Transportation Research Board 2020 Annual Report (2021)

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4 TRB • 2020 Annual Report GOAL 1 Information Exchange Convening Face to Face and Webcam to Webcam In the middle of a mild winter, the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting—already known as “the biggest transportation research conference in the world”—attracted a record number of attendees. Participants shared research and expertise, taking part in more than 5,300 presentations across more than 800 sessions and workshops. The Annual Meeting also hosted meetings of more than 200 committees, as well as of many of the more than 350 subcommittees. TRB’s Annual Meeting is an opportunity for policymakers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions to meet and address all things transportation. The program covers all transportation modes and nearly every relevant aspect imaginable. As the ability for people to meet in person became increasingly hindered by the state of the pandemic, TRB’s events were postponed or rescheduled to be delivered as virtual events. Whether in person or online, TRB convened or cosponsored 43 conferences, workshops, or meetings in 2020. Photo: Event Photography of North America

TRB • 2020 Annual Report 5 Resources That Change with the Data Much of TRB’s work examines data over significant periods of time with careful review and analysis. Events in 2020 led the industry to seek out best practices that changed by the day as situations evolved. To meet these shifting needs, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine closed gaps across its various units to offer constantly updated, thematic collections of resources. As the COVID-19 pandemic grips the nation and the world, the National Academies are rapidly mobilizing critical expertise in science, engineering, and medicine to inform government response and recovery efforts with evidence-based guidance and are facilitating collaboration across research disciplines and between the public and private sectors. COVID-19 Responses & Resources (https://www. nationalacademies.org/topics/covid-19-resources) brings together the latest National Academies feature stories, reports, webinars, and more. COVID-19 Transportation Resources (https://www.nationalacademies. org/topics/transportation-covid-19-resources) offers resources specifically geared toward the transportation industry. Across the nation, Americans are calling for action to address long- standing social and racial equity issues in the midst of a global pandemic that is disproportionately affecting minorities and other vulnerable communities. Research can shed light on the factors that drive systemic racial inequities—not only in society at large, but also within the sciences, engineering, and medicine—with the goal of finding solutions based on evidence. A range of studies, webinars, and other activities at the National Academies have explored this research, some of which are highlighted in Resources on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (https://www.nationalacademies.org/topics/resources-on- diversity-equity-and-inclusion).