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The feel of a cat's fur can reveal some information, but seeing the feline provides critical details: Is it a housecat or a lion? While the sound of fire crackling may be ambiguous, its scent confirms the burning wood. Our senses synergize to give a…

Researchers in academia and from equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions may submit executive summaries and proposals to almost two dozen new technical topics recently released in DARPA's latest Young Faculty Award (YFA) research announcement. This announcement includes an additional open topic covering six thrust areas specific to DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO).

A new MIT study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation focuses on a single cell in one of nature’s simplest nervous systems. It provides an in-depth illustration of how individual neurons can use multiple means to drive complex behaviors.In…

Quantum computers process information using quantum bits, or qubits, based on fragile, short-lived quantum mechanical states. To make qubits robust and tailor them for applications, researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National…

DARPA is seeking self-funded teams to participate in the DARPA Triage Challenge, a series of events to spur development of novel physiological features for medical triage. The DARPA Triage Challenge aims to drive breakthrough innovations in identification of "signatures" of injury that will help medical responders perform scalable, timely, and accurate triage. Of particular interest are mass casualty incidents, in both civilian and military settings, when medical resources are limited relative to the need.

In advance of formal technology transition, DARPA's SIGMA+ program concluded a three-week capstone event with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority) this past summer, demonstrating through realistic exercise scenarios the ability to detect a wide spectrum of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats. The July exercises, which spanned all 15 Port Authority commands, culminated a five-year effort to develop and deploy an automated, high-performance, networked and mobile system that provides continuous city-scale monitoring of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) threats.

On Friday, Oct. 27, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited the University of California, Santa Barbara, to meet with students, faculty and researchers, tour cutting-edge facilities and share NSF's approach to…

The U.S. National Science Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Renée V. Ferranti as the new special assistant to the NSF director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation. In this crucial role, Ferranti…

Macrophages are small cells vital to the immune system that could lead to cell-based therapies for many medical conditions. But realizing the full potential of macrophage therapies relies on being able to see what these cells are up to inside our…

Moving robots demands a lot of energy. Batteries, the typical power source, limit lifetime and raise environmental concerns. Researchers have explored various alternatives, but each has drawbacks: Insects roam; chargers limit range; lasers can burn…

The Objective Prediction of Team Effectiveness via Models of Performance Outcomes (OP TEMPO) program aims to develop an objective, biologically informed capability to assess team performance during training. OP TEMPO seeks to identify bio-behavioral signatures of coordination dynamics that correlate to team performance outcomes, and develop systems to accurately and reliably measure these signatures during training. OP TEMPO will provide Department of Defense instructors with capabilities to support real-time assessment, after action review, performance diagnostics, and objective prediction of teaming proficiency and mission readiness.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has invested $3.5 million in ambitious new civil infrastructure research to create transformative and equitable solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Civil infrastructure includes water…

The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced an investment of $10.9 million to support research that will help ensure advances in artificial intelligence go hand in hand with user safety. The objective of the Safe Learning-Enabled Systems…

A Northwestern University-led study supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation is changing the way astrophysicists understand the feeding habits of supermassive black holes. While previous researchers have hypothesized that black holes feed…

Researchers funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have developed a way of detecting the early onset of deadly infectious diseases by using a test so ultrasensitive that it could someday revolutionize medical approaches to epidemics. The test…

The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced the latest recipients of the Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program. The $16.3 million investment seeks to advance artificial intelligence innovation…

"As the primary federal investor in non-defense artificial intelligence research, the U.S. National Science Foundation is driving cutting-edge research that is expanding our understanding of AI concepts and techniques, accelerating trustworthy AI…

"NSF remains committed to investing in the scientists, engineers, inventors and students that will lead to the next generation of key innovations that unravel mysteries, solve pressing problems, and drive our nation's economic and national security."…

In the frigid waters surrounding Antarctica, an unusual seasonal cycle occurs. During winter, from March to October, the sun barely rises. As seawater freezes it rejects salts, creating pockets of extra-salty brine where microbes live in winter. In…

Researchers have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water. The modified organism can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans that is used in everything…