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.
A recent study found that black patients are less likely to experience end-of-life care that accurately reflects their preferences compared to white patients. Black patients with more education were marginally more likely to report having end-of-life discussions, but still received more aggressive care regardless of their values.
A joint MSU-UMich initiative will use the grant to help communities understand and adapt to climate changes in the Great Lakes region. Climate change is projected to impact lake levels, precipitation patterns, and average seasonal temperatures.
Researchers at NC State aim to create a portable device using sound waves to identify landmines, roadside bombs, and suicide bombers. The project seeks to advance understanding of how sound interacts with the environment, which could have significant humanitarian applications.
A pilot study revealed that patients prefer a robotic arm with manual mode, which requires more thought and interaction, despite performing tasks less well in this mode. The researchers aim to develop a hybrid model with an adaptive interface for individualized use.
Rensselaer researchers discovered that delayed communication in networks can lead to a decline in performance, even if initial coordination is increased. The study's findings have implications for various network systems, including computer networks and social media.
The University of Washington, Oregon State University, and the University of Idaho will receive nearly $3.6 million in federal funding to develop new climate change planning tools. The Northwest Climate Science Center will provide science, maps, and assistance to resource managers to apply climate change findings.
A team of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon researchers are leading a $2 million federally funded project to improve life-cycle assessments and predict environmental impacts. They aim to redesign the scientific method guiding sustainable construction and develop a digital simulator to predict a structure's ultimate footprint.
The University of Illinois Chicago has received a $12.4 million grant to study the predictors of smoking patterns from adolescence through young adulthood. Researchers will track approximately 1,200 youth to explore social and emotional contexts that influence smoking behavior.
The NanoJapan program combines study-abroad and research experiences, targeting freshmen and sophomores. The new grant will allow the program to expand its internships into terahertz science, providing students with a unique opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research.
A University of Louisville researcher has received a three-year grant to explore how the nervous system grows and develops. The study aims to identify genes involved in dendritic growth using animal models.
Researchers will investigate how climate change affects Great Lakes water quality, focusing on extreme weather events and their impact on nutrient, pesticide, and sediment levels. The study aims to develop strategies for watershed councils and government entities to reduce water quality impacts.
A five-year, $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant supports a bilingual thinking and learning study at Penn State's Center for Language Science. The project aims to greatly expand the existing body of knowledge on the neural and cognitive processes involved in second language learning and bilingualism.
A University of California, Riverside researcher is leading a $6.25 million grant to develop fuel cells that could replace batteries with up to 80% less weight and increase device life by five times.
Kansas State University has formed a partnership to help rural communities adapt to future climate scenarios affecting their livelihoods and food supply. The Central Great Plains Climate Change Education Partnership will develop effective strategies for dealing with environmental changes.
Researchers investigate impact of Deepwater Horizon spill on minute ocean organisms, which play key roles in nutrient cycling and food chains. The study aims to establish baseline information on pre-spill biodiversity to inform future research.
Researchers from University of Houston team up with top institutions to develop approaches for improving reading comprehension skills among middle and high school students. The $20 million grant aims to provide clear guidance to teachers and schools about cognitive and motivational processes contributing to student reading.
The CUNY Energy Institute has been awarded two grants totaling $4.6 million to develop low-cost, long-lasting energy storage systems and new capacitors for solid-state lighting. The projects aim to improve energy efficiency and reduce the need for excess generating capacity, enabling grid-scale energy storage.
Researchers at UNC Charlotte are using Charlotte as an ideal living laboratory to study urban growth and sustainability. The project aims to determine if there are possibilities for alternative futures where urbanization, forest, and working lands can co-exist in an economic and environmentally sustainable fashion.
The study found no link between ethnic diversity and high levels of perceived antisocial behaviour, contradicting previous research. Residents in ethnically diverse areas were actually less likely to believe the national crime rate was increasing.
Research found that publicly available physician characteristics, such as board certification and sex, are poor proxies for clinical performance and do not consistently guarantee higher-quality care. The study analyzed data from 1.13 million adults in Massachusetts and found no significant association between malpractice claims and qua...
The Arizona State University Center for Photonics Innovation will focus on semiconductor photonic materials and devices, with applications in various fields. The center aims to engage researchers from diverse specialties, promote entrepreneurship development, and provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.
The book provides a historical overview of the American Society of Agronomy's role in shaping global agricultural practices. It also delves into future trends and challenges, including changing diets, biofuels, and under-investment in research, to ensure a sustainable food system for the coming century.
The study explores robot deception from a general perspective, with applications in military and search and rescue operations. Robots can use deception to hide and mislead enemies or calm panicking victims.
A recent analysis of wind farm applications in England reveals that rejection is often linked to high political engagement and life expectancy. This trend encourages commercial developers to focus on remote or deprived communities, exacerbating economic fragility.
A portable, laser-equipped backpack has been developed to create realistic 3D maps of difficult-to-access spaces. This technology allows Air Force personnel to view and interact with modeled buildings, enhancing mission planning and operations.
New research reveals that employees with control over their workspace are happier, healthier and more productive. Studies showed that personalized offices lead to improved attitudes towards jobs, reduced physical discomfort, and increased efficiency.
The study proposes a novel dynamic memory mapping (DMM) model to improve the flexibility and extensibility of virtual machine monitors. The DMM model enables platform-independent and adjustable memory management, providing a uniform interface for integrating advanced memory management policies.
Researchers propose an image-based modeling method to reconstruct inhomogeneous single-scattering participating media with high-frequency details, reducing complexity compared to traditional methods. The approach uses volumetric data and optical properties to describe density distribution and preserves fine details.
Rice University researchers are testing wireless communications technology that uses dormant broadcast television channels to deliver free, high-speed broadband Internet service. The new grant will allow the network to dynamically adapt its frequency usage and study how people interact with the new technology.
Researchers investigated the effect of heat treatment on the superconducting properties of Ag-doped Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 compounds and found that increasing heat treatment temperature improves Jc, while Tc remains unaffected. The study demonstrated that Ag doping enhances Jc at higher sinter temperatures.
The University of Missouri's Difficult Dialogues Initiative promotes constructive dialogue on diverse topics, fostering democratic citizenship and intellectual pluralism. The program has received $230,000 in grants from the Ford Foundation to advance its efforts.
Researchers funded by the NSF have developed a system to detect environmental changes caused by moving objects, enabling passive intrusion detection and emergency alerts. The system, called MILAN, utilizes latent wireless signals to monitor situations in security, emergency, and military environments.
The University of Leicester historian's book 'Pomodoro! A history of the tomato in Italy' sheds light on the tomato's journey from a botanical curiosity to a staple ingredient. The study reveals how the tomato became closely linked with other foodstuffs like pizza and pasta, and how its uses were subject to change over time.
The University of Houston has partnered with ABB and SuperPower to develop a superconducting magnet energy storage system that could revolutionize the US electrical grid. The project aims to create an affordable, large-scale energy storage system using magnetic fields in superconducting coils.
The domestic apple genome sequence has been published, providing valuable information for breeding apples with desirable traits such as disease resistance and flavor. The study confirms that the wild ancestor of the modern domesticated apple is Malus sieversii from southern Kazakhstan.
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston advocate for reclassifying traumatic brain injury as a chronic disease to ensure proper care and funding for research. The study highlights the long-term effects of brain trauma on cognitive function, physiological processes, and quality of life.
Researchers use advanced technologies to map the origin of a massive underwater hydrocarbon plume in the Gulf of Mexico, confirming it came from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The plume is 22 miles long and 3,000 feet deep, and its composition suggests it has been persisting for longer than expected.
The NSF announces three new Expeditions in Computing awards, providing up to $10 million in funding over five years. These projects will focus on novel approaches to complex problems in computer science and engineering, including modeling social behavior and understanding climate change.
Researchers at NC State will use high-performance computing and data analytics to develop new approaches for predicting Atlantic hurricanes and precipitation patterns. The goal is to improve the accuracy and detail of climate forecasts, enabling better decision-making for climate researchers.
The study aims to understand how enzymes activate molecular oxygen and attach it to substrate molecules to synthesize siderophores, essential for the microbes' metabolic needs. The researchers will use protein crystallography training to train global scientists and students.
A study by University of Cincinnati professor David Maume found that men who worked late shifts believed it negatively impacted their marriages, whereas most women saw rotating work schedules as a strain on their marriages. Women reported greater difficulty in caring for and nurturing family members due to their schedules.
Researchers found that white population shifted from central city to outer ring suburbs, but minority representation was relatively flat across suburban rings. The study suggests a radial pattern of minority movement out from the central city rather than filling in inner suburbs.
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University have received a US-AID MERC grant to develop novel techniques for reducing biofouling on Reverse Osmosis membranes. This project aims to increase access to clean water in the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
Researchers are working to improve automatic speech recognition technology, aiming for a word-error rate of no more than 10 percent. A new multi-language audio database will be developed using publicly available sources like YouTube, featuring hundreds of speakers in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
Researchers at LSU and two other universities are analyzing the impact of oil on Louisiana's marshlands using water samples and advanced spectroscopic analysis. The study aims to understand the molecular-level effects of oil contamination on coastal health.
Dr. David Awschalom has been awarded the 2010 Materials Research Society Turnbull Award for his groundbreaking research in semiconductor spintronics, including fundamental discoveries of spin transport and coherence in the solid state.
A team of Arizona State University researchers will collaborate with colleagues from top universities to develop next-generation lasers and infrared photodetectors. They aim to improve the physical and structural properties of antimonide-based compound semiconductor materials, enabling high-performance sensing and imaging devices.
Babenko's fellowship will allow him to attend the European Conference on Computer Vision and work on weakly supervised learning systems for object detection and recognition. His research focuses on tackling computer vision problems with less precise labels, enabling more efficient data collection.
A team of researchers led by Pitt's Jeremy Levy will combine semiconductor and superconducting materials to create a single material for quantum computers, tackling challenges like information loss and quantum simulation. The $7.5 million MURI award aims to accelerate research and application development.
Scientists must engage non-academic audiences and tailor their message for policymakers to inform policy decisions. Effective science communication can also educate children about environmental issues through arts-based initiatives, fostering empathy and promoting collective action.
Professor Varda Shoshan-Barmatz has developed a peptide that targets and kills cancer cells while sparing normal cells. The grant will be used to develop therapeutic peptides for B-CLL, one of the most common and incurable hematological malignancies.
The AACTP and LEAP programmes address challenges faced by excessive drinkers, including preoccupation with drinking and motivation difficulties. The study shows that these programmes significantly decrease weekly alcohol consumption and increase participants' confidence in resisting high-risk situations.
Research reveals that Australian marsupials descended from a single ancestral South American species, suggesting a simplified migration scenario across Antarctica. The study used retroposon markers to reconstruct the marsupial family tree and confirm this finding.
The Frankencamera platform allows users to control photographic and computational hardware on cameras, creating new imaging applications. Researchers share six sample apps, including low-light imaging and lucky imaging, that demonstrate the platform's potential.
Sharon Walker, a US engineer, partnered with Ben-Gurion University in Israel to develop innovative approaches to water management. The collaboration aims to enhance global competency of graduate students and faculty through research and education.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is setting up six new Research Units to facilitate transregional and interdisciplinary cooperation among researchers. The new networks focus on topics such as neurophysiological processes, correlated solids, the Mamluk era, combustion processes and climate change.
A three-year project exploring the nature of character will investigate existence, development and relationship between character traits and beliefs, desires, identities and behaviors. The Character Project will bring together psychology, philosophy and theology perspectives.
A new study reveals that astrocytes play a crucial role in regulating breathing by sensing changes in carbon dioxide levels in the blood. Activated astrocytes release ATP, which stimulates brain respiratory centers to adjust breathing rates accordingly.
The US Department of Energy has awarded nearly $1.3 million in funding to two research projects at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, focusing on improving the nuclear fuel cycle and developing next-generation nuclear reactors.
The University of California, Irvine will lead a groundbreaking malaria field research project in China, Myanmar, and Thailand with $4.7 million federal funding. Researchers aim to develop broader results by working with transient populations and Chinese residents near the Myanmar border.