News on the grants and awards that fuel scientific work. Covers federal grants, foundation awards, gene-editing and disease programs, and shifts in funding policy.
Researchers aim to explore the mysteries of Alfvèn waves, fueling the Sun's heat and magnetic influence on planets. The study uses advanced simulations and observational data from NASA's Hinode solar observatory and Swedish Solar Telescope.
A study of 1,984 older adults found that hearing loss was associated with a 41% faster rate of decline in global function and a 32% faster rate of decline in executive function compared to those with normal hearing. Individuals with hearing loss also had a 24% increased risk for incident cognitive impairment.
Researchers have created 'superomniphobic' surfaces that can resist a wide range of liquids, including both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. These surfaces will have numerous applications, such as stain-free clothing, spill-resistant protective wear, and corrosion-resistant coatings.
Research analyzed over 10,000 UK couples and found that people's preferences for a partner's height generally translate into real relationships. However, the observed patterns were not as frequent as expected based on previous studies.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is pleased to announce £30m in funding for eight new research centres and large grants. These investments will focus on various subjects, including infrastructure, interdisciplinary working, and international collaboration.
The INRS Energy Materials Telecommunications Research Centre will have access to a cutting-edge Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) with unprecedented high spatial and temporal resolution. This equipment will revolutionize materials research, enabling the study of ultrafast and ultrasmall material structures.
Researchers will explore novel solutions for efficient spectrum sharing and develop cooperative sharing methods for DoD and Navy's cognitive radio ad hoc networks. The projects aim to achieve transparent coexistence and improved network performance, enabling greater spectrum efficiency and capacity.
A new study by University of California, Merced, sociology professor Laura T. Hamilton found that students' GPAs decreased with increased financial support from their parents. Students with parental aid were more likely to complete college and earn a degree.
Researchers from the University of York and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya have made significant discoveries about novae, explosive events driven by nuclear processes. The study's findings improve our understanding of key nuclear reactions and the final abundance of radioactive isotopes involved in these explosions.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to study the effectiveness of different antibiotic treatment options for children returning home after hospitalization. The research aims to inform healthcare decisions and improve patient outcomes.
The project aims to develop epitaxial graphene for terahertz frequencies, enabling advanced security and health screening technologies. Royal Holloway will collaborate with National Physical Laboratory and University College London to exploit unique graphene technology.
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research has awarded grants to 40 scientists and engineers for basic research in science and engineering. The recipients will focus on various areas including aerospace, materials sciences, and life sciences.
Researchers Ang Cui and Salvatore Stolfo found critical security breaches in Cisco VoIP phone technology, allowing hackers to eavesdrop on private conversations globally. They developed a new defense technology called Software Symbiotes to protect embedded systems from malicious code injection attacks.
In 18th century Guatemala City, economically independent single women played a key role in shaping devotional networks and spiritual geographies. They positioned themselves as pious benefactors, bestowing patronage on priests while also invoking their assistance for worldly matters. These relationships highlight the agency of ordinary ...
The University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center will continue the Jin Shin Jyutsu program in 2013 thanks to a $25,000 grant. The program, which uses ancient touch therapy, has shown significant improvement in pain, stress, and nausea for patients.
Researchers found that female avatars expose substantially more skin than males, independent of their virtual body proportions. The study analyzed data from over 400 virtual people and found a dramatic gender difference in the propensity to disclose naked skin.
The study reveals differences in the speed of evolution among globular clusters, with fast-aging clusters experiencing core collapse within a few hundred million years. In contrast, slow-aging clusters would take several times the current age of the universe to undergo core collapse.
Research suggests that experiencing rejection due to discrimination can lead to an increase in risk-taking behavior, anger, and vigilance. Participants who were rejected by partners of a different race showed increased cardiac output, lower vascular resistance, and more anger compared to those rejected by same-race partners.
Researchers at NC State are developing universal solar panel mounting systems and automated permitting technologies to reduce installation costs. The goal is to make home solar energy systems more accessible and affordable for homeowners.
Researchers have achieved impressive results in a three-year project to develop wind turbines using superconducting wire, exceeding initial targets by 15 percentage points. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded additional funding, increasing the total project value to $4 million.
The University of Maryland will continue its five-year cooperative study with NASA's Earth Sciences Division to study the impacts of the Earth's connected systems on global and regional environments. Research focuses on predicting future impacts, improving drought monitoring, and analyzing satellite observations for ground-level air po...
Swift Transportation has donated $15,262 to The Waylon Fund for Diabetes Research at TGen to advance biomedical research and predict patient risk factors. This donation aims to spur innovative treatments for Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at UCLA have created a lightweight device called the iTube that attaches to a cell phone to detect allergens in food samples. The iTube uses the cell phone's camera and a smart application to run a test with high sensitivity, similar to laboratory tests.
The University of Minnesota will lead an international research network, Linked Institutions for Future Earth (LIFE), focusing on the impacts of climatic and human stresses on landscapes. The project aims to inform policymakers and practitioners with research that advances understanding and promotes landscape sustainability.
Researchers developing geo-electric technology aim to enhance seismic monitoring of CO2 injection, allowing for better tracking of the gas's movement. The technique has the potential to increase safety and public acceptance of carbon sequestration operations.
Tropical montane cloud forest trees have been found to absorb water directly through their leaves from clouds, providing a crucial survival mechanism in foggy areas. However, the disappearance of these clouds due to climate change may render this adaptation useless for the ecosystem's survival.
A recent study suggests that taxes on soft drinks and high-fat foods could lead to significant reductions in energy intake from saturated fats and consumption of these products. In contrast, subsidies for fruits and vegetables may increase consumption, but with potential compensatory purchasing effects.
Rivers erode at an estimated 80 billion metric tons yearly, with 20 billion ending up in ocean water via rivers. Researcher Panos Diplas studies river mechanics to improve erosion process understanding and develop measures to control scour around bridge foundations.
Davide Gaiotto has won a $100,000 New Horizons in Physics Prize for emerging work as a young researcher, while Stephen Hawking received a $3 million Fundamental Physics Prize for his path-breaking discoveries about black holes. Perimeter Institute congratulates its researchers on these major international awards.
A study of 16,882 adolescents and young adults found binge eating associated with incident overweight/obesity, worsening depressive symptoms, and onset of marijuana and other drug use. Overeating without loss of control was linked to marijuana use but not frequent binge drinking.
A longitudinal study will investigate the development of social inequalities across 12 years, combining psychological and sociological research traditions. The study will analyze the interaction between genetic and social influences on five central life domains.
A study by psychologists found that 'water clubs' in care homes significantly improve the health of elderly residents through social interaction, with enhanced wellbeing and fewer falls reported. The research supports the idea that group identity can be a powerful tool for improving individuals' quality of life.
Researchers in Quebec develop a process to remove most of the carbon dioxide from emissions through chemical reactions with crushed rocks. The resulting carbonate byproducts can be sold for use as a refractory material or wastewater treatment agent.
Michigan State University's Foundations of Science course aims to improve critical thinking skills and empower students to make informed decisions. The course, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, offers a unique blend of media and exercises to help students decode scientific concepts and analyze pseudoscience.
A new study in rats identifies a region called the postrhinal cortex that links objects to places in the brain, integrating spatial and nonspatial information upstream of the hippocampus. This finding has implications for treating traumatic brain injuries and neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and depression.
Researchers found that over 14,000 fish from Czech Christmas markets aligned themselves along the north-south axis, suggesting an unknown capacity for geomagnetic sensing. The fish's orientation was unaffected by human presence or environmental stimuli, pointing to a likely geomagnetic cue.
The study estimates that only 32,000 to 35,000 lions remain on the savannah, down from nearly 100,000 in 1960. The research identified 67 isolated areas of savannah with low human impacts and densities, but most are in West Africa, where lion populations have declined drastically.
The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust has awarded Scripps Florida a $1 million grant to expand its education outreach programs in Palm Beach County.
23andMe has received NIH grants totaling $573,000 to support projects on allergies and asthma genetics, sequencing technology accuracy, and database development. These projects aim to accelerate human genetic research and improve diagnostics and treatments for allergic conditions.
Researchers at the University of Iowa documented infants' ability to create knowledge by looking at their surroundings, starting nearly from birth. Infants need to dwell on objects to learn about them, and a mathematical model validates this importance.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has appointed seven senior fellows to examine the impact of Scottish independence on the UK. The fellowship program aims to provide independent research evidence to inform the debate and planning for both scenarios.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded a $2.1 million grant to the University of California at Berkeley's Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics to advance dark energy research through the BigBOSS project. BigBOSS aims to study dark energy with unprecedented precision using revolutionary technologies.
UC Davis chemists used a Japanese synchrotron to study hydrogenases, natural catalysts that power the 'hydrogen economy'. They discovered new details about the iron-nickel complex, revealing how atoms can move in the enzymes.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is funding 16 top scientists for pioneering research in marine microbial ecology, exploring interactions between trillions of microscopic organisms and their environment. This funding aims to make new discoveries and advance our understanding of ocean ecosystems and climate change.
A Marshall University professor has secured a three-year, $65,000 grant to conduct petroleum research with the assistance of seven undergraduate students. The project aims to study the decomposition of specific molecules when heated in an oxygen-free environment, shedding light on biofuels and combustion mechanisms.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a prestigious grant to establish a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professorship in Computer Science, advancing women's participation in the field. The five-year $499,000 grant will hire a female assistant professor with a focus on mobile and distributed computing systems.
Researchers found that schizophrenia patients' brains process simple auditory tones inefficiently, leading to widespread dysfunction and difficulties in attention, learning, and recalling information. This impairment can also affect social relationships, school or job performance, and overall quality of life.
A four-year $600,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health will support an SDSU scientist's research on brain network connectivity in autistic children and adolescents. The study aims to understand how atypical brain connections link to impaired social functioning in children with autism.
The University of Toronto Engineering team has received a $2.2 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a waterless, hygienic toilet for developing countries. The team will use a sand filter and UV disinfection to process liquid waste, while incinerating solid waste in a smolder chamber.
Research published in PLOS ONE found that moral evaluations are faster and more extreme than pragmatic ones, with greater flexibility in consideration. The study suggests people can evaluate choices using either moral or non-moral considerations, leading to different choices for the same actions.
San Diego State University has received a nearly $500,000 NSF grant to create a Science demilitarized zone (DMZ) for high-speed data exchange between the campus and national labs. The DMZ will enable researchers to generate and rapidly exchange large datasets, promoting new partnerships and mentorship opportunities.
The University of Tennessee's Beacon supercomputer, powered by Intel Xeon and Xeon Phi processors, achieved a world-record efficiency of 2.499 billion floating point operations per second per watt. The system used only 44.89 kW of power to produce 112.2 trillion calculations per second.
Researchers will deploy sensors to analyze streambed conditions, measure water flow, and evaluate restoration efforts in a historic creek on campus. The project aims to enhance the watershed and restore part of lower Hunnicutt Creek as part of Clemson's Intelligent River initiative.
The Britain in 2013 magazine features articles on various pressing problems facing British society, including climate change, hospital mergers, retail sector trends, and Scottish independence. The publication highlights the impact of ESRC-funded research on these issues, offering solutions and insights for a better future.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have made a promising breakthrough in reducing adverse inflammatory responses to blood transfusions in preterm babies. By understanding the mechanisms behind these responses, they aim to improve blood transfusion safety and reduce complications.
Researchers at the University of Warwick create a simple and inexpensive conductive plastic composite that can be used to produce electronic devices using low-cost 3D printers. The material enables users to lay down electronic tracks and sensors, allowing for the creation of touch-sensitive areas and custom-designed devices.
Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, have designed a detector that uses microfluidic nanotechnology to mimic the biological mechanism behind canine scent receptors. The device can detect trace amounts of certain vapor molecules and identify specific substances.
A new study aims to determine driving fitness in individuals with multiple sclerosis using a simple and accurate testing protocol. The test, developed by GHSU researcher Dr. Abiodun Akinwuntan, has shown promise in predicting pass or fail outcomes on a road test with 91 percent accuracy.
The LLLight'in'Europe project aims to measure employee strengths in solving complex problems, fostering innovation and attracting new talent. The four-year study will assess Complex Problem Solving Skills (CPS) capabilities in 4150 individuals across Europe.
A MSU team is working to collar Baird's tapirs in Nicaragua to monitor their movements and determine how they can co-exist with local farmers. The research aims to find a balance between the animals' survival and crop protection.