In this article, we will explore the impact of Member of the National Academy of Sciences on different aspects of society. From its influence on popular culture to its relevance in history, Member of the National Academy of Sciences has left an indelible mark in various spheres of life. Over the years, Member of the National Academy of Sciences has been the subject of debate and analysis, generating all kinds of opinions and theories. Through this study, we seek to shed light on the importance of Member of the National Academy of Sciences and its role in shaping the world as we know it. By exploring its implications and consequences, we hope to delve into the complexity of Member of the National Academy of Sciences and its lasting influence.
Award given by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
Membership of the National Academy of Sciences is an award granted to scientists that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of the United States judges to have made “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research”. Membership is a mark of excellence in science and one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive.
Richard Feynman resigned his NAS membership because of what he perceived as the Academy's elitism and in-group favoritism. Feynman outlines the reasons for his resignation in his published correspondence Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track Though arguably the most famous, Feynman was not alone. Richard Lewontin also resigned for principled reasons (as opposed, say, to ill-health) in 1972, and Josiah Whitney was the first member to resign, in 1874.
Member diversity
Critics have pointed to a lack of member diversity because of a selection bias for “old white men” who dominate membership of the Academy. Elite institutions such as the from Ivy League, MIT, Stanford, the University of California and Caltech also dominate membership, thereby perpetuating the Matthew effect. Diversity of age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation is lower in NAS than in the general population. For example, women in science are an underrepresented group in the Academy but the proportion of female members is slowly growing.
In 1989, the academy had just 57 female members and 1,516 male members (3% female in total)
In 2010, there were 14 newly elected women (19% new female inductees) from 72 new members
In 2011, there were only 9 women (12% new female inductees) from 72 newly elected members.
In 2012, the Academy elected 84 new members, with a record high of 26 women (30% new female inductees)
In 2019, 50 women out of 125 new members were female (40% of new female inductees), another record high although the proportion of women in the academy as a whole is much lower than 40%
New members and international members have been elected annually since 1863. Membership can not be applied for as only voting academicians can submit formal nominations for newly elected members, for
preferential voting in an annual ballot of members every March. Candidates for membership are considered by peer review and voted for again through several rounds of balloting and a final annual ballot in April at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the academy with results announced shortly after, usually early May. Each nomination includes a curriculum vitae (CV) with a 250 word summary of the nominee's scientific achievements, the basis for election and a list of no more than 12 of their most important papers published in scientific journals. The publication limit of 12 aims to focus assessment on the quality of a nominee's work, rather than the quantity of publications.
As of 2019, a maximum of 100 members may be elected annually. Non-citizens of the USA are elected as international members, with a maximum of 25 elected annually. Both members and international members are affiliated with one of six scientific disciplines:
^Lavelle, Marianne (2015). "Science Editor-in-Chief Marcia McNutt set to become first woman to lead U.S. National Academy of Sciences". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aac8806. ISSN0036-8075.
^ abFeynman, Richard; Feynman, Michelle (2005). Perfectly reasonable deviations from the beaten track : the letters of Richard P. Feynman. New York: Basic Books. ISBN0738206369. OCLC57393623.