grace and team have worked tirelessly to advance actionable, evidence-based policy solutions that will make our communities, and our country, more prepared to handle the growing threat of extreme heat. They have dug deep to understand the health effects of extreme heat and connect organizations across the country to call for all levels of government to take action,” says Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of FAS Climate and Environment. “Their work is an outstanding example of policy entrepreneurship.”

FAS Extreme Heat Work

FAS is a leader in the development of evidence-based policy proposals to address extreme heat and wildfire, two hazards which worsen public health outcomes. With Wickerson, FAS has convened experts from around the country to surface strategies and solutions for federal, state, and local policymakers. The team’s latest work is Too Hot (Not) to Handle, a report on state and local strategies to address heat through resilient cooling.

In addition to the 2025 Heat Policy Agenda and the Resilient Cooling Strategy and Policy Toolkit, Wickerson and Autumn Burton, FAS Senior Associate, Climate and Health, continue to research and articulate the scope and depth of the extreme heat problem as it relates to physical landscapes and communities, public health and infrastructure, data and technology, and the workforce. Ongoing work and policy proposals include:

Economic Impacts of Extreme Heat: Energy
Impacts of Extreme Heat on Rural Communities
Impacts of Extreme Heat on Labor
Impacts of Extreme Heat on Federal Healthcare Spending
Impacts of Extreme Heat on Agriculture
Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke: Consequences for Communities

‘Grist 50’

This year’s Grist 50 includes entrepreneurs, artists, land stewards, and community advocates, and others working to address climate change. These stories are just a snapshot of the progress that is still unfolding all over the country — and a testament to the strength, diversity, and creativity of the many people pushing forward across the country. A full list of this year’s award recipients can be found here.

“It is an honor to be recognized amongst so many dedicated individuals. I look forward to connecting with fellow awardees in New York during Climate Week  and working collectively to strengthen our respective efforts to address the climate crisis,” says Wickerson. 

###

ABOUT GRIST 50

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to highlighting climate solutions and uncovering environmental injustices. Since 2016, we have published our annual Grist 50, a list of climate leaders to know right now — people working on unique and impactful solutions to the most pressing climate problems of today. Each year’s list is driven by hundreds of reader nominations, and illustrates what a vibrant, diverse climate movement looks like, while amplifying stories of those making a difference. The 2025 list of awardees is here: https://grist.org/fix/grist-50/2025/

ABOUT FAS

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address urgent challenges. Extreme heat work can be found at: https://fas.org/initiative/extreme-heat/

Fourteen community-driven projects selected from a highly competitive national competition will receive funding to pilot innovative solutions across the U.S.

September 10, 2025; Washington, D.C. — Fourteen teams from ten U.S. states have been selected as the Stage 2 awardees in the Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), a national competition that helps communities turn emerging research into ready-to-implement solutions. Chosen from 55 Stage 1 projects through a rigorous review process, these teams will each receive up to $1,000,000 to launch pilots that address local priorities while building scalable, sustainable and reproducible models for maximum impact. Stage 2 will officially begin in October with an in-person event hosted at the Federation of American Scientists’ office in Washington, D.C. 

Now in its third iteration, CIVIC is a unique federal partnership that prioritizes community engagement, transdisciplinary research and real-world pilots. The competition is organized around two tracks shaped by input from cities and communities nationwide:  

• Track A. Building Resilient Communities Through Preparedness

• Track B. Optimizing Resources and Services 

For information on the teams, see the CIVIC website. 

The 2025 Stage 2 awardees reflect the broad geographic reach and wide-ranging focus of America’s communities, each tackling long-standing challenges with innovative approaches.

Through an agreement with NSF, the Federation of American Scientists – following its June 2025 acquisition of MetroLab Network – supports awardees by fostering communities of practice designed to enhance collaboration, strengthen project reproducibility and ensure long-term sustainability.

MetroLab Network has been a CIVIC partner since its inception—contributing to program design (award #1833054), leading programmatic elements during the first two iterations (award #2223449) and continuing this role in partnership with NSF for CIVIC 3.0 (award #2513329).

###

Additional Material

To learn more about the Civic Innovation Challenge, visit: https://nsfcivicinnovation.org/.

About NSF
The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to: promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare and secure the national defense.

About FAS
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.