The National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have announced $10 million in funding for 45 new research projects across eight countries, tackling pressing issues like ocean acidification, malarial transmission, and climate adaptation.
The NSF's EPSCoR program has made eight awards, totaling $42 million, aimed at fostering research collaborations among investigators and institutions across 12 states. The projects focus on developing innovative tools for brain imaging, decoding, and modulation, as well as exploring sustainable energy and water management technologies.
A team of marine researchers has discovered a three-way conflict between algae, bacteria, and vitamin B12 in the frigid waters off Antarctica. The competition for iron and vitamins has significant implications for understanding globally significant food webs of the Southern Ocean.
Researchers will discuss infectious disease ecology, including Ebola and MERS, as well as forest biodiversity and the impact of climate change. The conference also explores urban ecology and its relevance to environmental problems.
A Syracuse University team funded by NSF has discovered the long-sought pentaquark particle using the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The discovery confirms pentaquarks, which are formed of four quarks and one antiquark, could provide insight into ordinary baryons' properties.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $12 million to six engineering and computer science departments to redesign their undergraduate programs. The funding will support groundbreaking changes in the professional formation of engineers and computer scientists.
Scientists have discovered that dinosaurs remained rare near the equator during the late Triassic period due to extreme climate fluctuations and wildfires that fueled hotter fires. The study revealed a pattern of rapid vegetation changes related to climate shifts, which led to droughts and plant die-offs.
The US National Science Foundation is launching the Exploring Innovation Frontiers Initiative (EIFI) to identify emerging models of technological innovation that will propel US competitiveness in the coming decades. The two-year initiative aims to explore innovation strategies, tap into the nation's innovation capacity, and nurture new...
The 2015 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia featured the Innovation Zone, a 5,000-square-foot exhibit space dedicated to companies with cutting-edge biomedical technologies supported by NSF's Directorate for Engineering. The zone showcased over 75 companies, including those funded by the NSF Small Business Innovation Research...
A new study has found that coral reefs in Palau are showing few of the predicted responses to low pH caused by ocean acidification. Instead, these reefs exhibit increased bio-erosion, but also host more species and have greater coral cover than in other naturally low pH reef systems.
As warmer ocean temperatures speed up metabolic needs for oxygen, animals will struggle to find sufficient oxygen in lower-oxygen waters. This shift will result in marine habitats being displaced towards shallower, more oxygen-rich areas, with some species becoming oxygen-starved.
A new study reveals a complex marine phosphorus cycle with a hidden role for microbial communities. Microbes transform phosphorus into phosphonates at varying rates depending on depth, shedding light on the ocean's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.
A study in a California grassland reveals fundamental principles underlying disease dynamics, predicting pathogen spillover based on species relatedness. The results show that closely related species are more vulnerable to disease, while introducing rare species can create openings for less common species.
A new unpowered ankle exoskeleton developed by Carnegie Mellon and North Carolina State researchers reduces the metabolic cost of walking by approximately 7%, equivalent to taking off a 10-pound backpack. The device uses a mechanical clutch to offload energy-consuming calf muscle forces, allowing individuals with mobility issues to wal...
The National Science Foundation has announced 2015 Graduate Research Fellowship recipients, representing a diverse group of scientific disciplines and backgrounds. The awardees receive three years of financial support for graduate study leading to a research-based master's or doctoral degree.
The US National Science Foundation and Japan Science and Technology Agency announce joint support for six projects to improve future disaster management. Researchers will leverage Big Data and data analytics to capture and process disaster data, enhance resilient networks, and develop novel approaches to analyze large, noisy data.
The US National Science Foundation has awarded 10 Physics Frontiers Centers, focusing on basic research in quantum computing and fundamental physics. These collaborative environments support multidisciplinary projects and education initiatives.
Scientists have discovered a new virus infecting archaea beneath the ocean floor, which selectively targets one of its genes for mutation. The study also reveals that these microorganisms use a novel mechanism to accelerate genetic adaptation, targeting at least four distinct genes, and this process may be key to their survival.
A massive spring plankton bloom in the North Atlantic Ocean is transported downward by ocean eddies, releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. This 'biological pump' helps the oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, mitigating climate change.
A new study reveals that nutrient pollution can reduce stream-dwelling species' food source, as moderate amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus halve the in-stream residence time of leaves and twigs. This loss of forest-derived carbon impacts stream health and aquatic life.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $56 million in funding to 12 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) for multidisciplinary research in materials science. The MRSECs will support collaborative projects across universities, national laboratories, industry partners, and international collaborations.
NSF staff and scientists present findings on gender in STEM policy, practice and research, as well as graduate science education and broader impacts of research. The session includes discussions on reducing the gender gap, innovative pathways to science careers and strategies for effective broader impacts work.
Scientists found evidence of historically unprecedented hurricane activity along the northern East Coast of the United States, with sediment deposits on Cape Cod revealing 23 severe hurricanes between 250 and 1150. These prehistoric hurricanes were likely category 3 or 4 storms that would be catastrophic if they hit the region today.
Researchers found that termite mounds create refugia for vegetation on drylands, allowing them to thrive in areas with significantly less rain. This discovery could inspire new approaches to understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystems.
Researchers at Berkeley and UMass developed a new algorithm that enables autonomous systems to deal with uncertainty, allowing robots like PR2 to perform tasks without specific knowledge of what needs to be done. The framework combines several planning paradigms and optimizes them for efficient execution on modern hardware.
UMass researchers develop a new planning algorithm that enables semi-autonomous systems to handle uncertainty and prioritize human safety. By considering multiple objectives, such as safety and speed, the system can make sequential decisions in complex scenarios.
A new joint analysis of BICEP2/Keck Array and Planck data reveals that the earlier detection of primordial gravitational waves is no longer secure due to interstellar dust contamination. The study uses multi-frequency data from Planck and ground-based experiments to separate foreground emissions from the cosmic background.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Dr. France A. Córdova will participate in five sessions on science, technology and innovation. Key discussions include gaps in scientific knowledge, global problems, emerging areas, gender equality, and humanity's long-term survival.
Researchers discovered a way to determine tree density, vegetation structure, and leaf arrangement in ancient plant fossils, providing insight into how ecosystems have changed over millions of years. This new method allows for quantification of vegetation openness and sheds light on the impact of climate change on Earth's ecosystems.
A study of African buffalo found that de-worming drastically improves an animal's chances of surviving bovine tuberculosis. However, this treatment allows infected animals to continue spreading TB within the herd, leading to unexpected negative consequences for the population as a whole.
Researchers found that a past global warming period, the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, had two rapid carbon release events about 55.5 million years ago, releasing an average of 0.9 petagrams of carbon per year, similar to modern anthropogenic emissions.
A new study found that Pacific oyster and Mediterranean mussel larvae are sensitive to the saturation state of seawater, which is lowered by increasing CO2 levels. The threshold for danger will be crossed decades to centuries ahead of when CO2 increases alone would pose a threat. Shellfish hatcheries alter water chemistry to create mor...
Scientists sequenced the genomes of 48 bird species to reveal a new family tree for birds and understand their rapid evolution after the mass extinction. The study resolves fundamental questions about bird diversity and adaptations.
The National Science Foundation has awarded rapid response grants to support researchers in understanding the fundamental nature of Ebola and its impact on public safety. The grants will fund projects that explore new methods for virus detection, disinfection, and medical response, as well as research into risk assessment and behavior.
The NSF is investing $16M to build two new supercomputing systems, Bridges and Jetstream, which will expand computational capacity and capability for researchers nationwide. The systems will provide cloud-based and data-intensive advanced computing resources, enabling a broader swath of researchers to use advancing computing.
Scientists at 10 US observatories are improving understanding of Earth's critical zone with a $1.35 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The CZO Science Across Virtual Institutes (SAVI) will develop networked sites to address pressing scientific questions on regional and global scales.
The President awarded the nation's highest science and technology honors to 10 individuals who received NSF funding at some point in their careers. Many recipients have made lasting impacts on US competitiveness and quality of life.
A National Science Foundation-funded research team has successfully tested an autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, that can produce high-resolution three-dimensional maps of Antarctic sea ice. The results provide a powerful tool to study changes in sea-ice extent.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $31.5 million to develop and use co-robots that work cooperatively with people, advancing fundamental understanding of robotic sensing and motion. These robots will perform critical tasks safely and resiliently near humans.
Agricultural production contributes to a quarter of the increase in seasonal carbon cycle, with corn accounting for two-thirds of the crop contribution. The study highlights the impact of human activity on the planet and improves models of global climate.
A new model suggests that intensive agriculture is the primary reason for increased seasonal oscillations in carbon dioxide, with average annual increase of 0.3 percent. The 'Green Revolution' farming practices are boosting atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, leading to a stronger seasonal cycle.
Researchers have discovered the path the remaining 2 million barrels of oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster followed to its resting place on the Gulf of Mexico sea floor. The study found that the oil is concentrated in a thin layer at the sea floor, with deposits most extensive to the southwest of the Macondo Well.
Astronomers observed unprecedented nova images that show the expanding thermonuclear fireball is more complicated than predicted. The research collaboration measured the nova on 27 nights over two months using CHARA's high-resolution telescopes, revealing an ellipticity of 13% and a rapid expansion rate of over 600 km/s.
Scientists have developed geochemical tracers that can identify hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids in the environment. The tracers were tested at a spill site in West Virginia and a brine wastewater treatment plant in Pennsylvania, allowing for the detection of frac fluid contamination and potential risks to water supplies.
A new DataONE project aims to provide a network of data repositories for Earth observational data, enhancing research efficiency and addressing complex environmental questions. By combining citizen scientist data with land use information, researchers can accurately assess species protection needs and public land agency responsibilities.
Scientists have created a new map of the world's seafloor, offering a more vivid picture of deep ocean structures. The map reveals thousands of previously uncharted seamounts, along with new clues about continental formation and earthquake patterns.
The National Science Foundation is investing $31 million in 17 innovative projects to develop tools, cyberinfrastructure, and best practices for data science. These projects aim to create a robust national data infrastructure that supports research priorities and emerging data policies.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $18 million in grants to research nine teams of scientists working on 2-D atomic-layer research and engineering. These researchers aim to create new devices for photonics, electronics, sensors and energy harvesting by exploring the properties of two-dimensional materials.
Researchers will explore interactions between natural gas and electricity systems, power and communication networks, healthcare and cyber infrastructure. The goal is to develop computational models that predict complex behavior in the face of disruptions or disasters.
A study by researchers links California's ongoing drought to human-caused climate change, showing a persistent region of high atmospheric pressure over the Pacific Ocean is more likely to form in modern greenhouse gas concentrations. The extreme conditions led to unusually low precipitation and triggered wildfires and air pollution.