National Science Foundation

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan dove into a busy schedule this week, with multiple meetings with international representatives and a reception to honor a retiring congressional champion of STEM research and education. On Monday, the director… Published September 30, 2022 at 10:07AM Read more at nsf.gov

New seafloor data upend understanding of Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica — about the size of Florida — has been an elephant in the room for scientists trying to make global sea-level rise predictions. This massive ice stream is in a phase of fast retreat, leading to widespread… Published September 29, 2022 at 07:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

Neurons that have food on the brain A gooey slice of pizza. A pile of crispy French fries. Ice cream dripping down a cone on a hot summer day. When people look at any of these foods, a specialized part of the brain's visual cortex lights up, according to a new study by MIT… Published September 28, 2022 at 06:58AM Read more at nsf.gov

Global tsunamis driven by underwater volcanic eruptions In 1883, there was a volcanic eruption so large it killed tens of thousands of people. It expelled so much ash that, for a time, it changed the colors of sunsets and the palette with which impressionist artists painted. In history, few volcanic… Published September 28, 2022 at 06:54AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF joins USPTO Council for Inclusive Innovation Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan as a co-vice chair of the Council for Inclusive Innovation, or CI2. The USPTO council will develop a national strategy for… Published September 27, 2022 at 09:13AM Read more at nsf.gov

Antarctic deep-sea coral larvae may be resistant to climate change The larval health of an Antarctic cold-water coral species may be resistant to warming water temperatures, a University of Maine study finds, bringing new hope for the climate change resilience of deep-sea ecosystems in the Western Antarctic… Published September 27, 2022 at 08:21AM Read more at nsf.gov

COVID radar: Genetic sequencing can help predict severity of next variant As public health officials around the world contend with the latest variant in the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers at Drexel University have created a computer model that could help better prepare for the… Published September 27, 2022 at 08:20AM Read more at nsf.gov

New grants support research on factors affecting infectious disease transmission Headlines on COVID-19 and monkeypox underscore the importance of understanding infectious diseases and how they're transmitted. Scientists are studying these diseases, such as hand, foot and mouth disease and Lyme disease, to gain insights into how… Published September 26, 2022 at 06:11AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan promoted greater domestic production of critical computer chips and the benefits of enhanced international cooperation among agencies and organizations. On Monday, the director sat down with host Judy… Published September 23, 2022 at 11:54AM Read more at nsf.gov

How did slime, a marvel of biology, evolve? From the slime coatings of slugs to the saliva in our mouths, many animals contain mucus. How did this marvel of biology evolve? In mammals, the answer is many times and often in surprising ways, according to a new study on proteins called mucins… Published September 21, 2022 at 08:38AM Read more at nsf.gov

Mimicking termites to generate new materials Inspired by the way termites build their nests, researchers at Caltech have developed a framework to design new materials that mimics the fundamental rules hidden in nature's growth patterns. The investigators showed that, using these rules, it is… Published September 21, 2022 at 08:41AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF's Convergence Accelerator invests $30 million to tackle challenges related to the blue economy The U.S National Science Foundation is tackling challenges related to climate, sustainability, food, energy, pollution and the economy through a $30 million investment to advance six convergent research teams from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of NSF's… Published September 21, 2022 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Silicon image sensor that computes As any driver knows, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye — so when it comes to the camera system in autonomous vehicles, processing time is critical. The time that it takes for the system to snap an image and deliver the data to the… Published September 20, 2022 at 07:31AM Read more at nsf.gov

Plants reprogram their cells to fight invaders. Here's how. In times of war, factories retool to support the needs of battle. Assembly lines change course from turning out car parts to machine guns, or from building washing machines to aircraft engines. To hear Duke University scientist Xinnian Dong tell it… Published September 20, 2022 at 07:32AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF invests in bio-inspired and bioengineered systems for artificial intelligence, infrastructure and health The U.S. National Science Foundation announces an investment of $30 million to support new interdisciplinary, fundamental research projects for the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, or EFRI, program. Awardees will work on projects that… Published September 19, 2022 at 09:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Thinking like a cyber-attacker to protect user data A component of computer processors that connects different parts of the chip can be exploited by malicious agents who seek to steal secret information from programs running on the computer, MIT researchers have found. Modern computer processors… Published September 19, 2022 at 08:12AM Read more at nsf.gov

Reintroducing bison to grasslands increases plant diversity, drought resilience, study finds A Kansas State University-led study has found that reintroducing bison — a formerly dominant grazer — doubles plant biodiversity in a tallgrass prairie. The research includes more than 30 years of data collected at the Konza Prairie Biological… Published September 19, 2022 at 08:12AM Read more at nsf.gov

Exploring how future tech can benefit people in the workplace — NSF greenlights 14 new 'Future of Work' research projects The U.S. National Science Foundation will invest more than $29 million in research projects designed to increase opportunities for U.S. workers and generate positive societal and economic impacts at the local and national level. Researchers in 17… Published September 19, 2022 at 06:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces increased support for capacity building in quantum information science and engineering research The expansive and growing societal and economic impacts of quantum information science and engineering, or QISE, pose new challenges and unique possibilities. Building capacity, broadening participation, increasing access and expanding opportunities… Published September 16, 2022 at 09:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers develop an integrated method to measure stability during walking Researchers at Georgia Tech funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have developed an integrated approach to studying the biomechanics of falls and how the legs, joints and muscles act as a system to respond. Studying how the different… Published September 14, 2022 at 08:18AM Read more at nsf.gov

Burying short sections of power lines could drastically reduce hurricanes' impact on coastal residents As Earth warms due to climate change, people living near the coasts not only face a higher risk of major hurricanes but are also more likely to experience heat waves while grappling with widespread power outages. Princeton researchers funded by the U… Published September 13, 2022 at 07:06AM Read more at nsf.gov

Sharpest image to date of universe's most massive known star Astronomers have yet to fully understand how the most massive stars — those more than 100 times the mass of the sun — are formed. One particularly challenging piece of this puzzle is obtaining observations of these giants, which typically dwell in… Published September 13, 2022 at 07:05AM Read more at nsf.gov

Predicting and preventing pandemics is goal of new NSF awards The potential for future pandemics is an ever-present and growing threat, whether they are due to known diseases like monkeypox or Ebola, or an as-yet-unknown infection. Nearly $26 million in new awards from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)… Published September 12, 2022 at 09:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Study shows 'unprecedented' changes to world's rivers The way rivers function is significantly affected by how much sediment they transport and deposit. River sediment — mostly sand, silt and clay — plays a critical ecological role, as it provides habitat for organisms downstream and in estuaries. It is… Published September 12, 2022 at 08:25AM Read more at nsf.gov

'Forever chemicals' destroyed by simple method PFAS, manufactured chemicals commonly used since the 1940s in nonstick and waterproofing agents, are called "forever chemicals" for good reason. Bacteria can't eat them; fire can't incinerate them; and water can't dilute them. And, if these toxic… Published September 12, 2022 at 08:26AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF invests in use-inspired climate change and clean energy research The U.S. National Science Foundation announces 13 new Partnerships for International Research and Education, PIRE, awards totaling more than $19 million. The PIRE competition focuses on global societal challenges related to climate change and clean… Published September 09, 2022 at 06:18AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces $10 million partnership with Intel Corporation to train and build a skilled semiconductor manufacturing workforce Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new program with Intel Corporation to educate and train the nation's semiconductor manufacturing workforce and advance opportunities for equitable science, technology, engineering and… Published September 08, 2022 at 09:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers develop dashboard to track invasive and vector mosquitoes Mosquitoes cause more than one million deaths each year and rank among the deadliest animals on the planet, even though only a small number of the insect species transmit disease. Tracking and surveillance are crucial to mitigating the worldwide… Published September 08, 2022 at 07:07AM Read more at nsf.gov

Engineers use modified 19th-century photography technique to make flexible films that change color Engineers at MIT funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have repurposed a photographic technique from the 1800s and detailed the outcome in a paper published in Nature Materials. The experiment resulted in films that change shades when… Published September 08, 2022 at 07:07AM Read more at nsf.gov

Encrypted, one-touch, human-machine interface technology unveils user physiology Researchers at UCLA and Stanford University have developed a secure, noninvasive, one-touch technology using hydrogel-coated chemical sensors and a signal-interpretation framework. It can present detailed information about an individual's blood… Published September 07, 2022 at 09:05AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF, DOD partner to advance 5G technologies and communications for U.S. military, government and critical infrastructure operators The U.S. National Science Foundation is accelerating 5G solutions to assist the U.S. government and critical infrastructure operators to communicate securely anywhere and anytime. Partnering with the Department of Defense Office of the Under… Published September 07, 2022 at 08:06AM Read more at nsf.gov

"Beautiful swimmers" attack at low tide David Johnson, an ecologist at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, has spent more than 20 years mucking in salt marshes along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts. But while doing research in a Virginia salt marsh at low tide last… Published September 07, 2022 at 09:01AM Read more at nsf.gov

Catching up with quicksilver: MXene material can counter mercury contamination Researchers estimate that mercury emissions in the atmosphere have quadrupled since the start of the Industrial Revolution. The heavy metal, generated by burning fossil fuels and the disposal of industrial and medical waste, has become persistent in… Published September 06, 2022 at 07:07AM Read more at nsf.gov