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.
Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, has received funding from the U.S. Department of State for a $47,602 US-UK Peace Labs initiative aimed at promoting sustainable social cohesion. The project will run from August 2023 to September 2024.
A WVU team is providing free technical assistance to local industrial facilities to reduce their impact on environmental and community health. The project aims to support businesses in making changes that benefit their communities while maintaining profitability.
A recent scientific publication found that sterilized dogs of different sizes exhibit varying levels of obesity, with small breeds at highest risk and giant breeds at lowest. The study also discovered that the optimal time for spaying/neutering differs by breed size, with young large breeds facing a higher risk of obesity.
Researchers at UTSA have been awarded a grant to develop a new technology that converts carbon dioxide into a raw material for producing chemical products. The project has the potential to create a productive area of catalysis research and reduce greenhouse emissions.
A study by Johns Hopkins Children's Center investigators found that delaying surgical treatment of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in some children is associated with a higher risk of new tears in the meniscus and cartilage. Adults, on the other hand, showed no significant increase in such risk.
A WVU researcher is developing new methods to fast-track the discovery of quantum materials, which could lead to breakthroughs in fields like quantum computing and superconductors. The goal is to streamline the discovery process using computational and experimental tools.
The Cabo Verde Atmospheric Observatory is expanding with a new laboratory building on São Vicente, thanks to €3 million in funding from the German government. The facility will enhance international climate research capabilities in the tropical Atlantic.
The new research project examines the associations between relationship events and partners' personalities, focusing on socialization effects. Couples will be asked about their everyday lives to understand how situations evolve.
The University of Missouri's Missouri Work Zone Safety Center of Excellence aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in highway work zones through research and outreach. The center will focus on integrating emerging technologies, data analysis, and countermeasures to address distracted driving and other safety concerns.
The university will use its expertise to create better wide bandgap semiconductors for the US defense, with potential applications in electric vehicles, power grids, and quantum technologies. The hub aims to build 'lab to fab' capability for semiconductors and enhance fundamental research.
Chaowei Yang and his team are creating an automatic training dataset labeling tool to produce high-quality training datasets. The project aims to partner with a startup or small business to create a concrete proposal for innovation programs.
The study aims to identify genetic and molecular factors associated with susceptibility and progression of liver disease in Hispanics/Latinos. Researchers will collect data from 300 participants, including those with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and healthy controls.
Researchers are working on EdgeRIC: Real-time radio access network intelligent control, aiming to enhance wireless communication and machine learning. The project involves developing intelligent systems that can adapt to changing conditions, prioritizing users and acquiring lower latency for applications.
A mathematical breakthrough provides new insights into typhoon dynamics, enabling more accurate predictions and advancements in weather forecasting. The study confirms the stability of specific vortex structures, which can be encountered in real-world fluid flows.
A University of Texas at Dallas researcher aims to accelerate electric vehicle charging times by modifying lithium-ion battery structure to reduce charging time from hours to minutes. The goal is to increase adoption of electric vehicles and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases.
The MIT Press is expanding its shift+OPEN initiative with a $275,000 NSF grant to flip two high-impact subscription-based journals to diamond OA. The program aims to accelerate STEM and HSS research by providing barrier-free access to scholarly works.
The National Science Foundation has added Worcester Polytechnic Institute to its Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, a collaboration between universities and industry. WPI will leverage its expertise in fire protection to study new fire detection methods, robotics solutions for first responder safety, and fire suppression systems.
A new MU study found that APRNs recognize the importance of breast cancer survivorship care and can benefit from standardized education. The findings suggest that formalizing education on breast cancer survivorship could lead to improved healthcare for patients, including symptom management, monitoring, and follow-up appointments.
The American Heart Association is providing funding to social impact entrepreneurs in Houston to address health inequities in under-resourced communities. The funds will support sustainable, entrepreneurial solutions that improve access to quality healthcare, housing, and educational opportunities.
A Texas A&M research team found that a population of endangered red-crowned parrots is thriving in urban areas, with four main roosts in the Rio Grande Valley. The parrots' adaptability to human environments and lack of competition for food sources make them an unusual example of a species doing well in urban areas.
A study by Annenberg Public Policy Center researchers identifies five factors assessing science's self-presentation and their impact on public support for increasing US science funding. The factors capture differences between conservatives' and liberals' perceptions of science, highlighting key differences in what matters to each group.
Researchers warn that greenwashing poses a threat to achieving a 'nature positive' world, where environmental decline halts and biodiversity improves. The University of Queensland study emphasizes the need for standards and transparency to distinguish genuine efforts from misleading claims.
A Texas A&M University team, led by historian Dr. Daniel Schwartz, is working to preserve the 2,000-year-old Syriac language, deemed endangered due to conflict and persecution in the Middle East. The project, Syriaca.org, aims to safeguard cultural heritage and make it accessible to expat communities worldwide.
The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Neurology have announced a new scholarship program supporting early career trainees focused on brain health. The Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships will award two $150,000 scholarships annually to pursue research or public health service projects on prevention and maintenance of brain...
Researchers developed a novel material that self-assembles into micelle structures targeting cancer cell lysosomes, specifically interacting with Cathepsin B. This leads to dysfunctional lysosomes and apoptotic death of cancer cells. The technology promises a new approach to combat drug resistance in cancer treatment.
Researchers launch EU-funded initiative to uncover EBV's role in MS, aiming to find underlying mechanism and develop antiviral treatments. The project seeks to improve disease course or stop progression, with potential for preventive strategies like vaccination.
Researchers have developed a method to control the electronic character of graphene nanoribbons by making metal contacts using direct-write scanning tunneling microscopy. This precise technique allows for device functionality needed for transistor function, overcoming previous uncertainty with giant electrodes.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a novel pathway to stabilize nanoscale precipitates in alloys through nonequilibrium processes. By stopping precipitate coarsening, they can create stable nanostructures with improved mechanical properties.
A study funded by a $180,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will investigate sleep and sleep disorders using RFID tags attached to clothing. The research aims to detect abnormal body movements that may indicate health problems, such as falls in elderly individuals.
The Resilience Justice Project at Brandeis School of Law will examine how eight US coastal cities ensure climate adaptation plans are fair and equitable. The team aims to produce a guidebook of best practices and webinars to help cities adapt planning for all neighborhoods.
The project aims to assess the operational resilience of microgrids on DoD installations and ships, using new operational resilience indexes developed by Lehigh University researcher Javad Khazaei. The team will develop a dashboard to monitor resilience indexes in real-time, providing recommendations for improving the systems.
Researchers have developed a new flexible adhesive with improved recovery capabilities and high adhesive strength, enabling applications in foldable displays and medical devices. The adhesive demonstrated remarkable stability under repeated deformation and strain, making it suitable for fields requiring flexibility and optical clarity.
A new study published in Virology Journal confirms 25 different types of HPV prevalent in Nigeria, highlighting the need for region-specific vaccines. The discovery underscores the limitations of existing vaccines like Gardasil-9, which only protects against nine cancer-causing types.
A new filtration process can result in a pasteurization-resistant microbacterium passing into fluid milk if equipment isn't properly cleaned. Microfiltration extends shelf-life by removing bacteria via the removal of bacteria via the microfiltration process.
The University of Texas at Dallas will develop and commercialize new battery technologies, enhance domestic raw material availability, and train workers for the expanding battery industry. The Energy Storage Systems Campus will leverage $200 million in private capital.
Philip Low, a Purdue University researcher, is working on validating a previously successful malaria treatment by reducing the number of days required for therapy. His goal is to prevent drug-resistant strains from proliferating and save lives in developing countries.
Researchers developed a new diffraction-gated real-time ultrahigh-speed mapping (DRUM) camera that captures dynamic events in a single exposure at 4.8 million frames per second. The camera uses off-the-shelf components and is fast enough to capture highly dynamic biomedical processes or enable high-speed lidar systems.
A team of researchers has made breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources for efficient energy conversion. They developed a highly efficient Thermally Regenerative Electrochemical Cycle (TREC) system that converts small temperature differences into usable energy.
A recent UTSA study reveals that 51% of Texas owls have high levels of anticoagulant rodenticides in their systems. The research team recommends using natural methods to control rodents and increasing awareness of the effects on non-target wildlife.
The UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of maritime activity in ports and at sea. The hub will carry out innovative research in sustainable marine fuels and their safe use, low-carbon power and propulsion systems for shipping.
A recent study found elevated TonEBP expression in patients with lupus nephritis, correlating with inflammatory cytokines and kidney damage. Suppressing TonEBP was shown to halt lupus progression and mitigate kidney damage in animal models.
A three-year grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will fund Dr. Carly Wender's study on maximizing learning and memory function in individuals with MS. The COMBINE intervention combines cognitive rehabilitation technique KF-mSMT with innovative exercise training to improve new learning and memory.
Researchers aim to understand the role of gaze in post-stroke reading impairments and develop an employment-specific assessment tool for individuals with autism. The studies may provide major steps towards finding innovative solutions for individuals affected by neglect dyslexia and autism.
Rice University researchers have been awarded a 4-year, $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to evaluate different physical systems used to build quantum computers. The project aims to provide a framework for comparing the viability and computational potential of various approaches to building quantum computers.
Researchers have devised an efficient method of recovering high-purity silicon from expired solar panels, which can help meet the increasing global demand for electric vehicles. The new extraction method using phosphoric acid achieved a recovery rate of 98.9% and purity of 99.2%, comparable to existing methods.
Researchers have generated nearly deterministic OAM-based entangled states using QDs, enabling hybrid entanglement states in high-dimensional Hilbert spaces. This breakthrough offers a bridge between photonic technologies for quantum advancements.
The Stevens INI is expanding its health disparities research with a new award to examine vascular causes of dementia in Asian Americans. The project aims to use innovative imaging techniques and clinical translations to better understand cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and its impact on cognitive impairment and dementia.
The University of Miami Rosenstiel School has upgraded its Barbados Atmospheric Chemistry Observatory to collect more accurate data on Saharan dust particles affecting the Caribbean region. The observatory now includes state-of-the-art instruments to study dust's impact on clouds, climate and air quality.
A groundbreaking study by UNIST researchers reveals that high levels of endotrophin in fat cells disrupt autophagy, leading to inflammation and insulin resistance. Inhibiting ATG7 protein function or neutralizing endotrophin shows promise as a potential treatment for obesity-related metabolic diseases.
A new study published in eLife reveals the folding speed limit of helical membrane proteins using a robust single-molecule tweezer method. The findings provide unprecedented insights into structural states, kinetics, and energy barrier properties, offering valuable guidance for advancing pharmaceutical research and design.
A new $1.9 million NIH grant will investigate the role of glycogen in supporting healthy pregnancies. The study aims to understand how glycogen storage in the uterus affects fertility and pregnancy loss, with a focus on obesity's impact on uterine glycogen metabolism.
A team of Cornell researchers has found a promising quantum state called a 'quantum spin-glass' while studying random algorithms for error correction in quantum computing. This discovery could lead to new strategies for protecting qubits from environmental noise and errors.
A new study examines racial and socioeconomic differences in US preterm birth and mortality rates over 25 years. Despite improvements, disparities persist, with Black infants 1.4 times more likely to die from preterm birth than White and Hispanic infants.
Wogrin aims to improve data aggregation and create more meaningful models with the same computing power, resulting in suboptimal investment decisions and costly restructuring of energy systems. Her research approach takes into account different supply situations, enabling compressed and differentiated model data.
Researchers at UMass Amherst are investigating the connection between PFAS chemicals and breast cancer. They will examine data from postmenopausal women to determine if PFAS concentrations are associated with less breast tissue involution, which may increase breast cancer risk.
A new project by JooYoung Seo at the University of Illinois School of Information Sciences aims to make data curation more accessible for everyone, regardless of abilities. The three-year grant will connect multimodal data representation with day-to-day reproducible workflows, enriching understanding and offering multiple perspectives.
A University of Missouri researcher created an evidence-based, online professional development curriculum to help teachers recognize, respond to, and prevent bullying towards students with disabilities. The curriculum emphasizes building rapport, social skills, and communication skills to improve classroom climates and reduce bullying.
The editorial discusses epigenetic mechanisms leading to oocyte quality loss, a significant factor in age-related fertility decline. Researchers highlight the importance of understanding this process to address the growing issue of advanced maternal age and its impact on reproduction.
A WVU astronomer is searching the Milky Way for debris left behind by supernovas, with $331,170 in NSF funding. He hopes to discover new supernova remnants using radio wavelength data from telescopes and machine-learning software.
A new MU study highlights the protective role of innate lymphoid cells and interferons in reducing neurological effects of Brucellosis. The findings could lead to improved diagnostics and therapies for neurobrucellosis, a condition that can cause long-term neurological complications.