About BCST

The National Academies’ Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) exists as the oversight group that ensures the highest quality scientific and technical advice is being provided to our Nation’s decision makers from experts in chemistry and chemical engineering.  BCST is a forum through which the chemistry and chemical engineering communities can give back to society, demonstrate the broader impact of their expertise, and help address critical societal problems.

BCST committees are currently active in three areas:

National and Homeland Security.  BCST committees have provided both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security with advice related to chemical and biological defense, sensor technology, and explosives detection.

Energy and Sustainability.  Recent activities have included workshops on science to address water needs, bio-inspired chemical reactions for energy technologies, and education in green chemistry.  A BCST consensus study on Grand Challenges to improve the sustainability of the chemical process industry is serving as a template for discussions and symposia throughout the community on this topic.

Continued Impact of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.  This area of focus seeks to assure that the chemistry and chemical engineering disciplines remain strong and available to address societal needs.  This work has included the recent benchmarking of US research competitiveness against our international peers, and an on-going project to revise the laboratory safety manual, Prudent Practices in the Laboratory.

Mission Statement
To assure that our Nation’s decision makers receive the highest quality scientific and technical advice from experts in chemistry and chemical engineering.