NSF News

Little is known about what drives rare biodiversity in cities. Rare plant species in urban gardens may be the answer. The plants in turn attract rare bee and bird species, according to a Dartmouth College-led study looking at urban gardens in…

A wildfire followed by an intense rainstorm is often a recipe for disaster. Without vegetation to cushion rainfall, water runoff can turn into a fast-moving, highly destructive landslide, called a "debris flow," which often has the power to wipe out…

From understanding the multifaceted transmission of disease to deciphering how living organisms adapt to harsh conditions, answering big questions in biology requires interdisciplinary research and scientists engaging and partnering with those from…

For some species conquering new territory, it might be better to live fast and die young. In a new study, biologists at the University of Iowa looked at why a type of freshwater snail that has invaded ecosystems worldwide has been so successful…

An abandoned Caribbean colony unearthed centuries after it had been forgotten and a case of mistaken identity in the archaeological record have conspired to rewrite the history of Assateague, a barrier island off the Virginia and Maryland coasts…

Chemical engineers at Rice University have improved their design for a light-powered catalyst that rapidly breaks down PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, one of the world's most problematic "forever chemical" pollutants. These pollutants aren't easily…

The ancient North American city of Cahokia had as its focal point a feature now known as Monks Mound, a giant earthwork surrounded on its north, south, east and west by large rectangular open areas. These flat zones, called plazas by archaeologists…

Engineering discoveries and advances have the power to make transformational positive impacts on society. For decades, the U.S. National Science Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of research centers that integrate engineering with other…

When Mark Abbott and his team pulled a 300-foot-long core of mud from a lakebed high in the Peruvian Andes, he hoped it might provide a glimpse of the past 160,000 years of climate change. Instead, the U.S. National Science Foundation-supported…

Water resources will fluctuate increasingly and become more and more difficult to predict in snow-dominated regions across the Northern Hemisphere by later this century, according to a comprehensive new climate change study led by the National Center…

Approximately 1,800 miles beneath our feet, swirling liquid iron in the Earth's outer core generates the planet's protective magnetic field. The magnetic field is invisible but is vital for life on Earth's surface because it shields the planet from…

What, exactly, distinguishes a pond from a lake or a wetland? A U.S. National Science Foundation-supported study co-led by Cornell University offers the first data-driven, functional definition of a pond and evidence of ponds' distinct ecological…

Artificial intelligence and machine learning evolve fast. It is crucial that artificial intelligence and machine learning systems be accountable, fair, inclusive and transparent. The U.S. National Science Foundation has been a leader in providing…

While a clear night sky might seem quiet and peaceful to us, empty of everything but stars, this nocturnal world is filled with a high-pitched cacophony of sound just beyond our ability to hear. Bats pierce the shadows with ultrasonic pulses that…

Researchers at Oregon State University have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to help protect bees from pesticides. Cory Simon and Xiaoli Fern led the project, which involved training a machine learning model to predict whether proposed…

In February 2022, the U.S. National Science Foundation issued a Dear Colleague Letter encouraging joint U.S.-India research projects involving principal investigators from both nations for collaborative research that can accelerate the development of…

A team of scientists and engineers at Northwestern University supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation has developed an implantable pain relieving device -- a promising alternative to opioids and other addictive analgesics. The device could…

In the evolutionary "arms race" between rattlesnakes and their prey, rodents, birds and other reptiles develop resistance to the snakes' deadly venom to survive. But U.S. National Science Foundation-supported research led by the University of…

The U.S. National Science Foundation will establish four new NSF INCLUDES Alliances to enhance preparation, increase participation and ensure the inclusion of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering…

The U.S. National Science Foundation has selected James L. Moore III to head the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, or EHR, which supports research that enhances learning and teaching, and broad efforts to achieve excellence in STEM…