Standing Committee

Committee on Science, Technology, and Law

The National Academies established the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law in 1998 to bring together the science and engineering community and the legal community to explore pressing issues, improve communication and help resolve issues. Under the leadership of co-chairs Dr. Harold Varmus and Professor Martha Minow, the committee meets twice a year in a neutral and non-adversarial setting to discuss critical issues at the interface of science, technology, and the law; to promote understanding; and to develop imaginative approaches to solving problems of mutual concern.

Work with us

In progress

News and Updates

NEW PUBLICATION: Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Fourth Edition

Update

Jan 7, 2026

New Publication on Strengthening the U.S. Medicolegal Death Investigation System: Lessons from Death in Custody

Update

Nov 21, 2025

A closeup of the locking mechanism of a closed jail cell with welded iron bars on a dimly lit dark background - 3D render

Apply for a 2026 CSTL Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship

Update

Nov 20, 2025

About Events Projects Publications/Resources News and updates

Projects

Protecting Critical Technologies for National Security in an Era of Openness and Competition

Consensus/Advisory Activity

My Academies

Committee on Science, Technology, and Law

News and Updates

Projects

Protecting Critical Technologies for National Security in an Era of Openness and Competition

Emerging Areas of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for the Courts: Identifying Chapters for a Fourth Edition of The Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence - A Workshop

Direct to Consumer Genetic Testing: What are the Policy Issues that Society Must Address? A Workshop

Six Party Symposia on Synthetic Biology

International Animal Law and the Neuroscience Research Enterprise: A Workshop

Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues Associated with Neural Chimeras and Organoids

The H5N1 Avian Flu Virus: Has the Paradigm Changed?

Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Challenges and Strategic Implications for the United States

National and International Intellectual Property Practices and Policies: Assessing the Impact of Political, Economic and Technological Pressures

Gain-of-Function Research: A Symposium

International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing

Implementing Key Recommendations of "Research Universities and the Future of America": A Convocation

Science Policy Decision-Making: Educational Modules

Review of Proposals for Research on Statistical Methodologies for Assessing Variables in Eyewitness Performance

Current Trends in Synthetic Biology: A Workshop