NSF News

Headlines on COVID-19 and monkeypox underscore the importance of understanding infectious diseases and how they're transmitted. Scientists are studying these diseases, such as hand, foot and mouth disease and Lyme disease, to gain insights into how…

This week, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan promoted greater domestic production of critical computer chips and the benefits of enhanced international cooperation among agencies and organizations. On Monday, the director sat down with host Judy…

Inspired by the way termites build their nests, researchers at Caltech have developed a framework to design new materials that mimics the fundamental rules hidden in nature's growth patterns. The investigators showed that, using these rules, it is…

From the slime coatings of slugs to the saliva in our mouths, many animals contain mucus. How did this marvel of biology evolve? In mammals, the answer is many times and often in surprising ways, according to a new study on proteins called mucins…

The U.S National Science Foundation is tackling challenges related to climate, sustainability, food, energy, pollution and the economy through a $30 million investment to advance six convergent research teams from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of NSF's…

In times of war, factories retool to support the needs of battle. Assembly lines change course from turning out car parts to machine guns, or from building washing machines to aircraft engines. To hear Duke University scientist Xinnian Dong tell it…

As any driver knows, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye — so when it comes to the camera system in autonomous vehicles, processing time is critical. The time that it takes for the system to snap an image and deliver the data to the…

The U.S. National Science Foundation announces an investment of $30 million to support new interdisciplinary, fundamental research projects for the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation, or EFRI, program. Awardees will work on projects that…

A Kansas State University-led study has found that reintroducing bison — a formerly dominant grazer — doubles plant biodiversity in a tallgrass prairie. The research includes more than 30 years of data collected at the Konza Prairie Biological…

A component of computer processors that connects different parts of the chip can be exploited by malicious agents who seek to steal secret information from programs running on the computer, MIT researchers have found. Modern computer processors…

The U.S. National Science Foundation will invest more than $29 million in research projects designed to increase opportunities for U.S. workers and generate positive societal and economic impacts at the local and national level. Researchers in 17…

The expansive and growing societal and economic impacts of quantum information science and engineering, or QISE, pose new challenges and unique possibilities. Building capacity, broadening participation, increasing access and expanding opportunities…

New research based on an expedition to the icy waters off Greenland reveals high levels of antifreeze proteins in a species of tiny snailfish, underlying the importance of this unique adaptation to life in sub-zero temperatures. The U.S. National…

Researchers at Georgia Tech funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have developed an integrated approach to studying the biomechanics of falls and how the legs, joints and muscles act as a system to respond. Studying how the different…

As Earth warms due to climate change, people living near the coasts not only face a higher risk of major hurricanes but are also more likely to experience heat waves while grappling with widespread power outages. Princeton researchers funded by the U…

Astronomers have yet to fully understand how the most massive stars — those more than 100 times the mass of the sun — are formed. One particularly challenging piece of this puzzle is obtaining observations of these giants, which typically dwell in…

The potential for future pandemics is an ever-present and growing threat, whether they are due to known diseases like monkeypox or Ebola, or an as-yet-unknown infection. Nearly $26 million in new awards from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)…

PFAS, manufactured chemicals commonly used since the 1940s in nonstick and waterproofing agents, are called "forever chemicals" for good reason. Bacteria can't eat them; fire can't incinerate them; and water can't dilute them. And, if these toxic…

The way rivers function is significantly affected by how much sediment they transport and deposit. River sediment — mostly sand, silt and clay — plays a critical ecological role, as it provides habitat for organisms downstream and in estuaries. It is…

The U.S. National Science Foundation announces 13 new Partnerships for International Research and Education, PIRE, awards totaling more than $19 million. The PIRE competition focuses on global societal challenges related to climate change and clean…