News and Services

Democratizing data: Discovering data use and value for research and policy Data access and discovery continue to be topics of great interest across the federal data ecosystem. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the U.S. National Science Foundation supported a pilot study seeking to… Read more at nsf.gov

Shipworms still hold some sea-crets Although they have been known to mariners for centuries — having aided in shipwrecking Columbus and sinking parts of the Spanish Armada — scientists have not been able to determine how shipworms digest wood, until now. Sometimes known as "termites of… Read more at nsf.gov

'Cells to Galaxies' unites astronomers, medical imaging experts to advance both fields In May 2024, experts from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) and the medical imaging field presented at the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine conference on the surprising… Read more at nsf.gov

Synthetic platelets stanch bleeding, promote healing using advanced materials A research team has developed synthetic platelets that can stop bleeding and enhance healing at the site of an injury. They demonstrated that the synthetic platelets work well in some animals but have not yet begun clinical trials in humans. The… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF enhances research security with new TRUST proposal assessment process The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a new risk mitigation process, the Trusted Research Using Safeguards and Transparency (TRUST) framework, which will guide the agency in assessing grant proposals for potential national security risks… Read more at nsf.gov

Climate change will make it harder to see the forest for the trees Individual trees can't move to escape climate change, and new U.S. National Science Foundation-supported research shows that species will be limited in their ability to migrate via seed dispersal and other methods because of a lack of symbiotic fungi… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF invests $36M in computing projects that promise to maximize performance, reduce energy demands The U.S. National Science Foundation is awarding $36 million to three projects selected for their potential to revolutionize computing and make significant impacts in reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of computers. Funding for the… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF partners with Micron and GlobalFoundries to invest in semiconductor workforce development at minority-serving institutions Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new partnership with Micron Technology, Inc., and GlobalFoundries (GF) to increase access to equitable education and develop the next generation of a diverse, semiconductor-ready science… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF planning major infrastructure overhaul to support future research in South Pole The U.S. National Science Foundation released the draft of its South Pole Station Master Plan (SPSMP), which will inform investments planned under the NSF Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization program and ensure that the mission and priorities of… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces $24M investment across three EPSCoR jurisdictions The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded teams from South Dakota, New Hampshire and Maine roughly $8 million each through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems… Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan (May 3, 2024) This week, Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, has been actively forwarding science, education and engineering initiatives through meaningful collaborations with congressional leaders and NSF researchers. His… Read more at nsf.gov

Rubin Observatory's newly coated mirror will reflect the ever-changing universe with unparalleled completeness The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a research facility under construction in Chile and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, achieved a major milestone on April 27, 2024, with the successful… Read more at nsf.gov

New NSF grant targets large language models and generative AI, exploring how they work and implications for societal impacts The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a grant of $9 million to Northeastern University for research to investigate how large language models (LLMs) and generative AI operate, focusing on the computing process called deep inference and AI… Read more at nsf.gov

Prolific potholes in the prairie star in award-winning short film Most of us think potholes are something to avoid. However, some potholes are worth protecting. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding researchers to study prairie pothole wetlands, which are ecologically and economically important, but under… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF and USDA join forces to boost innovation in agricultural robotics The U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) are teaming up to advance foundational research in agricultural robotics. The agencies are issuing a new Dear… Read more at nsf.gov

New center supported by NSF will catalyze data-driven insights in molecular and cellular biosciences The U.S. National Science Foundation has made a $20 million award to support the creation of the National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS). The center will combine vast amounts of available data on… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF invests $90M in innovative national scientific cyberinfrastructure for transforming STEM education The U.S. National Science Foundation announced today a strategic investment of $90 million over five years in SafeInsights, a unique national scientific cyberinfrastructure aimed at transforming learning research and STEM education. Funded through… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF expands the NSF Convergence Accelerator to 10 regions nationwide The U.S. National Science Foundation is excited to announce the expansion of the NSF Convergence Accelerator to 10 regions to enhance national and regional competitiveness in research, innovation and workforce development. These 10 regional… Read more at nsf.gov

This week with NSF Director Panchanathan NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan fielded a packed schedule this week, from welcoming international colleagues to NSF to embarking on a trip to Alaska. The director's visit to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) coincided with the… Read more at nsf.gov

NSF Director visits University at Buffalo alongside U.S. Senate Majority Leader On April 2, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan traveled to the University at Buffalo (UB), where he joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of a new… Read more at nsf.gov