National Science Foundation

How does radiation travel through dense plasma? In addition to the well-known states of matter — solid, liquid and gas — a fourth state of matter, called plasma, is the most abundant form in the universe. Plasmas are found throughout the solar system in the sun and other planetary bodies. Because… Published January 31, 2023 at 06:45AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF's NCSES releases report on diversity trends in STEM workforce and education Today, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, or NCSES — part of the U.S. National Science Foundation — released Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023, the federal government's latest and most… Published January 30, 2023 at 07:14PM Read more at nsf.gov

525-million-year-old fossil defies textbook explanation for brain evolution Fossils of a tiny sea creature that died more than half a billion years ago may compel a science textbook rewrite of how brains evolved. A U.S. National Science Foundation-supported study published in Science provides the first detailed description… Published January 30, 2023 at 07:01AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan NSF's mission to advance innovation anywhere and opportunities everywhere is the driving component in Director Sethuraman Panchanathan's day-to-day work, continuing to build upon the bedrock of fundamental research made possible by over 70 years of… Published January 27, 2023 at 10:23AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces nearly $50 million partnership with Ericsson, IBM, Intel, and Samsung to support the future of semiconductor design and manufacturing The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced a cross-sector partnership with Ericsson, IBM, Intel, and Samsung to support the design of the next generation of semiconductors as part of its Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) initiative. “Future… Published January 26, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy announce expanded collaboration Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding that will continue a longstanding collaboration on scientific and engineering research and enable increased partnerships to address the… Published January 25, 2023 at 10:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age A new study shows that the Bering Land Bridge, the strip of land that once connected Asia to Alaska, emerged far later during the last ice age than previously thought. The unexpected findings shorten the window of time that humans could have first… Published January 25, 2023 at 06:53AM Read more at nsf.gov

Designing with DNA Look at the tiny nanoscale structures emerging from research labs at Duke University and Arizona State University, and it’s easy to imagine you’re browsing a catalog of the world’s smallest pottery. A new paper reveals some of these creations: itty… Published January 25, 2023 at 06:49AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF-led National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force Releases Final Report Today, the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force released its final report, a roadmap for standing up a national research infrastructure that would democratize access to the resources essential to artificial… Published January 24, 2023 at 11:01AM Read more at nsf.gov

Breaking up is hard to do: Separation of Fiji and Vanuatu tied to Samoan seamounts The islands of Fiji and Vanuatu rise from the tropical waters of the South Pacific in one of the most tectonically active and geologically complex regions of the world. A U.S. National Science Foundation-supported study of volcanism in this area… Published January 24, 2023 at 06:40AM Read more at nsf.gov

Wearable sensor can help unlock the potential of exosuits in real-world environments Wearing an exosuit could help people recover from an injury or give extra help for carrying heavy loads. But, according to University of Wisconsin–Madison and Harvard University researchers, not everyone who dons a wearable robot today can… Published January 23, 2023 at 06:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan Researchers, faculty and students who work side by side at higher education institutions can drive science and engineering to new heights of success. Today, on January 20, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan made his way to Kansas at the invitation… Published January 20, 2023 at 01:51PM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers cook up a new way to remove microplastics from water Researchers at Princeton University have found a way to turn a common breakfast food into a new material that can cheaply remove salt and microplastics from seawater. The researchers used egg whites to create an aerogel, a lightweight and porous… Published January 18, 2023 at 07:51AM Read more at nsf.gov

New study of comets provides insight into chemical composition of early solar system A new study by University of Central Florida researchers has found strong evidence that the outgassing of molecules from comets could trace the chemical composition of the early solar system. Outgassing occurs when comets, which are small bodies of… Published January 18, 2023 at 07:46AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF, AACC call all community college student innovators Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, has launched its platform to advance student innovation and impact in STEM through the Community College Innovation Challenge. The… Published January 17, 2023 at 08:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

Florida scrub mints radiated as peninsula sank and resurfaced during ice ages During the ice ages of the Pleistocene, the Florida Peninsula regularly grew to twice its current size as glaciers expanded near the planet's poles, only to be reduced to a series of islands as melting ice returned to the sea during warm periods. All… Published January 17, 2023 at 07:03AM Read more at nsf.gov

Autonomous crawling soft 'ringbots' can navigate narrow gaps Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a ring-shaped soft robot capable of crawling across surfaces when exposed to elevated temperatures or infrared light. The researchers have demonstrated that the "ringbots" are capable of… Published January 17, 2023 at 07:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan International partnerships — grounded in integrity, transparency and reciprocity — have the power to strengthen and scale collaborations to create powerful global innovation systems. Today, on January 13, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan attended… Published January 13, 2023 at 07:56AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF launches prize challenge to develop innovative learning technologies for K-12 students The U.S. National Science Foundation today launched a $6 million prize challenge to develop innovative learning technologies for K-12 students, made possible through a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and the… Published January 12, 2023 at 07:10AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF provides scholarships supporting education and professional development for next generation cybersecurity experts and professionals The U.S. National Science Foundation CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service program is providing more than $29 million in new funding to nine universities in 2023. CyberCorps® SFS supports the development of a robust and resilient cybersecurity… Published January 11, 2023 at 11:28AM Read more at nsf.gov

Astronomers discover closest black hole to Earth Astronomers have discovered the closest black hole to Earth, the first unambiguous detection of a dormant stellar-mass black hole in the Milky Way. Its close proximity to Earth, a mere 1,600 light-years away, offers an intriguing target of study to… Published January 11, 2023 at 06:48AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF statement on NSF and SpaceX Astronomy Coordination Agreement SpaceX is launching and operating its satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet service. SpaceX's satellite network currently provides high-speed internet to more than 600,000 locations in the United States, often in… Published January 10, 2023 at 02:00PM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF, NobleReach Emerge partner on new effort to speed biotechnology development and translation A new $5 million partnership between the U.S. National Science Foundation and NobleReach Emerge (formerly known as IQT Emerge) seeks to identify and accelerate the translation of NSF-funded research into biotechnologies and bio-inspired designs with… Published January 10, 2023 at 10:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

Rapid fluctuations in oxygen levels coincided with Earth's first mass extinction Rapid changes in marine oxygen levels may have played a significant role in driving Earth's first mass extinction, according to a new study led by Florida State University researchers. About 443 million years ago, life on Earth was undergoing the… Published January 10, 2023 at 07:03AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces new AI institute The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new artificial intelligence institute to focus on the speech language pathology needs of children. The need for speech and language services has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a… Published January 09, 2023 at 11:02AM Read more at nsf.gov

New drugs from plastic waste Plastic waste is one of the most significant ecological and economic problems of our time, scientists say. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team has now introduced a chemical-biological method for upcycling polyethylene waste: Catalytic… Published January 09, 2023 at 07:08AM Read more at nsf.gov

Keeping indoor humidity levels at a "sweet spot" may reduce spread of COVID-19 Proper indoor ventilation is key to reducing the spread of COVID-19. Now, a study by MIT researchers finds that indoor relative humidity may also influence transmission of the virus. Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air compared to… Published January 05, 2023 at 06:59AM Read more at nsf.gov

What shapes the composition of microbes in a warbler's gut? Differences in bacteria and other microorganisms that live in birds' digestive tracts — their gut microbiomes — are not primarily driven by diet diversity, contrary to a recently proposed hypothesis. Instead, U.S. National Science Foundation… Published January 04, 2023 at 08:15AM Read more at nsf.gov