NSF News
NSF funds 12 projects to advance open and equitable research in the geosciences
The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing $10.4 million to advance open and equitable research in the geosciences, in alignment with the goals of the federal 2023 Year of Open Science. Through its new Geosciences Open Science Ecosystem (GEO…
A lightweight wearable device helps users navigate with a tap on the wrist
Engineers at Rice University have developed a fabric-based wearable device that "taps" a user's wrist with pressurized air, helping them navigate to their destination. Users correctly interpreted which direction the device was telling them to go an…
Scientists say deepening Arctic snowpack drives greenhouse gas emissions
Human-caused climate change is shortening the snow cover period in the Arctic. But according to U.S. National Science Foundation-supported research led by Earth system scientists at the University of California, Irvine, some parts of the Arctic are…
Research suggests natural selection can slow evolution, maintain similarities across generations
Natural selection is usually understood in the context of change. When organisms deviate from the norm, they may gain advantages that let their lineages outlast those of their less-adaptable relatives. But U.S. National Science Foundation-supported…
Broken by bison, aspen saplings have a tough time in northern Yellowstone
In northern Yellowstone National Park, saplings of quaking aspen, an ecologically important tree in the American West, are being broken by a historically large bison herd, affecting the comeback of aspen from decades of over-browsing by elk. Findings…
NSF Director delivers remarks at Northeastern University's grand opening celebration alongside Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation
On Oct. 16, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan delivered a keynote at the grand opening of Northeastern University's EXP, a state-of-the-art, 357,000-square-foot, energy-efficient research facility outfitted with labs…
NSF statement on 2023 Nobel laureates in science
The week before last, the Nobel Assembly and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences began announcing the 2023 Nobel Prize recipients. Among the winners in physics, chemistry and economic sciences are researchers who have been supported by the U.S…
NSF Director Panchanathan joins Sen. Amy Klobuchar at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities for cross-sectoral roundtable
On Oct. 13, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan traveled to the University of Minnesota (UMN) Twin Cities, where he joined Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for a university-hosted "Science, Innovation, and Workforce Development…
Study IDs secret of stealthy invader essential to ruinous rice disease
The virulence of a rice-wrecking fungus — and deployment of ninja-like proteins that help it escape detection by muffling an immune system's alarm bells — relies on genetic decoding quirks that could prove central to stopping it, according to U.S…
Decades-long Arctic rivers study reveals widespread changes
Research examining a 20-year record of water chemistry in the six largest Arctic rivers — the Ob', Yenisey, Lena and Kolyma in Russia, and the Mackenzie and Yukon in North America, which together capture two-thirds of the Arctic Ocean watershed area…
NSF congratulates laureate of the 2023 Nobel Prize in economics
The U.S. National Science Foundation congratulates Claudia Goldin on her 2023 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Her groundbreaking research has given new insights into women’s historical and contemporary roles in the labor market and reveals…
Blink and you'll miss these plants shooting their seeds
If you happened upon a witch hazel plant in the forest, you might describe it as a sweet-smelling shrub with crinkly ribbon-like petals. But to Duke University researcher Justin Jorge, it's a howitzer. That's because of the impressive firepower of…
New modeling method helps scientists understand extreme heat waves
To prepare for extreme heat waves around the world — particularly in places known for cool summers — climate simulation models that include a new computing concept may save tens of thousands of lives. The concept, called "ensemble boosting," uses…
NSF and the French National Research Agency sign a memorandum of understanding and announce two new lead agency opportunities
On Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the French National Research Agency (ANR) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between U.S. and French…
Quantum computer unveils atomic dynamics of light-sensitive molecules
Researchers at Duke University have implemented a new method to observe a quantum effect in the way light-absorbing molecules interact with incoming photons. Known as a conical intersection, the effect puts limitations on the paths molecules can take…
Atmospheric circulation weakens following volcanic eruptions
The Pacific Ocean covers 32% of Earth's surface area. Its activity affects conditions around the globe. Periodic variations in the ocean's water temperature and winds, called the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, are a major meteorologic force…
NSF congratulates laureates of the 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry
The U.S. National Science Foundation congratulates Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov on their 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry. The laureates discovered quantum dots and a method for reliably producing them at a high quality. Quantum…
NSF congratulates laureates of the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics
The U.S. National Science Foundation congratulates Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier on their 2023 Nobel Prize in physics. Their groundbreaking discoveries have given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside…
Exascale revolution: Supercomputers unleash a new era in biophysics discovery
In a paper in Biophysical Journal, biophysicist Rafael Bernardi of Auburn University and his colleagues shed light on the capabilities of the next generation of supercomputers in reshaping the landscape of biophysics. The U.S. National Science…
AI helps robots manipulate objects with their whole bodies
Imagine you want to carry a large, heavy box up a flight of stairs. You might spread your fingers and lift the box with both hands, then hold it on top of your forearms and balance it against your chest, using your whole body to manipulate the box…